Get wild: Wildlife Photographer of the Year returns to Adelaide Botanic Garden
From jaw-dropping animal portraits to extraordinary moments in the natural world, this internationally acclaimed photography exhibition is bringing a fresh perspective to one of Adelaide’s most beautiful green spaces.
If your camera roll is already bursting with bird pics, sunset snaps and suspiciously good photos of your dog, prepare to feel inspired. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is back at Adelaide Botanic Garden, bringing some of the planet’s most remarkable wildlife photography to the city – and giving us all a reason to look a little closer at the natural world.
Running until January 31, 2027, the internationally renowned exhibition takes over the Bicentennial Conservatory, creating a rather spectacular setting for images that capture nature at its most beautiful, bizarre and breathtaking.
Forget scrolling past wildlife photos on your phone. Here, you can step into an indoor rainforest surrounded by lush tropical plants, with extraordinary photographs offering a window into the lives of animals and ecosystems from across the globe.
And the setting is part of the magic. Adelaide Botanic Garden is the only venue in the world to host the exhibition among a living collection of rainforest plants, making this a distinctly Adelaide experience.
Nature, with the wow factor
On loan from London’s Natural History Museum, Wildlife Photographer of the Year is widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious wildlife photography competition. First launched in 1965, it now attracts entries from photographers across more than 113 countries and territories, with the winning images touring internationally and reaching more than a million visitors each year.
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It’s easy to see why. These aren’t your average wildlife snaps. The photographs reveal the hidden behaviours, unexpected encounters and spectacular species that make the natural world endlessly fascinating.
From the tiniest details to scenes on a truly epic scale, each image tells a story – sometimes playful, sometimes confronting, and often the sort that makes you stop in your tracks.
There’s also plenty to think about beyond the beautiful pictures. Wildlife photography can bring us face-to-face with animals and environments we might never encounter ourselves, highlighting the complexity of the natural world and the importance of protecting it.
That connection is at the heart of the exhibition. By capturing fleeting moments that might otherwise go unseen, the photographers encourage us to look beyond the frame and consider our relationship with the planet.
A green escape in the heart of the city
One of the best things about this exhibition is that it slots neatly into a bigger Botanic Garden adventure.
Make a morning of wandering the gardens, exploring the plant collections and taking a breather from the city’s busy streets before heading into the Bicentennial Conservatory. It’s a chance to swap screen time for something a little more immersive, with plenty of inspiration for your next nature walk or photography outing.
It’s also a good excuse to revisit the gardens with fresh eyes. Once you’ve spent time looking at the incredible details captured by the world’s leading wildlife photographers, you might find yourself paying closer attention to the birds, insects and other creatures sharing Adelaide’s urban spaces.
And if you’re visiting with kids, there’s more to look forward to than simply admiring the photographs. An accompanying program includes school holiday activities and a nature-themed photography competition open to all ages – a handy way to get budding photographers looking at their surroundings differently.
Who knows? Your next award-winning wildlife shot might be hiding in the garden.
Keep the wild things coming
For those who prefer their culture with a side of balmy evenings, live music and something delicious to eat, the Botanic Garden’s popular Gather in the Garden events will return in December 2026 and January 2027.
These ticketed summer evenings will offer access to the wildlife photography exhibition alongside Tools for Quiet Activism, an exhibition by South Australian artist Stephanie Doddridge at the Museum of Economic Botany.
The summer program will also feature the illuminated Palm House, showcasing Glacier Ice and Lapis Chandelier by artist Dale Chihuly. Tickets for Gather in the Garden are expected to become available in November.
Whether you’re a serious photography enthusiast, a nature lover or simply after a different kind of city outing, this is an opportunity to experience extraordinary images in an equally extraordinary setting.
You might arrive for the impressive photographs, but leave with a renewed appreciation for the wildlife and wild places that make our world worth protecting.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year runs at Adelaide Botanic Garden, Bicentennial Conservatory, open daily from 10am to 4pm, until January 31, 2027. Tickets are available on the door or can be booked online.
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