Illuminate Adelaide2025to set winter alight with hundreds of drones over Adelaide Oval, a dance party in 10 minutes, career highlights from Velvet Underground co-founder John Cale, dinosaurs at the Zoo, a Dutch digital detox initiative, a new 12-hour music festival, audio works in vintage cars, and dinner ‘inside’ a winter forest.
With 9 world premieres and 23 Australian exclusives and premieres, 2025’s incarnation of Illuminate Adelaide offers 134 incredible opportunities for audiences to experience new and astonishing events, artists and creations. From the Adelaide exclusive Horizons, transforming Adelaide Oval into a living, breathing canvas using drones, light, sound and sky; to extraordinary sensory journey Night Visions at Adelaide Botanic Garden, a portal of parallel dimensions utilising cutting-edge light, lasers, projections and sound; the stellar lineup of local, national, and international artists in free program City Lights, bringing to life the bustling CBD; to Australian premiere exclusive to Adelaide, Offline Club that invites guests to step away from their devices and rediscover the joy of real-world connection; from Unsound Adelaide’s epic lineup of experimental music; to a brand new music event over 12 hours in the West End, Supersonic.
Illuminate Adelaide Co-founders and Creative Directors, Lee Cumberlidge and Rachael Azzopardi said: “In this, our fifth edition of Illuminate, we are excited to present world leading artists and creatives in art, light, music and technology to bring the city to life in July.
“We are forging new frontiers by producing and presenting two new Illuminate Adelaide productions in Night Visions at Adelaide Botanic Garden and Horizons at Adelaide Oval in conjunction with some visionary collaborators from all over the world. We continue to commission local artists to make new installations as well as inviting the best makers of immersive and interactive artworks from around the globe, and a new illuminated street performance element to light up our city in the depths of winter with another new and giant free program for City Lights.
“Together with Universal Kingdom at Adelaide Zoo, Offline Club and our foray into the world of Adelaide’s delicious food and wine offerings, and more, Illuminate 2025 is looking to be our best yet.”
South Australian Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison said: “2025 will be the fifth year Illuminate Adelaide has presented a widely accessible program of both free and ticketed events and experiences, helping Adelaide come alive in Winter while attracting over a million attendances each year.
“Over the years this Illuminate Adelaide has become one of South Australia’s most popular events capturing the hearts and imagination of locals and interstate guests driving dollars into our local economy. The event has helped bring our city to life during the traditionally quieter winter months, encouraging people to explore and experience
the immersive magic of these artistic unique installations.”
Highlights of the ticketed program include:
A world premiere, and exclusive to Illuminate Adelaide, Horizons is a one-night-only production presented by RAA in association with Adelaide Oval, AGB Creative and KOJO and will transform Adelaide Oval into a living, breathing canvas using drones, light, sound and sky to celebrate our place, our people and our bright future.
Taking place on the banks of Karrawirra Parri / River Torrens, Horizons explores the theme of human connection and spans 60,000 years of history, telling the story of South Australia’s past, present, and future; from the site’s deep cultural significance as a gathering place for the Kaurna People, to its role in recent history as a stage for legendary
sporting moments, while looking ahead to an inspiring vision of our future.
An extraordinary sensory journey exclusively conceived by Illuminate Adelaide, Night Visions will transform Adelaide Botanic Garden into a portal of parallel dimensions utilising cutting-edge light, lasers, projections and sound. A powerhouse of audio and visual luminaries including UK light sculpture artist Amelia Kosminsky, groundbreaking Melbourne audio-visual creator Robin Fox, Sydney’s site-responsive projection artist Craig Walsh, and South Australian locals Jayden Sutherland, founder of The Bakery Design Co, and Chris Petridis, lighting designer and Night Visions’ Associate Creative Director will unite with Melbourne based composer and sound designer Jethro Woodward for an other-worldly vision, blending the natural after-dark beauty of Adelaide Botanic Garden with vibrant realms of colour and sound.
Dutch digital detox initiative Offline Club will be presented in Australia for the first time in an exclusive series of experiences at Illuminate Adelaide including a lunch at Paper Shell Farm, with guidance from founders Ilya Kneppelhout, Jordy van Bennekom, and Valentijn Klok.
In a world dominated by screens and digital noise, Offline Club invites guests to step away from their devices and rediscover the joy of real-world connection. With devices locked away, guests will immerse themselves in a plethora of meaningful interactions, all within uniquely curated spaces across the city.
Redefining the way audiences choose to party, 10-Minute Dance Party is a high-energy, immersive, pop-up experience – inside a shipping container. Popular Melbourne-based artist and DJ, Joseph O’Farrell (JOF) invites guests to step inside a fun filled, lighting extravaganza in a fully decked out container at Lot Fourteen, North Terrace,
and encourages them to let loose.
The prehistoric world will come roaring back to life with Universal Kingdom: The Next Era – a spectacular after-dark experience at Adelaide Zoo, set to transport visitors to a time when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Building on the success of previous immersive events, this year’s adventure is the second in the trilogy and promises a thrilling mix of interactive experiences – visitors can discover T-Rex, Triceratops and Pterodactyls, pat baby dinosaurs, race raptors, and unearth ancient fossils in a specially designed kids’ zone.
Highlights of the free program include:
Adelaide’s winter nights will once again be transformed as City Lights returns with more than 40 installations and performances for 17 spectacular evenings from 04 – 20 July. Running nightly from 5:30pm, City Lights will showcase a stellar lineup of local, national, and international artists, bringing to life the bustling CBD – from Adelaide’s vibrant East End to the glittering Festival Plaza along with some of the city’s most cherished cultural institutions and heritage buildings, including Government House, Bonython Hall and the Art Gallery of South Australia.
This year’s program also welcomes street performance artists into the fold for the first time. Highlights include the majestic FierS à Cheval by French company Compagnie des Quidams, featuring giant roaming illuminated horses parading through Adelaide’s city centre, and the surreal Illuminated Angels by Melbourne’s Born in a Taxi, floating
through the city streets, interacting with audiences.
Adelaide Central Market will also transform into a glowing hub of light and celebration with a series of immersive art installations and performances, and market vendors will be offering exclusive Illuminate Adelaide-inspired winter warmers throughout the activation, delicious seasonal bites that match the creativity of the experience.
Our beloved late-night hub, Base Camp returns to fire up the chilly winter nights in 2025, and is once again located in the iconic Lot Fourteen on North Terrace. A vibrant village of flavour, sound and light, this free, family-friendly precinct is the perfect place to kick off an Illuminate Adelaide adventure or wind down after taking in the festival’s breathtaking installations and performances.
Base Camp offers a curated selection of Adelaide’s most exciting food and beverage experiences, showcasing South Australia’s rich culinary talent. From bold street food to plant-based bites and gourmet comfort eats, plus plenty of dietary-friendly options, and bespoke beverages, all tastes are catered for with the city’s crisp winter air as a backdrop.
Highlights of Illuminate Adelaide’s 2025 music program include:
Unsound Adelaide, the Southern Hemisphere’s only outpost of Europe’s cult experimental music festival Unsound, returns over two electrifying nights featuring legendary Velvet Underground founding member John Cale, improvisational US noise duo Yellow Swans, German producer and DJ Wolfgang Voigt and UK avant garde musician aya. Curated by Unsound Artistic Directors, Mat Schulz and Gosia Plysa, it sees artists at the vanguard of electronic, experimental and club music come together from around the world for Australian premieres and exclusive live
shows that revel in a spirit of adventure.
Unsound teams up with legendary Adelaide venue Ancient World for the Unsound Closing Party, an intimate after party that will host two unique DJ sets, both from artists breaking down conventions and genres, alongside a stellar lineup of South Australian DJs.
Supersonic is a brand-new music event taking over the city’s West End for one night only, marking a bold new chapter for the city’s night-time culture. Running from 5pm to 5am, it will span some of the West’s most iconic venues, where audiences can move between free and ticketed events. From indie jams and experimental sounds to vibrant techno curated by Motez at Lion Arts Factory and The Sound of Revolution Film Program curated by Shalom Almond on the big screen at Mercury Cinema, Supersonic invites audiences to choose their own path.
With legions of fans around the world, Kiasmos (good friends Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen) are gamechangers in the electronic music space; their unique blend of minimal techno and orchestral flourishes creating a sound that’s both emotionally evocative and wildly infectious. Kiasmos’ performance will mark the duo’s first time back in Australia in over eight years.
Other ticketed events in this year’s program include:
The world premiere of a powerful new immersive audio work, Streetlights and Long Nights. Centring around intimate conversations that take place late at night, it is experienced using Bluetooth headphones whilst seated in stationary vintage cars near the Port Adelaide waterfront. Presented by Vitalstatistix, the installation offers a powerful new perspective on storytelling through experimental, interdisciplinary practice.
Ecstatic Utopian Fantasy, a groundbreaking video-sculpture installation, is set to hypnotise in the ART POD. A collaborative work that sees House of Vnholy join with acclaimed noise duo Messianic Gloss, Capital Waste Pictures, Miles Dunne and Melbourne’s extreme metal vocalists Karina Utomo and Marcus Ian McKenzie, Ecstatic Utopian Fantasy pushes artistic boundaries through sculptural interventions and live performance.
Winter Forest from the ILA Immersive Table Series brings seasonal storytelling and sensory design to the dining table. Presented by ILA, the event surrounds diners with mesmerising moving visuals, layered sounds, and a curated menu with each course reflecting the winter landscape – all designed to enchant the senses and spark imagination.
Further afield, the picturesque hills of McLaren Vale with Chalk Hill Wines Sensory Odyssey Experience – a wine tasting unlike any other. This immersive experience will pair five Chalk Hill wines with a curated musical soundtrack, creating a multi-sensory journey that explores how sound, smell, and texture shape the wine experience. Hosted in the Alpha Crucis Lounge, the tastings will run every Wednesday with two exclusive sittings per day.
Debuting in 2025, Illuminate Hosts is Illuminate Adelaide’s brand-new culinary program, featuring exclusive dining experiences at some of Adelaide’s best restaurants and bars. Running throughout the season, the program showcases some of South Australia’s most iconic venues with creativity and flavour and will pair Adelaide’s top restaurants and institutions with bespoke, limited-edition menu items and immersive experiences.
Participating venues include LUMEN Bar (Adelaide University), Garçon Bleu (Sofitel), 2KW, Monica, East End Cellars, Mother Vine, Station Road, Aurora, NOLA, West Oak, Botanic Lodge, and Adelaide Central Market.
Further information and ticket sales: www.illuminateadelaide.com
Tickets are on sale now!
Illuminate Adelaide 2025
Dates: 02-20 July 2025
Illuminate Adelaide is supported by the State Government through the South Australian Tourism Commission.
Web: illuminateadelaide.com | Facebook: @AdelaideIlluminate | Instagram: @illuminateadelaide
