Free concert brings Britpop to the common people
A beloved britpop band will play a free outdoor concert in Adelaide, as the city’s international arts festival looks to attract new audiences.
Britpop legends Pulp will kick off the 2026 Adelaide Festival with a free outdoor concert.
Jarvis Cocker and his long-time band released their first album in 24 years in June.
The opening night concert at Elder Park promises tracks from the new album More, plus crowd-pleasers such as Common People and Disco 2000.
The return of a large-scale free event to start the festival was a major priority, says new artistic director Matthew Lutton.
“For me, it’s got to be an event that is full of energy, gets everyone jumping up and down, and really announces that the festival is here,” he said.
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As well as free events, the festival is offering $40 tickets to students and people under 40 in a bid to attract a new demographic of festival-goers.
“I really want to make sure we’re opening the doors to a younger audience, and you do that in lots of ways, part of that is ticket price, and part of it is what you’re programming,” Lutton said.
The 2026 program introduces an electronic music slate titled Tryp, with three separate events featuring electronic music artists from Japan, the USA, Ireland, Finland and Australia.
The theatre program features Australian director Simon Stone’s new take on Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, set in present-day South Korea.
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“This is some of the best contemporary theatre in the world at the moment, fast paced and emotional and topical, and it taps into this amazing energy that’s coming out of South Korea at the moment,” Lutton said.
French actress Isabelle Huppert also stars as Mary Queen of Scots in the acclaimed production Mary Said What She Said.
From American theatre company Elevator Repair Service there’s an acclaimed production of The Great Gatsby, set in an office, in a show that runs for eight hours.
Local theatre company Slingsby also complete their trilogy of fairytale-inspired pieces that have been a feature of recent festivals.
A Concise Compendium of Wonder will be set in a purpose-built space titled The Wandering Hall of Possibility in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
The 41st Adelaide Festival features 59 events and 10 world premieres across its 17-day program.
It runs from February 27 until March 15, 2026. Tickets go on sale Monday morning.
-with AAP
