Australia's new major event, Illuminate Adelaide officially opens today, after having to delay by a day due to severe weather warnings. Following great anticipation and intrigue, Adelaide will play host to this event, a celebration of music, art, innovation and light over the next 16 days and nights.
With over 300,000 people expected to venture into the city to experience 150 installations, performances, and events, including 41 world premieres, Illuminate Adelaide promises to really set the city alight this winter.
Co-founders and creative directors, Rachael Azzopardi and Lee Cumberlidge said: "We urge audiences to embrace the winter and explore our beloved city, but not as they normally see it. Bring a warm jacket, throw on comfortable shoes and embrace Illuminate Adelaide.
"We are transforming the streets, laneways and open spaces into a nocturnal playground of projections, imagination and light. From large scale installations to brilliant projections and immersive works, visitors can experience local, national and international artists and innovators in cutting edge works on a scale Adelaide has never seen."
A major highlight is Canada's acclaimed Moment Factory, with a site-specific work, Light Cycles that will take visitors on an immersive journey of nearly two kilometres through seven different zones in the Adelaide Botanic Garden.
Illuminate Adelaide will also showcase some incredible Australian and local talent in lighting designer Robin Fox, APY Lands artist Kaylene Whiskey, photographer Alex Frayne and street artist Vans The Omega.
Other highlights include: Inaugural Luminary Artists in Residence, The Avalanches performing with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra as well as at MAAD, a massive closing weekend block party in the West End; world premiere VR works Thin Ice (recreating Shackleton's epic Antarctic trip while highlighting the effects of climate change) and Squares Circles (drawing upon William Barton's country, culture and dreaming) and a reimagined Adelaide Festival Of Ideas in partnership with the University of Adelaide; City Lights, a the free city wide program with over 40 large scale installations, brilliant projections, and immersive works spanning three precincts in the North, East and West of the city.
Premier of South Australia Steven Marshall said: "We boast being the third most liveable city in the world so let's celebrate and reinvigorate Adelaide over winter and embrace all that Illuminate Adelaide has to offer.
"South Australia's future technology and creative industries are making sure Adelaide remains one of the world's greatest creative cities.
"This event has not only generated hundreds of jobs in South Australia but has given many of our young people in the technology and production fields the opportunity to upskill, working with leading international companies in this field."
Two of the events in the program, Van Gogh Alive on O'Connell Street and Light Creatures at Adelaide Zoo, an enchanting twist on the animal kingdom at Adelaide Zoo, opened earlier this month and have recorded multiple sell out sessions.
Illuminate Adelaide has collaboration at its heart. Collaborations with artists and creative companies, the city's cultural, academic and science institutions as well as restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels have been embraced.
Other program highlights include: Kinara, free specially curated event of music, culture, Kin and Country led by a line-up of ground-breaking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists co-presented by TANDANYA and Music SA; Australian String Quartet & William Barton, inspired by the land and its stories, featuring music composed by William Barton; Light Visions, Dark Intervals, a rare chance to witness one of Australia's great improvisers Paul Grabowsky AO make new music in real- of light, technology and community to celebrate our inaugural year; and Being Different Together - children, many of whom are first-generation migrants and refugees presenting stories of diaspora, belonging and visions of the future time to photographs by distinguished photographer Alex Frayne; Van Gogh Alive the Experience - the life and legacy of Vincent van Gogh comes leaping off the canvas in this multisensory tribute to one of Western art's greatest names; Club Satellites, a late night journey into new and exhilarating sonic landscapes curated with two of Adelaide's best nightclubs - Ancient World and Mary's Poppin. Permanent Public Artwork, co-commissioned by City of Adelaide, a gift to the city of a new public artwork inspired by themes.
About Illuminate Adelaide: A new major annual winter event taking over Adelaide's city streets, laneways and buildings and celebrating innovation, music, art, technology and light.
16 July - 1 August 2021
Illuminate Adelaide is proudly supported by the South Australian Government through the South Australian Tourism Commission.
More: illuminateadelaide.com
