What’s On in Adelaide This Month: Your May Guide

May marks the perfect time to embrace the crisp air and cosy vibes as we edge ever closer to winter. This month in Adelaide (and surrounds), it’s all about getting out and about in the fresh air to explore the very best of live entertainment, gourmet food and world-renowned wine.

From food festivals celebrating both local and international produce, to mesmerising theatre productions and unmissable themed days out, Adelaide is bussing with things to see and do this month.

So, alert the group chat and plan a busy autumn calendar with our guide to what’s on in Adelaide this month!

What’s On in Adelaide This Month: Shopping & Markets

COMING SOON: Burnside Unveils South Australia’s First Two-Storey MECCA Store

Beauty junkies, this one’s for you. MECCA is bringing a chic beauty experience to Adelaide with the grand opening of its brand-new, two-storey flagship at Burnside Village on the 29th of May. The gorgeous 950-square-metre space is what beauty dreams are made of, being more than triple the size of the former MECCA Maxima and MECCA Cosmetica stores combined, making it South Australia’s biggest MECCA yet and the second-largest across Australia and New Zealand.

This mega store will have a bit of everything, from semi-private treatment beds for luxe skincare services to a sleek Perfumeria, an interactive Carousel Playbar and a hands-on Beauty Lab. Shoppers will have access to loved, exclusive brands and new introductions to the MECCA offering, including Element Eight, Reome, Smashbox, Half Magic, Spray Aus, Jo Malone, DS & Durga, and many more.

To celebrate, MECCA is spoiling customers with limited-edition tote bags, exclusive Beauty Loop Boxes, and full-sized product giveaways for the first 100 through the door on opening day, so round up your beauty-loving besties, ready your wish list and head to Burnside Village on May 29th!

Grand opening May 29th

Burnside Village, 447 Portbrush Road, Glenside

Gilles at the Grounds

Take a short trip down from the Adelaide Farmers Market at the Adelaide Showground and you’ll find Gilles at the Grounds—a monthly market highlighting brilliant emerging designers and artisan creatives in South Australia. Usually held on Sunday morning, the team are mixing it up this month, with an additional night market on Saturday, May 17.

This is the place to find pre-loved, hand-crafted, vintage pieces, cute home accessories and unique gifts. You will uncover a treasure trove of beauty here, with the market hall making room for up to 120 sellers. Outdoors, a delicious range of food trucks and stalls are on hand to fuel your shopping, selling everything from smoothies and coffees to toasties, brownies, tacos and burgers.

May 17th, 3:00pm – 9:00pm & May 18th, 9:00am – 3:00pm

Adelaide Showground, Rose Terrace, Wayville

Adelaide Farmers Market

Sunday markets in Adelaide make for the perfect day out. Head to the Adelaide Showground Farmers Market for a wholesome market scene and incredibly fresh seasonal produce. Pick up gluten-free Barossa Bagels, stop in at Hahndorf Gourmet for all your meat and pastry needs, find your flowers for the week from Rich Pickings Flowers, and treat your four-legged friends to treats from 4 Paws Premium Doggie Snacks.

Sitchu tip: On May 18th, make it a double-whammy market day with a browse through Gilles at the Grounds, the monthly people’s marketplace for clothing, artisan wares and vintage finds.

Open Sundays, 8:30am to 12:30pm

Adelaide Showground, Rose Terrace, Wayville

Stirling Market

The monthly Stirling Market promises a charming activity and a great day out. With food and drink stalls, live music and a relaxed atmosphere, why not head out to the Hills to find something special for yourself or a loved one?

Be surrounded by the stunning Stirling streets and welcoming locals as you browse through local vendors selling everything from artisan chocolates, unique homewares, beauty products, plants and jewellery to handbags and accessories.

Sunday 25th May, 10 am to 4 pm

Druid Avenue, Stirling

What’s On in Adelaide This Month: Charity Events

The Grey Matter Soirée

An event set to inspire and unite guests at the iconic Adelaide Oval this May, The Grey Matter Soirée promises an unforgettable evening of fine food, silent auctions, raffles, wine and powerful storytelling as vital funds are raised for Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer Foundation. Hosted by MC Jess Adamson and supported by an incredible lineup of sponsors, including Class A Jewellers and Bone Dry, former Miss Universe Australia Olivia Molly Rogers will share her family’s deeply personal journey alongside her cousin, Francesca (Ces) Klemich, who is currently battling brain cancer.

With a heartfelt mission to honour Ces and all affected by the devastating disease, this spectacular soirée is your chance to come together for an evening of hope, fund research and meaningful moments that raise awareness and make a difference.

Thursday, May 22nd, from 6:30pm

Tickets $202.85, book your spot here.

Adelaide Oval, War Memorial Drive, Adelaide

What’s On in Adelaide This Month: Festivals, Entertainment & Culture

Be Enchanted by Beauty and the Beast on Stage

A remarkable adaptation of the beloved Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast, heads to Adelaide for the very first time this month. Boasting all the spectacle and grandeur audiences love from the on-screen original, the stage production features all the spellbinding songs of our childhoods, including Gaston and Be Our Guest, as well as some awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping costumes and sets.

Secure your tickets here.

From May 8th until July 6th

Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

The English Ale

An event like no other, The English Ale is one of those gatherings that has to be seen (and experienced) to be believed. The seasonal event takes place in the picturesque Adelaide Hills town of Mylor every May, and celebrates the village and customs and ritual traditions from the UK—in this case, the acknowledgement of the end of a hot dry summer and the move to a more “green” time of the year.

There’ll be music, mumming, mythical creatures and merry mayhem, as well as Morris dancing, a Wicker Man bonfire, hobby horses and giants. Guests are encouraged to dress up and unleash their inner Greenman, Fae, Viking, Warrior or Wizard and become a part of the magic.

There’ll also be delicious food trucks and drinks on offer to keep the merriment going all day (and night) long.

Tickets $25

Saturday, May 17th, midday to 10:30pm

Mylor Oval, Mylor

Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard at the South Australian Museum

One of the most significant archaeological finds of the last century has found a temporary home in Adelaide – and this is your sign to explore the magnificent exhibition at the South Australian Museum. Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard will be on display for 5 months, which happens to be the first time these extraordinary artefacts have left the UK.

Discovered in Scotland in 2014, this astonishing collection of over 100 rare objects includes intricate jewellery, silver arm rings, beads, and brooches, buried for over a millennium. With immersive audio-visual storytelling and 3D reconstructions, journey through time to uncover the secrets of this Viking-era treasure.

Open to July 27th

South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide

What’s On in Adelaide This Month: Food & Drink

Celebrate Chardonnay May in the Adelaide Hills

Still convinced chardonnay is for the older generation? Chardonnay May is here to change your mind.

The cellar doors of the Adelaide Hills will be showcasing—and celebrating—the textural, stylistic, clean, crisp, zesty, smooth and nutty flavours and aromas of the region’s Chardonnays with a range of unmissable (and extremely sippable) events and experiences throughout May.

This year, the event introduces the Chardonnay May Trail, a treasure-hunt style event encouraging visitors follow a trail map to uncover the unique expressions of Adelaide Hills Chardonnay. Collect your trail map from participating Cellar Doors, and collect stickers as you sip and savour. Plus, if you visit at leave five venues and upload a snap of your stamped map via a QR code, you go in the running to win some epic prizes. With some of the region’s biggest wine names in on the action—including Barristers Block, Bird in Hand and Penfolds—what’s not to love?

There are also heaps of lunches, dinners, masterclasses and live music events to choose from as part of the month-long celebration—check out the full program here.

Multiple locations around Adelaide Hills

May 1st to May 31st

Indulge During Clare Valley Gourmet Week

Australia’s longest-running wine and food festival, Clare Valley Gourmet Week, returns this May to showcase the very best of the region’s food, wine and culture. Over ten days, there are a number of curated and indulgent events, designed to celebrate exceptional wines and cuisine in breathtaking locations.

This year, there’s the exciting new addition of Gourmet Buses offering full-day itineraries with transport, food, wine and unique experiences all taken care of—there’s even an Adelaide to Clare Valley transfer available as an add-on if you don’t plan on staying overnight in the region.

Other events include masterclasses, degustation dinners, behind-the-scenes vineyard tours, long lunches and more. See the full program here.

May 16th to May 25th

Multiple venues across the Clare Valley

Embrace Your Inner Francophile at the Bastille Festival Adelaide

Sneaking in on our list and kicking off from May 30th, Bastille Festival is the ultimate celebration of food, art and wine. Claiming the title of Australia’s biggest French food, wine and artisan festival, you can go on a gastronomic adventure through France without the jetlag (or the expensive price tag!).

French comfort food, perfect for the colder weather, will be on offer, with some of Adelaide’s best restaurants creating special French food fusion dishes just for the event. Vendors from France’s most reputable and famous wineries, from Bordeaux and Loire to Provence and Champagne, will also be showcasing their sensational sips, and there’ll be over 40 performances from local performers, artists and well-known Aussie bands.

Get more info on the event here.

May 30th to June 1st, 10:00am to 11:00pm

Festival Plaza, Adelaide

Sound Sessions at SOL Rooftop

See the weekend out in style, with Sound Sessions every Sunday at Adelaide’s sleek and chic sky-high bar, SOL Rooftop. Make your way to SkyCity on North Terrace, ride the lift to the top, be greeted by stunning 270-degree views and take in the excellent vibes where Hamptons meets Baja cool.

Calling to music lovers and anyone looking for an excuse to have a boogie, each week will bring a fresh set of tunes and a local DJ on the decks from 2:00pm, playing cool-vibe beats covering everything from noughties R&B to French poolside disco and feel-good house. With $9 Spritz hour from 5:00-6:00pm and free entry, this is one way to forget about those Sunday Scaries.

2:00pm – 7:00pm every Sunday

Level 9, SkyCity, North Terrace, Adelaide

What’s On in Adelaide This Month: Activity & Getaway

Try A New Way to Workout

Embrace your core and listen up, because CoreBrew Lagree has opened in Adelaide. Introducing Lagree to South Australia in a space that’s as much about building community as it is about building muscle. While the Lagree workout has taken the fitness world by storm in the US and is endorsed by some of our fave celeb A-Listers—we’re talking Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, and the Obama’s—Adelaideans are yet to access the workout… until now.

Bookings are open for those ready to give the challenging workout a crack, which combines traditional strength training exercises and Pilates principles on the Megaformer Pro. The tempo is different to a regular reformer class, slowed way down to challenge your muscles with controlled movements and time under tension to build strength, endurance and core stability.

Beyond the class, the on-site coffee studio (or the ‘brew’ in CoreBrew) is a place for clients to stay a little longer, connecting with studio members and trainers over tea and coffee made with beans from local roaster 1645 Coffee.

More information on class packs and memberships is available here.

Gilbert Street, Adelaide

Join a Run Club

Ready to smash your 2025 resolutions, lace up those sneakers and hit the pavement? Adelaide’s run clubs are here to turn your jogging into a social affair. Whether you’re a casual cruiser or a seasoned sprinter, there’s a club for every pace and place.

From a Sunday jog through North Adelaide with Pace Run Club to a boost of health, wellness and connection at Somerton Park with Social Run Co., there’s no shortage of supportive crews to help you reach your cardio goals. And for those who prefer to get their steps at a slower pace, take a Hot Girl Walk with Hot Girls Hike, covering everywhere from Port Noarlunga South to Kuitpo – with a coffee to reward your efforts, of course.

Find your nearest running club with our Run Club guide.

Salty Sips

There’s never been a better time to set healthy habits and get back on track with your wellness goals than with a new season reset. Make your way down to Henley Square or the Glenelg Foreshore for Wednesday morning pilates or yoga and an ocean dip at sunrise with Salty Sips.

Run by the beautiful Human.Kind team, you will be surrounded by hundreds of like-minded individuals as you start your day with movement and clarity at this free weekly event. Bliss.

During winter, Salty Sips runs one Wednesday morning per month at Henley Beach, from 6.30 am

28th May

Now that you know what’s on in Adelaide this month, you can fill up your social calendar with endless options for good times! Looking for more inspo? Discover the best spots for food and drink, including where to get an excellent coffee in Adelaide.