Adelaide Culture

Adelaide is renowned for being a city of arts, culture and heritage. The streets pulsate with artistic personalities who congregate to celebrate and contribute to the city’s experimental theatre scene, intriguing galleries and colourful festivals. A laid-back café culture during the daylight hours contrasts to the lively Adelaidian nightlife, and visitors will be surprised at how much there is to discover and enjoy.

The rolling countryside surrounding Adelaide has a dry climate that is similar to parts of the Mediterranean and as a result produces some of Australia’s most celebrated wine varieties, particularly from the Shiraz grape. The Barossa Valley and the Adelaide Hills offer an array of wineries, cheese factories and fine restaurants – daily tours operate around the area, or for a longer stay there is a variety of accommodation styles available, from quaint bed and breakfasts, to caravan parks, to luxury resorts.

Adelaide is a city that is easy to enjoy on foot – a striking selection of publicly displayed art and sculpture will greet you in many downtown streets and parks, as well as some of Australia’s best preserved heritage buildings. The Adelaide Botanic Garden is a beautiful location to enjoy a leisurely stroll amongst the stunning flora, or alternatively a guided walk through historical Port Adelaide will bring you up close and personal with Adelaide’s fascinating maritime past. For families, a trip to see the native Australian and foreign animals of the Adelaide Zoo or the exhibitions of the South Australia Museum are entertaining and educational ways to spend an afternoon. Cricket fans should make a point of visiting the Bradman Gallery, with a fine selection of memorabilia relating to Australia’s favourite cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman.

The presence of art is never far away in the city, with many private and public galleries to discover such as the Aboriginal Cultures Gallery and the Gallery of South Australia. Adelaide is well known for a thriving performing arts scene, culminating with the annual Adelaide Festival of Arts and the Adelaide Fringe (both from February to March, 2010), which is one of the largest fringe festivals in the world, second only to the Edinburgh Fringe. These festivals celebrate both local and international performance in the form of stand-up comedy, theatre, poetry, dance, circus, music, film, visual arts and more. There are many more festivals to enjoy in Adelaide all year around that suit virtually every taste – for example the Adelaide Film Festival, the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and the Feast Festival.