Plant the Seed: Nature Festival returns with 350+ ways to get wild this spring
Forget scrolling through another weekend of brunches and bar crawls. This spring, South Australia is inviting you to get outside – and there’s a whole festival designed to make it ridiculously easy.
From September 25 to October 11, Nature Festival 2026 will turn the state into one giant playground, with more than 350 events stretching from desert landscapes and coastal wetlands to city gardens and regional communities.
Now in its seventh year, the festival is taking Seed as its theme, encouraging us to think about the tiny beginnings that can grow into something much bigger – whether that’s a veggie patch, a community, a creative idea, a childhood obsession with bugs or a deeper connection to the natural world.
And you definitely don’t have to identify as a hardcore greenie to get involved.
The program sits somewhere between nature and culture, bringing together art, food, wine, music, adventure, gardens, wellbeing, Aboriginal culture and plenty of opportunities to simply get outside. There are free and family-friendly options too, with events happening everywhere from Andamooka to Kangaroo Island.
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“Seed is an invitation to think about what we are growing together, starting with our little ones,” Nature Festival co-founder and chair Vicki-Jo Russell says. “This year’s program is filled with experiences that help kids and families plant beautiful seeds in their lives and with the natural world. There is something for everyone, so get outdoors and plant the seed for a lifelong connection with nature.”
One of the festival’s six 2026 Seed Stewards is restaurateur, academic and award-winning author Durkhanai Ayubi, who will bring her own mix of food, culture and storytelling to the program with a book launch and poetry event.
Meanwhile, the festival is going well beyond Adelaide, with 25 grassroots projects receiving micro-grants of up to $1000 to bring creative ideas to life in regional South Australia.
Expect everything from a “living music of plants” experience in the Adelaide Hills to a seed-inspired poetry workshop in Mintaro and an immersive art experience among the Coorong.
It’s all part of Nature Festival’s bigger mission: not just getting people to experience nature, but encouraging them to actively shape a cooler, greener and more connected state.
The festival is also a proud supporter of Adelaide’s National Park City status, while its partnership with Solar Slice means $1 from every paid ticket goes towards biodiversity conservation and industry decarbonisation. This year, the money will support the Agroecology Land Trust, helping provide secure access to farmland for First Peoples and agroecological farmers.
“Nature Festival captures what makes South Australia so special: extraordinary landscapes, strong community spirit, rich Aboriginal culture and experiences that invite people to connect more deeply with the places they visit,” says Emma Terry, CEO of the South Australian Tourism Commission.
So, whether your idea of a perfect spring day is planting something, eating something, making something, exploring somewhere new – or just touching grass for the first time in weeks – there’s probably an event with your name on it.
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