Illuminate Adelaide returns with glowing program to light up CBD this winter
As South Australia continues to enjoy the year’s blockbuster line-up of events, festival-lovers can start planning their winter diary with Illuminate Adelaide unveiling its program of art, light, music and technology for 2023 today.
From 28 June to 30 July, the third iteration of Illuminate Adelaide is set to entice locals, interstate and international visitors to the city.
Last year’s event drew a record 1.2 million attendances and generated more than $44.8 million in economic activity for the state.
The 2022 event also contributed to the strongest July on record, with figures from the Adelaide Economic Development Agency showing an estimated $365 million was spent across shops, cafes, restaurants and hotels in Adelaide’s CBD in July 2022.
The innovative 2023 Illuminate Adelaide program boasts immersive experiences, world premieres and Adelaide exclusives in a range of free and ticketed events across the city.
It includes world renowned multimedia studio, Moment Factory, with two new experiences in an Australian premiere and Illuminate Adelaide exclusive.
After their sensational sell-out show Light Cycles, Moment Factory’s Resonate is the brand new multi-sensory digital art experience retuning to Adelaide Botanic Garden; while Mirror Mirror will be a series of vivid interactive installations presented in the newly expanded Illuminate Pavilion at Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga.
With an impressive roster of performers, Illuminate Adelaide’s 2023 music program promises to be one of the most exciting yet, showcasing a diverse range of genres and styles – including the triumphant return of KLASSIK underground, the 10th anniversary of electronic music event Unsound Adelaide, the experimental sounds of genre prodigy Oneohthrix Point Never, and the dreamy electronica of UK’s Tourist.
In a special NAIDOC week celebration and for one night only, Australia’s most renowned and iconic rock band Yothu Yindi is set to take the stage at Hindley Street Music Hall to celebrate their 30th anniversary.
Illuminate Adelaide’s free city-wide centrepiece City Lights is back with a new series of immersive installations, artworks and large-scale activations set to turn Adelaide’s most iconic streetscapes into a night-time adventure of colour and sound.
With more than 40 free works over 17 days, it will be a new program of boundary-pushing local and international artists who will reimagine laneways, street fronts and open spaces across the city in three precincts: North, East and West.
Illuminate Adelaide’s free city-wide centrepiece City Lights is back and aligned with school holidays. It’s presented over 17 nights, from 07–23 July from 6pm-11pm.
Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison said it is really exciting to see Illuminate Adelaide come to life again this winter and be embraced by South Australians and visitors alike, cementing its position as a major event in the annual calendar and a successful city-wide celebration.
"South Australia’s favourite winter event saw a record 1.2 million attendances last year and helped drive the highest ever spend for a July in the city, with an estimated $365 million spent across shops, cafes, restaurants and hotels in the CBD and North Adelaide during the month," Minister Bettison said.
"There’s no doubt that 2023 has been a blockbuster for major events, and the return of Illuminate Adelaide – now in its third year – will help continue the festivities through the traditionally quieter winter months, and give local, national and international visitors more reasons to see South Australia.
"I can’t wait to see this year’s program deliver another innovative and world-class event that will entice audiences and boost jobs in tourism and hospitality, while creating memories for people of all ages.
Illuminate Adelaide Co-founders and Creative Directors Lee Cumberlidge and Rachael Azzopardi said the festival is once again transforming winter nights.
"After the overwhelming response to our 2022 program, we are delighted to announce an expanded, curated program of experiences, installations, and performances showcasing the very best examples of the convergence of art and technology our city and the world has to offer," Mr Cumberlidge and Ms Azzopardi said.
"We look forward to welcoming hundreds of thousands of South Australians and visitors to our state into the city and we are excited by the prospect of people gathering to connect with one another to celebrate art, light, music and technology."