What is the Adelaide Festival?
The Adelaide Festival is one of Australia's leading international arts festivals, held each March in Adelaide. Founded in 1960, it presents opera, theater, dance, music and visual arts by major Australian and international artists.
The festival was first held in 1960 and was inspired by the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland. It was held every two years until 2012, after which it became an annual event.
Unlike the open-access Fringe, the Adelaide Festival is curated, with artistic directors selecting the program. It has presented world premieres and Australian exclusives.
Adelaide Writers' Week
The festival includes Adelaide Writers' Week, one of the oldest literary festivals in Australia. Held in the Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden, the event features free talks by authors from around the world.
The Adelaide Festival Centre, opened in 1973 on the banks of the River Torrens, was built to host performances. It is one of Australia's main performing arts centers.
The festival has been praised for bringing major cultural events to Adelaide and has helped give the city a reputation as the Festival State. Some productions have attracted controversy, which has added to its reputation for bold programming.
Did You Know?
South Australia's vehicle number plates have used the slogan The Festival State.