destination – Adelaide

ADELAIDE
Adelaide's special events

Over the years Adelaide has gained a reputation for its special events. Further enhancing that reputation are the many festivals and sporting events planned in the months ahead.

There’s everything from world class opera to a top international cycling event.

>> Destination Adelaide, Weekends For Two

Since its launch in 1960 the Adelaide Festival has created a strong tradition of innovation and inspirational performances drawing on selections of very diverse art forms from across Australia and around the world.

Held in the warm South Australian autumn every ‘even’ year, this is a large-scale multi-arts event of extraordinary richness and diversity.

Highlights of the 2010 festival, to be held from February 26 to March 14, include opera, theatre, dance, classical and contemporary music, cabaret, new media events, Adelaide Writers’ Week (the largest literary festival in the world), outdoor entertainment, visual arts exhibitions, master classes, forums, a late night club and much more.

The Adelaide Fringe is the largest arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere renowned for fresh ideas, spontaneity and fun. On an international scale the Adelaide Fringe is rivaled only by the Edinburgh Fringe. Artists from across the globe participate alongside home-grown talent and will transform Adelaide into a cultural hub of activity from February 19 to March 14.

WOMADelaide is regarded as one of the most significant and unique annual events on the Australian arts, cultural and entertainment calendar offering music, art and dance in one of the most beautiful outdoor festival sites in Australia- Adelaide’s historic Botanic Gardens. Next year’s event will occur between March 5 and 8.

For sports lovers there are such events as the Clipsal 500 Adelaide, a four day carnival offering the best in V8 Supercar racing. The event is conducted on one of the world’s finest city street circuits (formerly used for the Formula 1 Grand Prix) and is the first race of the year for the supercars.

At the same time there’s far more to offer than just fast cars. Other highlights include free concerts for race goers, fashion parades, an air show, stunt demonstrations, family areas, and the Murray Walker Extreme Machines car display exhibiting the finest and most expensive automobile exotica from around the world. Clipsal is scheduled for March 11 to 14.

On March 20 and 21, 2010, Adelaide will host the fifth leg of the IRB Sevens World Series for the fourth consecutive year. Conducted over two days and nights at Adelaide Oval, the Adelaide Sevens sees 16 international teams competing for points that go towards the International Rugby Board (IRB) Sevens Series.

Cycling legend Lance Armstrong is returning to South Australia to compete in the Santos Tour Down Under cycling race from January 17 to 24. It will be the first time Armstrong’s new team, Team RadioShack, will compete anywhere in the world.

World Tennis Challenge (WTC) is a team competition between four countries featuring one current and one past player from each country.The inaugural event held in 2009 was deemed a great contest and the 2010 event, scheduled from January 12 to 14, is expected to build on this success.

Australian tennis legend Pat Cash and Henri Leconte have already signed up to take part in 2010.

So whether your interest lies in sport or the arts, you’re sure to find something to inspire in the upcoming months.