Immersive Worlds is your shortcut to somewhere else
An exciting new Adelaide Fringe program dives into stories that span our planet and beyond, from the mysterious depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of the cosmos.
There are Fringe shows you watch, and then there are Fringe experiences you step into. Immersive Worlds sits firmly in the second camp. It is built for the curious, the easily wowed, the people who want to swap a night of scrolling for something that actually shifts their perspective.
At the centre of it all is The Dome: a full 360-degree cinema where you sprawl on beanbags and look up as the screen wraps right over you. The program moves fast from deep sea to deep space.
Across the season, The Dome cycles through more than 14 ticketed sessions, each one a separate experience you book into. Pick your adventure: one session might take you underwater with giant cuttlefish off South Australia’s coast, another might send you drifting through a planetarium journey, while others lean into music with Polyphonic Spree’s For The Soul or Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, matched with immersive visuals.
If you want to go closer, the VR experiences do exactly that. Monsieur Vincent drops you into Van Gogh’s world, while MEGAfauna takes you underwater into the Great Southern Reef, face to face with the marine giants that call it home. Then there is Surround Sync VR, a seated experience where visuals and surround sound sync so precisely it feels like the room disappears. You can soar across Antarctic wilderness, venture beyond the Milky Way with Professor Brian Cox, or explore the Kimberley alongside Luke Hemsworth.
Immersive Worlds also plays with live, interactive ideas. Fire Escape leans into Hitchcock-style tension and mystery. The Score: The Smartphone Orchestra turns your phone into part of the performance, with your choices shaping the music played live by the Adelaide Youth Orchestra. Wander through Celestial Gardens: The Secret Sound of Plants, where sensors translate living plants into music in real time, creating an atmospheric walk-through of light, sound and live performance.
You will find the program across Olympic House, The Mercury, Star Theatres and Carclew, with The Dome also touring to Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre in Mount Gambier from February 7-13, and Middleback Arts Centre in Whyalla from March 27 to April 6, bringing a headline experience to communities beyond the city.
Drop in for a session, choose your own adventure and leave with your mind pleasantly transformed.
The Immersive Worlds program is made possible thanks to NRMA Insurance, Novatech, Electric Dreams, and the Government of South Australia. The regional tour is supported by The Dome Touring Partner Adelaide University and the Drought Relief – Regional Event Fund.
