A new annual winter event will take over Adelaide’s city streets, laneways and buildings from July 2021 with light, art installations, immersive technology, music, performance, discussions and ideas.

Illuminate Adelaide will run over two weeks and three weekends during the traditionally quieter winter months. An event of global significance and distinctively South Australian, Illuminate Adelaide will present a new event concept which celebrates the union between future technology and creative industries.

A program of free and ticketed events for all ages, Illuminate Adelaide will present projects exclusive to Adelaide, enticing visitors from across South Australia as well as interstate and overseas.

Home Grown Creative Leaders, Rachael Azzopardi and Lee Cumberlidge join forces as Co-Founders and Creative Directors and will work in collaboration with the city’s cultural, academic and science institutions. This major event for South Australia will feature key local, national and international ‘makers’, in addition to local artists and businesses and the state’s own entrepreneurial community.

“Here in South Australia, there is so much extraordinary work happening and so many talented and incredible innovators in the areas of future technologies, arts and creative industries,” said Rachael Azzopardi and Lee Cumberlidge.

“Illuminate Adelaide, with the support of the State Government, will provide a platform and vital new opportunities to bring these sectors together and showcase them in a collaborative celebration for all South Australians and visitors to the state.”

Serving as a unifying opportunity for existing winter events and activations, Illuminate Adelaide will further encourage city-wide exploration of all that Adelaide has to offer, driving and expanding visitation and embedding creativity and technology onto Adelaide’s streets in the cooler winter months.

Events South Australia executive director Hitaf Rasheed said the new annual winter event will be an important pillar on South Australia’s event calendar and a compelling reason for people to visit Adelaide.

“Events South Australia is proud to support this new major event for Adelaide, which promises to light up the city's winter from 2021,” said Ms Rasheed.

“Illuminate Adelaide will be a key highlight on South Australia's events calendar, helping entice visitors to the city in what is the usually quieter winter period. For the events and festivals sector which has been hit hard with COVID-19 causing the postponement or cancellation of so many events, the news of a major wintertime festival can help bring hope to this sector as they start to plan ahead.”

An initial program announcement for the inaugural event will be made in early 2021.

The event will be presented by Illuminate Adelaide Foundation Ltd, under the curation and leadership of its co-Founders and Creative Directors Rachael Azzopardi and Lee Cumberlidge. Illuminate Adelaide Foundation will partner with SA-based company Arts Projects Australia for the management and presentation of the event.

Illuminate Adelaide has worked in close collaboration with the South Australian Tourism Commission through Events South Australia and the Department for Innovation and Skills’ Creative Industries Team to create this exciting new major winter event for South Australia.

For details, head to illuminateadelaide.com.