Looking for a way to brighten up Adelaide’s winter? Here’s On The Record’s guide to Adelaide this July. (Image: Art Institute of Chicago)
By Dallas Reynolds | @dallasolivia_
Festivals and performances
Adelaide’s biggest winter festival, Illuminate Adelaide, returns from July 1–19, bringing the city to life with light, art and technology.
Festivalgoers can experience Night Visions, a series of nightly after-dark projections throughout the Adelaide Botanic Garden; wander through City Lights, a collection of free digital art installations across the CBD; or visit Universal Kingdom: Ice Age, where illuminated puppetry and immersive landscapes transform Adelaide Zoo into a prehistoric world.
This year also marks the debut of the Illuminate Paws Walk, giving visitors the chance to experience the City Lights trail alongside their four-legged friends.
Held in Rymill Park, each ticket registers one dog and includes a glowing collar keepsake that allows unlimited human companions to join, with proceeds supporting the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals South Australia (RSPCA SA).
The festival program and tickets are available here, while bookings for the Illuminate Paws Walk are available here.
On July 28, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Laufey is bringing her A Matter of Time tour to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
Known for blending jazz and classical-inspired pop, Laufey will perform songs from her latest album alongside fan favourites in her first Adelaide show of the tour.
Tickets are available here.
Community and culture
Looking to learn something new this month?
Firstival returns throughout July 1–31, encouraging South Australians of all ages to try a new hobby or skill through libraries across the state.
From board game nights and yoga classes to photography workshops, life drawing, traditional Japanese bookbinding and author talks, there’s something for everyone across the month-long celebration of learning and creativity.
Bookings are essential for many events. More information is available here.
Celebrate NAIDOC Week with NAIDOC in The Mall: Deadly Dome, taking over Rundle Mall between July 5 and 12.
The immersive light projection showcases commissioned artwork by Aboriginal artist Cedric Varcoe in collaboration with multimedia studio Polymorphic.
Daily sessions run from 10am to 4pm between July 7 and 10, with the experience free for visitors of all ages.
No bookings are required.
Markets and exhibitions
Celebrate a taste of France at Bastille Day at the Market, returning to Adelaide Central Market on July 10 and 11.
Commemorating the birth of French democracy, the two-day event features French pastries, artisan cheeses, champagne, live accordion music, workshops and roaming performers.
More information is available here.
Art lovers can also visit Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition, opening at the Art Gallery of South Australia on July 11.
Exclusive to Adelaide, the exhibition features 57 masterworks from the Toledo Museum of Art’s world-renowned collection, including pieces by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh.
Running until November 8, the exhibition traces the evolution of modern art from Impressionism through Cubism, Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism.
Tickets range from $15 to $75. Purchase tickets here.
Whether you’re heading out with friends, family or flying solo, there’s no shortage of ways to spend July in Adelaide.
Be sure to check back with On The Record next month for another guide to what’s on around the city.