What’s On In Adelaide This Week, Month And Beyond

Winter is officially upon us (bye bye, heat) and with the copious amounts of rain (and occasional strong winds), there's a slew of cozy events to showcase Adelaide. Australia's most Euro-feeling city is looking cooler than ever in terms of tours and international visitors this year (check out our complete guide here), plus it seems every week there's a new festival, gigging artist in town, rooftop dinner or completely charming market popping up, much to our delight.

So let's jump straight into the good stuff, here's Urban List's picks for the best things to do this week, month and beyond in Adelaide.

What's On In Adelaide September 2026

Family Affair

Latteria | September 6

Image Credit: Latteria

Calling all families, and friendship groups that feel just as close – Latteria is kicking off a new weekly Sunday lunch experience that focuses on good company, great connection, and even greater food. Much like the classic, yet chaotic, Italian lunch with la famiglia, think plates of Italian favourites like lasagne shared among your nearest and dearest, as the wine and conversation flows. And with the first week coinciding with Father’s Day, consider this your cue to book a table to celebrate dad too. Book here. 

Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year Exhibition

South Australia Museum | August 29 - February

Image Credit: Matt Deakin

The Oscars of nature photography, the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year award for 2026 has gone to Matt Deakin for his submission, “Ethereal Encounter”, a photograph of an endangered green sawfish swimming with a green turtle, captured by drone in waters off

the Pilbara in the far north of his home of WA. And making sure you get to see all the wildlife snaps up close, the South Australia Museum is exhibiting Deakin’s winning entry, alongside the 100 shortlisted images too. Book tickets here. 

 

Read Between the Wines

129 North Terrace, Adelaide | September 8

Image Credit: Strathmore Hotel | Website

If sipping on red wine while discussing a good book with other bibliophiles sounds like your perfect evening out, then Read Between the Wines is for you.

Held every month at the CBD's Strathmore Hotel, this the-more-the-merrier book club is held in partnership with Adelaide Hill's book shop Mathilda Bookshop as a means of connecting book lovers in the city, all the while trying some palate-widening local wine (like the book, the club's wine partner changes monthly so you'll get to partake in a different adult grape juice each time).

September’s book is Brawler by Lauren Groff, with wine supplied by Bremerton Wines, who will also share a little bit of their story with guests on the night. There are multiple ticket options, which give you a discount on some decent pub grub too, so book yours here now.

Biggest Mob

Adelaide Festival Centre | July – October

Image credit: Biggest Mob

In celebration of an incredible 20 years of Our Mob, Adelaide Festival Centre is putting on its biggest First Nations arts program ever, stacked with theatre performances, literary programs, exhibitions and more, over three huge months.

Duly named Biggest Mob, must-see exhibitions in the program include collaborative exhibit Connected by Wilay Designs, As Long As We Weave by Carly Tarkari Dodd in the Adelaide Railway Station Historic Phone Booths, and UV Songlines: Illuminating Young Stories by Colleen Strangways.

There’s also the return of literary programs Our Words, and Our Young Words along with poetry exhibition, defi-Nations, while the State Theatre Company’s Logan St will take the stage in Space Theatre.

In September, the festivities ramp up with a free Family Day event, headlined by First Nations band Mulga Bore Hard Rock, alongside local teen DJ Angel on the decks, with handmade goods from local First Nations artists and makers at the Next Gen Mob Market up for grabs, plus plenty of workshops to attend, face painting, and more. Book tickets here.

Marina Pier’s Umbrella Lights 

Marina Pier | July - mid-September

Image credit: Kelsey Zafiridis

Looking for a place to take a romantic stroll with your better half or a light-filled adventure the whole family can enjoy? Marina Pier’s Umbrella Lights  – a series of 14 lit-up, sky-high balloon installations that line the popular pier - is back this winter, and this time with some yummy dinner offers from local restaurants and bars that call the marina home.

After soaking in the luminating rain protectors, why not head to Ellenika Ocean Grill for their half-price on Wednesday hearty moussaka, or grab a table at Luciano’s for their weekday pasta and wine lunchtime special for just $35. Sunset Bar is rallying for winter with a Mario Kart competition on the big screen every Tuesday in July from 6pm, crowned by its special Princess Peach fishbowl cocktail, while Seafire is pairing with Glaetzer Wines for a six-course pairing, showcasing newly released vintages that will appease even the most avid wine lover. Sammy’s is offering a one-night-only five-course dining experience with Mollydooker Wines on August 7, and Tomiko Japanese Steak House has a teppanyaki lunch special, with a tap beer or house wine to wash it down. For more food steals, Junipers on the Marina is serving up $1 wings for Wing It Wednesdays and jump onboard the Spain train for Paella Thursdays. Take a stroll, get fed. 

Alba After Dark

Hotel Alba | Fridays all winter

Image credit: Hotel Alba

Hotel Alba, one of Adelaide's best hotels, is turning up the heat this winter with the launch of Alba After Dark. Held every Friday night until the end of August, Alba After Dark is all about getting off the couch at home (yes, winter beckons hibernation, we know) and warming up with the help of the hotel's vinyl DJs, sexy cocktail list, and heart-warming food - all set to a laid-back vibe for the perfect cozy cool weather moment.

As for the food, you can't look past the hotel's $30 bottomless deal starring delish toasties, hearty fries and gooey toasted s’mores, paired with a specially curated cocktail menu including mulled wine (the perfect winter bevvy, mind you) and negronis, an exclusive for Alba After Dark. Grab the girls, the boys, and the whole gang really, and make the most of this winter Friday night special.

Patience and Penitentia 

Samstag Museum of Art | June 26 - September 18

Image credit: Ida Sophia

Berlin-based South Australian artist and 2023 Ramsay Art Prize winner Ida Sophia is bringing her major work 'Patience and Penitenita' to Adelaide.

Opening as part of Samstag Museum of Art’s Kudlila season, the performance-slash-exhibition will take visitors on a journey into the depths of “silent treatment”, or the relational punishment oftentimes used by families, relationships and communities when conflict arise. Using sound, language, movement and gesture, Sophia’s work looks to bring light to this hidden, abusive tactic to show what happens when communication, affection and attention is withheld. Sounds like a great alternative to your weekly therapy. Admission is free. 

Champagne Tray Fridays

2KW Bar | Fridays All Winter

Image credit: 2KW Bar

Forget the meat tray, 2KW Bar is busting out the champagne for its new winter promotion - Champagne Tray Fridays. 

On Fridays throughout winter, simply purchase a drink at the rooftop venue’s Terrace Bar between 5pm and 7pm to receive a raffle ticket for the chance to win a champagne tray featuring three top shelf bottles of champagne. Now, that’s the classic pub raffle with a sparkling twist.

Double your winnings with the bar's scrumptuous food menu, including Southern rock lobster or lamb shoulder, and you've got yourself a great start to the weekend.

The Olive Hours

Paloma Bar & Pantry | Thursdays All Winter

Image credit: Alexander van de Loo

Paloma Bar’s new weekly winter activation, The Olive Hours, is all about the martini. Created in partnership with Never Never Distilling Co, this CBD hotspot’s new Thursday night ritual brings together James Bond’s drink of choice (shaken, not stirred, remember?) with a European twist.

Martini connoisseurs can switch between a Classic Gin or Vodka Martini, Oyster Gin Martini or Vesper Martini, each paired with a classic gilda, a small Spanish snack served on a skewer, featuring an anchovie, pickled pepper, and of course, an olive.

Whether you prefer it dirty or dry, The Olive Hours is the perfect opp for after-work drinks or a sophisticated kickstart to an early weekend celebration.

After Light

Exchange Lane, The Marriott Hotel Adelaide | Thursdays in WinterImage credit: Charlie Conybeare

As the June sun starts to set earlier and the mercury begins to drop, Adelaide Marriott Hotel’s Exchange Lane is heating things up with After Light - a new night-time winter dining experience that makes going out worth it.

Taking place every Thursday from 4 - 7 p.m., the cozy, yet sophisticated intimate dining experience is whipping up seasonal cocktails and the very-best South Aussie wine, accompanied by bespoke food offerings, all within the warmth of outdoor heating. When the social bug bits, After Light at Exchange Lane is your versatile winter go-to for after-work drinks, catch ups with the gang, or a cute date night with someone special.

Nightcha

Yakisan | Friday & Saturday nights

Image credit: Yakisan

You've heard of yum cha, but now there's Nightcha: Yakisan's new late-night supper club that serves up delish bites of Asian fusion delights (with bubbles, if that's your poison) from 10pm to midnight, on both Friday and Saturday nights. 

With a menu starring champagne, caviar, nigiri, and hand rolls, alongside a high-end cheeseburger and juicy fried chicken, it's the perfect feast for the more stylish night owls among us (or those looking for something other than regretful fast-food beyond 10pm). Praise be.

Mount Lofty House

Adelaide Hills | All Winter

Image credit: Mount Lofty House | Instagram

Ditch city life for a hot minute and turn those winter blues into a weekend of (very well deserved) five-star luxury at the decadent Mount Lofty House. Just a speedy thirty minutes from the CBD and set on thirty acres of lush, immaculate grounds, a stay at this cosy, completely charming vineyard escape is the antidote to those cold, dreary winter morns. Better still, if you book through Hotel Tonight, you'll a) grab a cheeky discount and b) score yourself 10% credit back into your Airbnb account too. A total win win.

Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition

Art Gallery of South Australia | July 11 - November 8 

Image credit: : Supplied | Toldeo Museum of Art | 'Water Lilies' by Claude Monet c.1922

Fancy seeing a Monet on a Saturday morning in Adelaide? Or a Matisse during the holidays with the kids? Now, you can, thanks to the upcoming Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition exhibition taking place at the Art Gallery of South Australia (ASGA) from this July. Expect to get up close with some of the world's most famous artworks created by the most influential European and American artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. The line-up is a big one: Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Helen Frankenthaler, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot and Vincent van Gogh, from the collection of the Toledo Museum of Art, United States. And, their arrival at ASGA mark an Australia-first for most of these works, making the exhibit an even more must-see.

There's somethings for music lovers too, with the preview night on July 10 featuring a live performance by Australian musician Alexander Flood. Hosted in the Monet to Matisse lounge, expect a high‑energy live show, blending dynamic rhythms with driving bass from the world-class drummer.

To celebrate the exhibit, from July 24 AGSA will kick-start weekly Monet to Matisse Friday Nights events, with each evening featuring a curated line-up of live performances from local musicians, after-hours access to the exhibition, a Taittinger champagne bar, and French-inspired snacks (bon appetit, mes amis). Already on the schedule are performances from DJ duo Ebonyplusdylan, and Adelaide-based beat producer Oisima. Then from August, Friday Nights will link up with Creative Original Music Adelaide, for four nights of weekly musical acts including trumpet and piano duo After Words, ambient electronica musician Georgia Oatley, former ABC Jazz artist-in-residence Ciara Ferguson, and flute and piano virtuosos Fleur Green and Melanie Walters Duo.

Finally, South Australian artists Arlon Hall and Billie Justice Thomson will present a new installation in AGSA’s free activity space The Studio, where visitors are taken on an explorative journey of light, colour, line and shape. From fans of art to music, and French food, there's something here for everyone. Book tickerts here.

7 Paintings Dinner Show

Crowne Plaza Mawson Lakes | April - September

Image: 7 Paintings

Name a better combo than great food and world-class art? We can't either. After a successful stint in Melbourne and Brisbane, 7 Paintings - a gastronomy-meets-art-meets-technology dinner show - has landed in Adelaide. The globally renowned dining experience takes the traditional restaurant meal and turns it into two-and-a-half-hour immersive journey, thanks to a whopping seven courses, each inspired by some of the world's most influential artists: Michelangelo, Banksy, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dalí and Vincent van Gogh.

Prepared by culinary great Chef KG, diners will tuck into a menu made up of native ingredients (hello, Davidson plum-decorated kangaroo and line-caught barramundi) and fancy international imports such as asil caviar, all the while painting and solving puzzles before the last course ends. One of the tastiest and educational events this year for sure. Book now here.

French at Five

2KW | Last Thursday of every month 2026

Image Credit: 2KW

2KW is turning Thursday evenings into a little slice of rooftop joie de vivre with French at Five — a once‑a‑month wine hour where the ties loosen, the corks fly and French drops take centre stage. Guided by Jono Hersey from The French Wine Centre, guests can dive into a fast‑paced, high‑energy tasting of 4–5 French wines from rotating regions and styles. No lectures, no pretence — just seriously good wine poured with enthusiasm, all against that signature 2KW skyline. Drop in between 5 and 6pm on the last Thursday of each month and let a little French flair lift your week. No need to book.

Death of a Salesman

Festival Theatre | September 26 - October 4

Image credit: Courtesy

Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic Death of a Salesman is making its Adelaide debut at Festival Theatre this September, and it stars one of South Australia's biggest acting exports. Adelaide born and raised Anthony LaPaglia will play the role of Willy Loman, an ageing travelling salesman struggling to reconcile his dreams of success with the reality of his life, his family and the American Dream.

LaPaglia will hit the stage alongside Alison Whyte, Josh Helman, and Ben O’Toole, and having already been performed in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and soon Brisbane, the hit play has scored five-star reviews from leading Australian media. A theatre classic with some big-gun actor names not to be missed. Book tickets here.

What's On In Adelaide October 2026

Adelaide Fashion Week

Various Locations | October 7 - 11

Image credit: Supplied | Lucas Dawson

Adelaide is having its very own The Devil Wears Prada moment this year, with Adelaide Fashion Week returning to the city this October. Last year's fashion week included iconic moments such as the Acler show at The Loft at Hotel Richmond, and the Future Collective runway featuring The Wolf Gang, Van Brussel, Katya Komarova and 23rd of August. 

While the official 2026 schedule is yet to be released, fashionistas can expect an equally wow-factor programming spanning runways, workshops, talks and dining experiences, bringing the state's best designers and style makers to the forefront for the fashion community to experience and explore. Full program details, including the 2026 runway lineup and associated events, will be announced later in the year. In the words of Miranda Priestly, "That's all."

Strummingbird Festival

Victoria Park, Newington, Victoria | October 10

Image credit: Strummingbird Festival | Supplied 

Strummingbird Festival is back for its second year, touring a stacked lineup of American country stars and homegrown heroes across regional Aus. Topping the bill is cross-genre superstar Post Malone, bringing his Nashville-inspired F-1Trillion to the stage. On support duties are the likes of Bailey Zimmerman, Cooper Alan, Jindabyne local Brad Cox and Cigarettes @ Sunset—plus a stack more on the mammoth program. 

Kicking off in Ballarat on October 10, before heading north to Newcastle on October 17 and finishing the run on the Sunshine Coast on October 18, it’s set to be a toe-tapping, head-banging boogie. We don’t need to tell you that country’s having a comeback, so make sure to grab your presale tickets here on May 13 to lock in the best price.

CheeseFest

Rundle Park | October 17 - 18

Image credit: Courtesy

CheeseFest is turning 21 this year, and it's gonna be bitier than ever.  Featuring more than 100 cheese, food, wine, beer, spirit, and beverage producers, includng both established favourites and exciting new makers from across South Australia and beyond, the 2026 edition will also star for the first time TV personality and foodie extraordinaire, Miguel Maestre, who will bring his big energy and culinary expertise o the festival's RAA cooking demonstration stage.

CheeseFest 2026 will also see the return of South Australian MasterChef 2025 winner, chef and restaurateur, Laura Sharrad, as well as interactive masterclasses, cheese and beverage experiences, live music, premium lounges and opportunities to taste and purchase directly from producers.

The fromage festival has also tapped local artist and illustrator Billie Justice Thomson to create a new body of artwork for the event, serving as an important part of its visual identity across its marketing, merchandise and festival experience. Book tickets here.