Opening the preview of the Illuminate Adelaide program was a creative work by Adelaide-based composer Hilary Kleinig, alongside pianist Erik Griswold, recognised for his innovative piano techniques, and creative coder Steve Berrick. The piece explored sound as a choreographed, spatial experience, creatively combining with movement, music, and technology.
The audience became active participants, using their mobile phones to project and manipulate sound in response to the piano, forming an evolving, interactive soundscape. Layers of pitch and tone shifted continuously, shaped by experimental techniques that interrupted and reshaped notes in unexpected ways. At times, the composition evoked echoes of Mike Oldfield’s work, with its richly layered and immersive qualities. The integration of coding added both creative depth and technical complexity, ensuring dynamic variation and real-time responsiveness.
The piece’s true strength lay in its immersive quality. With eyes closed, the listener was transported—toward the ebb and flow of the sea or the stillness of a Japanese garden. Gentle, fluid sounds suggested water, birdsong, and forest calm, creating a deeply evocative and meditative experience.
2026 Illuminate Adelaide Festival
The preview confirmed that the 2026 Illuminate Adelaide festival (1–19 July) is not to be missed. Now in its sixth year, the festival continues to grow in scale and creative ambition. Presented by Lee Cumberlidge and Rachael Azzopardi, the program features over 1,600 artists and will transform the city through large-scale projections, interactive installations, and multidisciplinary performances.
Highlights include Night Visions, immersive garden experiences, and a first-of-its-kind augmented interactive game. Internationally recognised digital artist Miguel Chevalier has been appointed as resident luminescent artist. His work will feature alongside major installations such as Universal Kingdom: Ice Age at the Adelaide Zoo. Experimental music programming, including Unsound featuring LEYA, further expands the offering.
The City Lights installations along North Terrace will once again be a central feature, illuminating key cultural institutions and public spaces. Visitors can also enjoy a range of pop-up bars, hubs, and curated food and wine experiences, contributing to a vibrant festival atmosphere.
With experiences spread right across the city, Illuminate Adelaide 2026 promises an engaging and vibrant combination of art, technology, and culture, offering something for audiences of all ages.
Winter in Adelaide is set to glow brighter than ever as Illuminate Adelaide returns from 1–19 July 2026, unveiling a bold, expansive program that continues to redefine the city’s cultural landscape. Featuring 11 world premieres, 11 Adelaide exclusives and more than 100 experiences, this year’s festival promises an immersive collision of light, art, music, technology and food—transforming the CBD into a vibrant playground after dark.
