Illuminate Adelaide 2025 is the winter festival lighting up Australia – and this is the one show you can’t miss.

If you see just one thing at Illuminate Adelaide 2025 (one of the best events happening this July), make it Horizons. For one night only on Friday 18 July, Adelaide Oval will be transformed into a living, breathing canvas of light, sound and sky. Hundreds of synchronised drones will take flight, choreographed to a powerful soundtrack, dazzling laser effects and cinematic visuals.

Horizons is coming for one night only. (Image: Supplied)

It’s an epic retelling of 60,000 years of South Australian history, from the Kaurna people’s deep connection to Karrawirra Parri (River Torrens) to the oval’s evolution as a place for community, concerts and culture. It’s a bold, ambitious collision of tech and tradition created by some phenomenal visual storytellers: AGB Creative, KOJO and Illuminate’s own creative team.

This is Illuminate Adelaide’s most ambitious show yet, and the buzz is real – a second session was added due to overwhelming demand. Think Vivid-style spectacle meets Welcome to Country meets skybound art installation. If you’ve ever wanted to see storytelling light up the night sky, this is your moment.

But Horizons is just the beginning.

Universal Kingdom: The Next Era

Adelaide Zoo, 3–20 July

Kids will love Universal Kingdom: The Next Era. (Image: Supplied)

From the creators of Mirror Mirror and Light Cycles comes Universal Kingdom: The Next Era, an otherworldly light-and-sound experience that takes over The Light Room at ILA until 20 July. Expect immersive rooms, epic digital landscapes and a sensory adventure that blurs the lines between nature, humanity and technology.

Night Visions

Adelaide Botanic Garden, 2–20 July

This self-guided experience is on every night. (Image: Supplied)

After dark, the garden is reimagined into a glowing wonderland in Night Visions. Follow a two-kilometre path through laser tunnels, projection art and soundscapes designed by a team of world-class artists, including Robin Fox, Amelia Kosminsky and more.

This self-guided experience is perfect for families, date nights or solo wanderers. And for the ultimate treat, book the Botanic Lodge dinner package for a feast among the lights.

City Lights

Adelaide CBD, 4–20 July

SomniUs by illumaphonium at City Lights is a reimagining of life. (Image: Robin Zahler)

The city becomes a glowing gallery with 40+ installations and performances lighting up the streets, buildings and laneways of Adelaide. Think giant luminous horses parading through Rundle Mall, interactive mirror tunnels, fibre-optic fungi and floating angels blessing you with light. It’s completely free and totally magical.

Base Camp + 10-Minute Dance Party

Lot Fourteen, 3–20 July

Get cosy at Base Camp. (Image: Tyr Liang Xplorer Studio)

Back for another year, Base Camp is the cosy heart of the festival – a free-entry winter village filled with fire pits, live music, glowing art installations and top-tier food and drink from South Australian favourites.

But the real fun? Step into a shipping container for 10 minutes of full-blast dance floor energy at the 10-Minute Dance Party. It’s a music-fuelled hit of joy, created by Melbourne artist Jof O’Farrell and rotating DJs nightly.

Supersonic + Unsound + Kiasmos

Icelandic duo Kiasmos are performing. (Image: Maximilian König)

If music’s more your thing, Illuminate’s late-night scene is off the charts this year.

Unsound (11–12 July): A mind-bending festival of boundary-pushing international artists, including Velvet Underground legend John Cale.

Kiasmos (18 July): The Icelandic techno duo returns for a one-night-only “emotional rave".

Supersonic (19 July): A 12-hour music takeover of the West End with 17 artists and DJ sets across seven venues.

Illuminate Adelaide 2025

Now in its fifth year, Illuminate Adelaide has cemented itself as Australia’s most underrated winter festival.

Whether you’re chasing drone magic in the sky, prehistoric giants at the zoo or a pop-up dance party inside a container, Illuminate delivers. But if you want the biggest wow-moment of them all? Look up. Horizons is calling.

Illuminate Adelaide runs until 20 July. Explore the full program and grab your tickets before they sell out.