Light up your winter nights in Adelaide’s East End
Fire pits, epic light shows, themed cocktails and even falling snow – Rundle Street will be transformed into a winter wonderland this July.
Illuminate Adelaide is turning up the heat in the heart of the city’s East End this winter.
Every Friday and Saturday night during the festival in July, Rundle Street, Ebenezer Place and Vardon Avenue will be closed to traffic and open to magic, as snow machines, cosy fire pits, roaming performers and special eats take centre stage.
It’s all part of City Lights, the free, family-friendly program that has become one of Illuminate Adelaide’s most-loved features.
Now in its fifth year, Illuminate Adelaide co-founders Rachael Azzopardi and Lee Cumberlidge have built an exciting midwinter festival that encourages South Australians to come out of hibernation.
“There’s something quite romantic about coming out in winter, putting your puffer jacket and scarf on, and experiencing the outdoors in a colder environment,” Azzopardi says.
“We don’t tend to do a lot of it in Australia. We’ve been known to hibernate in winter, we’re very summer creatures.
“But in European countries, people get out and explore in winter … and I think it’s really nice to have something for people to experience here in the cooler months.
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“It gets dark early so we can light things up – it makes you feel happy.”
Supported by the City of Adelaide and the Maras Group, this year’s East End experience features large-scale interactive installations, roving performances, and glowing light works.
One of the centrepieces is LAPS by Quebec’s Olivier Landreville, a 2.4m hourglass wheel you can spin to “control” time and watch the seconds tick by.
There will also be roving performances from Melbourne’s Born in a Taxi, as well as moving giant inflatable horses called FierS à Cheval from France.
Local bars and restaurants are getting in on the act too, thanks to a new Illuminate Hosts program. Supported by venues like NOLA and Mother Vine, it will include special cocktails, wintery menu vibes and cosy indoor-outdoor spaces to settle in for the night.
“Winter is a hard time for businesses, not as many people come out,” Azzopardi says.
“This was really about supporting local businesses and we have such amazing restaurants and bars on offer in Adelaide, so it was really about showcasing that.
“We’ve been wanting to do something like this for a couple of years, and we’re really proud to present it for the first time this year.”
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Azzopardi says Rundle Street East’s charm makes it a perfect fit for the festival.
“It’s a great pedestrian street that we can close off and there are lots of bars and restaurants that can come out and trade – and it creates its own sort of zone.”
The East End activations are designed with broad appeal, from families with kids chasing snowflakes, to groups of friends settling in around the fire pits with a drink.
“We love having different experiences throughout the city … and this one draws a really diverse audience during Illuminate, from people having a bit of a party, to families walking around,” Azzopardi says.
“It’s a really beautiful community event where people just come out and explore the city and see it in a different light – quite literally.”
Beyond Rundle Street, Illuminate Adelaide continues to push creative boundaries.
Azzopardi is particularly excited about John Cale’s appearance as part of the Unsound program, and says Night Visions in the Botanic Gardens – curated by herself and Cumberlidge – is going to be “really special”. And it won’t stop there.
“We’ve already started planning for 2026 and even having some conversations about 2027,” she says.
“Some projects are planned way out, but then we always leave a little bit of room for newer things we’re just hearing about too. It’s about staying current and ahead of the trend.”
But for now, all eyes are on the East End. So pull on your puffer jacket and beanie, grab some friends or take the kids and make a night of it. Adelaide’s coldest month is firing up.
Fast facts
Where: Rundle Street East, Vardon Avenue and Ebenezer Place
When: 5.30pm ‘til late on Fridays and Saturdays during Illuminate Adelaide (4-20 July)
What: Fire pits, snow machines, light shows, roving performers and festival food and drinks
For more information, check out the Illuminate Adelaide website.