Adelaide’s winter arts scene heats up with new exhibitions, theatre and live music

Adelaide’s winter arts calendar is packed this July, with a string of new exhibitions, theatre productions and live music events drawing crowds to the city’s cultural precincts. The state’s arts sector, still rebounding from pandemic slowdowns, is seeing strong attendance at venues from the Adelaide Festival Centre to small gallery spaces in the CBD’s west end.

This burst of activity comes as the arts community nationally wrestles with funding pressures and shifting audience habits. In Adelaide, where the arts contribute an estimated $1.2 billion annually to the local economy (according to the SA Government’s Department of the Premier and Cabinet), the current season is being watched closely as a bellwether for the sector’s health ahead of the 2027 Adelaide Festival.

Exhibitions and openings

At the Art Gallery of South Australia on North Terrace, the winter exhibition series “Light & Shadow” opened on July 4 and runs until October 11. The show features 80 works from the gallery’s permanent collection, including rarely seen pieces by South Australian artists. Admission is free, though the gallery says timed-entry bookings are recommended on weekends. Down the road at the Samstag Museum of Art, located on Hawke Building at the University of South Australia’s city west campus, a new installation by Adelaide-born artist Lisa Waup opened July 10 and continues through September 5. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, with free entry.

On the fringe of the city, the private gallery ACE Open on Lion Arts Centre in North Terrace’s western end launched its winter program on July 11, featuring mixed-media works from five emerging South Australian artists. The gallery reported opening-night attendance of more than 200 people, a sign of the local appetite for contemporary art. ACE Open is open Wednesday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm.

Theatre and live music

The Adelaide Festival Centre’s Space Theatre is staging “The Returning,” a new play by local playwright Elena Carapetis, from July 16 to August 1. The production, which explores family and migration stories, is a co-commission with the State Theatre Company of South Australia. Tickets range from $35 to $65, with concession prices available. The centre says several evening performances are already sold out, though matinees on July 18 and 25 still have seats.

For live music fans, the Crown and Anchor Hotel on Grenfell Street in the city’s east end hosts its regular winter gig series every Thursday through August. Local acts such as The Empty Threats and Ruby Fields are scheduled, with doors opening at 7pm. Cover is $10 at the door. Upstairs at the Grace Emily Hotel on Waymouth Street, the weekly “Acoustic Winter” series continues every Wednesday, featuring solo performers and duos from 8pm. No cover charge.

At the larger end of the music scene, the Thebarton Theatre on Henley Beach Road, now operating as a live music venue after its 2023 sale to a private consortium, has booked two major shows before the end of July: indie rock band Methyl Ethel on July 18 and electronic duo Rüfüs Du Sol on July 25. Both shows are expected to sell out, with remaining tickets priced between $79 and $129, according to venue management.

The Adelaide Film Festival’s winter shorts program, running at the Mercury Cinema in Morphett Street on July 19 and 20, will screen 12 short films by South Australian directors. Tickets are $15 per session.

For those looking to plan ahead, the Adelaide Festival Centre recommends booking tickets online at least a week in advance for any show in the next month, as capacity limits and demand are high. Most venues, including the Art Gallery of SA and ACE Open, continue to require proof of vaccination or a negative RAT for entry, though this policy is under review by the state government.