Illuminate Adelaide is a celebration of art, light, music and technology held in July each year.
This popular festival transforms the city of Adelaide, taking over major streets and cultural icons to share free and ticketed events that showcase the best in Australian innovation and talent. Keep reading to discover our must-see events for Illuminate 2025!
Universal Kingdom: The Next Era
In the next installation of the Universal Kingdom series, Illuminate Adelaide is partnering with Adelaide Zoo to transport you back in time to the era of dinosaurs.
Meet Triceratops, Pterodactyls and more as you wander through the zoo after dark. In the kid’s zone, it’s all about unearthing ancient fossils and patting baby dinos, while adults will love staring up at the giant T-Rex.
This experience is made possible with state-of-the-art puppetry, light installations, and interactive technology. It is perfect for kids and adults alike, so make sure to get your tickets soon.
City Lights
One of the most anticipated and famous parts of Illuminate Adelaide, City Lights is a series of free installations all throughout the CBD. Take in interactive displays, projections, and roving performances from some of the best artists and creative studios in the world.
Plus, for one night only, Adelaide Oval will host an aerial spectacle like no other. Watch as drones take to the sky using lightning, audio and screen technology to tell stories of South Australia’s past, present and future in over 60,000 years of history. The Australian first spectacular also celebrates the Kaurna People, who used Karrawirra Parri as an important meeting place. But hurry, Horizons is booking out quickly, so grab your tickets now.
Base Camp
This free pop-up winter village is a must visit for locals and tourists. Every year, Lot Fourteen is transformed into an incredible Base Camp for all the festival fun. Prepare for an evening of entertainment with delicious food, refreshing drinks, and cosy firepits to keep you warm.
Make sure to keep an eye out for roving Illuminated Angels, burdened with the safe-keeping of souls as they float through the city bringing light and joy with them. And, if you’re looking to party the night away, you can even join an all-ages 10-minute dance party. Running every 20 minutes at Base Camp, there will be world record attempts, move competitions and more.
Winter Forest
Embark on a communal dining experience like no other, part of the ILA Immersive Table Series. On this once-in-a-lifetime experience, you will step into a wilderness of towering trees, fairy lights and vines as you’re guided through an evening of stories and magic.
It starts with a delicious five-course degustation set in The Lab, where 50sqm of LED screens and immersive effects transport you to a new location for every course.
Live music from acclaimed cellist and composer Hilary Kleining, is also paired with each course, extending the connection between light, taste and sound.
Of course, vegan and coeliac friendly menus are available to ensure an inclusive experience, and those wishing to take their dinner to the next level can opt for a matching wine pairing.
Chalk Hill Wines Sensory Odyssey Experience
Head to the award-winning McLaren Vale wine region to join an immersive wine tasting experience that combines delicious drops with the perfect soundtrack.
Designed to showcase how sound and smell impact your palate, the tasting includes a curated selection of Chalk Hill wines, each paired with a piece of music to complement the wine’s unique characteristics. As the melodies develop, so will the flavours of each glass, to help you engage all senses at once.
Each ticket includes a welcome drink, and five wines for tasting. It makes for a great day out with friends.
Night Visions
An all new after dark experience will launch in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens this year, turning this impressive green space into a portal to parallel worlds. Using cutting-edge lasers, light, projections and sound, this immersive experience takes you to a sensory realm unlike anything you’ve experienced before.
A collaboration between local and international artists, the experience is designed to highlight the power of imagination on a grand scale.
If that wasn’t enough, visitors are also invited to dine in the Botanic Lodge and enjoy a curated menu exclusively for Illuminate Adelaide. Standing on the banks of the garden’s lake, between Night Visions installations, the lodge boasts impeccable views and delicious dishes.
Supersonic
Supersonic is Illuminate Adelaide’s brand new festival, running an exclusive program of music, art and film events in seven of the city’s most famous locations. Head to ACE, Nexus Arts, or Jive, or grab a Multi Pass for access to every venue.
Whether you’re after techno, house, post-rock or something else entirely, there’s guaranteed to be a performance for you. Lion Arts Factory will host a late-night club takeover by Motez, while Mercury Cinema is running back-to-back music documentaries all festival long.
This year, Illuminate Adelaide will run from 2-20 July. Explore the full program and book your tickets here.
To discover the best vegetarian restaurants in Adelaide, click here.
