Seven days of free Australia Day events in Adelaide

Check out what’s on offer this Australia Day – including a stunning, immersive light and sound display on the Torrens every night for a week.

SLAVA Ukrainian Cultural Centre dancer Diniz Miziev with Adelaide Chinese Dance Academy dancers Yuanyuan, 13, and Yuana, 9, will perform in Rundle Mall as part of this year’s Australia Day program, which will run across seven days. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

With a theme of “We’re All Part of the Story”, this year’s Australia Day events are inviting us to come together to write the next chapter.

Presented by the Australia Day Council of South Australia, a program of free events will run from Thursday, January 20 until Australia Day, Wednesday, January 26.

Its centrepiece, Aus Lights on the River, will be a first for Australia Day in SA, which has been previously marked with a concert and fireworks.

The immersive experience – created using sound, lighting and visual effects – will be staged nightly at Elder Park (Tarntanya Wama) from January 22-26.

The council’s chief executive, Jan Chorley, said the challenges of Covid-19 meant “the importance of togetherness as a community has never been more crucial”.

First Nations groups and multicultural communities had been consulted to ensure the program was meaningful to everyone.

FREE 2022 AUSTRALIA DAY EVENTS IN SA

Aus Day in the Market

Community Kitchen, Adelaide Central Market

Jan 21, 5pm-8pm and Jan 20-22, 11am-2pm

Cooking demonstrations and more.

 

Aus Day in the Mall

Gawler Place Canopy, Rundle Mall

Jan 22-26, 11am-2pm

Live music, storytelling and performances by 30-plus community organisations.

 

Aus Lights on the River

Elder Park (Tarntanya Wama)

Jan 22-26

Food hubs open 5.30pm

Light show from 8.30pm

Light projection event with the SA debut of AirLume.

 

Australia Day

Elder Park

Jan 26, 8am-9am

Smoking ceremony, speech by Kaurna elder Rosemary Kudnarto Wanganeen, and more. Bookings: Eventbrite

australiadaysa.com.au

“Australia Day is for all South Australians, no matter where our personal stories began, from First Nations peoples to the most recent arrivals, including Afghan refugees, who have come to SA to build a better life,” she said.

“We invite everyone to reflect and respect our connection to the land, cultural heritage, lifestyle and shared values.”

The seven-day program will begin at Adelaide Central Mar­ket on January 20. Chef Rosa Matto will host an exploration of food and culture from 30 different community groups.

The program will conclude on Australia Day. There will be a morning ticketed event that will include a smoking ceremony. That evening will be the final Aus Lights on the River, which has been designed to “take participants through a breathtaking journey to explore how they connect to nature and belong to country”.

It will include performances by the Tjarutja dance collective projected onto the River Torrens and AirLume, a giant inflatable shape illuminated with artwork that visitors can walk through.

They will also be able to swim with virtual fish, while learning the traditional story of the River Torrens and watch South Australians tell “Our Story” on the Adelaide Festival Centre’s shells.

“We encourage South Australians to acknowledge Australia Day in a way that is meaningful to them,” Ms Chorley said.