Sydney’s Vivid may be putting light shows in the spotlight this month. But, Adelaide, once again, proves it also knows how to shake off the seasonal slump and set a city ablaze with creativity, colour and connection. Illuminate Adelaide 2025 is on its way. And, the annual after-dark spectacle in the Festival State promises to deliver its best offerings yet. From mind-blowing light shows to dance parties in shipping containers and even a radical invitation to ditch your phone, this year’s lineup is like stepping into a parallel universe where art, tech and good vibes reign supreme.
City Lights is the festival’s glittering backbone. For 17 nights (4 – 20 July, nightly from 5.30 to 10.30pm) Adelaide’s CBD transforms into a free, open-air playground of more than 40 luminous artworks. Picture giant glowing koi fish, roaming illuminated horses and interactive installations that ask you to spin, jump, and dance your way through the night. It’s whimsical, it’s weird, and it’s wonderfully immersive. French company Compagnie des Quidams’ Fiers a Cheval (majestic glowing horses that prance through the streets) steals the show, while Emergence by This Is Loop uses mirrors and pixels to dizzying effect.
Then there’s Night Visions at the Adelaide Botanic Garden – a trippy, otherworldly meander through lasers, light sculptures and soundscapes that make you feel like you’ve slipped into a dream. Highlights include Robin Fox’s laser wonderland in the Bicentennial Conservatory. But, Craig Walsh’s First Nations projections that turn tree trunks into soulful sentinels is also spectacular. It’s poetic, powerful and proof that nature and technology can make beautiful magic together.
If you want to shake off the winter chill, the 10-Minute Dance Party is ready to help you let loose. Located in a souped-up shipping container at Base Camp (the festival’s buzzing food and drink hub), it offers exactly what it promises: ten minutes of full-throttle dance-floor joy. It’s fast, fun, and wildly freeing. And, with a lineup of DJs and pulsating lights, it might just be the best cardio of your week.
Need more inspiration? Head to Horizons, the one-night-only drone and light show at Adelaide Oval. Or, Universal Kingdom: The Next Era, a dino-filled nocturnal adventure at the zoo.
However, amidst all the flashing lights and futuristic beats, the festival’s quietest, most radical act might just be its most powerful. The Offline Club. Born in Amsterdam and now making its Australian debut, Offline Club is a digital detox initiative that flips the festival experience on its head. Instead of encouraging selfies, hashtags and TikToks, it gently demands: Put your phone away. Lock it up, leave it be. And then… breathe. Talk. Laugh. Think.
Hosted across five unique events during the festival, Offline Club transforms spaces like cafes, theatres and even a farm into device-free sanctuaries. Cosy “Hangouts” at venues like The Pear Cafe invite you to journal, draw or have conversations that don’t involve emojis. The Paper Shell Farm Lunch serves up shared meals, tree planting, and acoustic tunes. And, proves that human connection really does taste better without Wi-Fi.
The grand finale can be found at The XL Event at Lumen Bar – a sprawling playground of reading nooks, interactive art and thought-provoking discussions. And, it’s not just a phone-free night. Instead it’s a powerful reminder that in a world overloaded with screens, the brightest moments and deepest connections come from truly unplugging and being present.
Illuminate Adelaide 2025 proves once again that art doesn’t just light up buildings. It illuminates what it means to be human. And sometimes, the most revolutionary act is to switch off your screen and truly tune in.
