The season ahead
FIFTY YEARS AGO, 10,000 people turned out to watch Don Dunstan arrive by horse and cart to open Rundle Mall, and champagne ran through the fountain. Half a century on, Adelaide still knows how to show up for the things that matter. This season is no exception. The regions are alive with food and wine, the city’s stages lit up with world-class performance, and May through July is when South Australia shows what it’s really made of.
DO
Adelaide Cabaret Festival
4–21 June
The biggest cabaret festival on the planet returns under new Artistic Director Reuben Kaye, with a program built around what he’s calling the Delicious Revolution. Alfie Boe, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox and the Variety Gala are already confirmed. Expect bold, unexpected and unmissable.
EXPLORE
South Australia’s History Festival
Throughout May
More than 550 events across 16 regions, from walking tours and exhibitions to workshops and talks. This year’s theme is Connections, and the program rewards the curious at every turn.
EAT
Tasting Australia
8–17 May
Ten days of eating, drinking and exploring that spans Adelaide and the regions. From intimate winemaker dinners to long communal tables at Town Square in Victoria Square, regional day trips and late-night events, this is one of the country’s great food and wine festivals. Popular sessions sell out early, so get across the program now.
Rundle Mall turns 50 on 1 September, and we’re celebrating the milestone in this issue. But the best way to honour 50 years of Adelaide’s beating heart is to keep doing what we’ve always done: get out, show up, and make the most of this city. The months ahead give us plenty of reasons. I’ll see you out there.
Tom Archontidis, FIFTY+SA Publisher
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