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What’s On in Adelaide: October 2026 & Beyond
This is your ultimate guide to what's on in Adelaide this month and beyond.
This month in Adelaide (October 2026), the city is leaning into spring with a calendar full of good reasons to get out. Lucky Dumpling Market returns to Elder Park for four weeks of dumplings, bao and karaoke, ADL Fashion Week brings five days of runways and city events, and CheeseFest celebrates 21 years with more than 100 producers at Rundle Park. Add the Adelaide Film Festival, ranunculus fields in the Hills and Monet to Matisse at AGSA, and October is looking rather full. This is your editor-approved guide to what’s on in Adelaide this month, with the dates, details and tickets worth knowing about below.
In This Guide
Editors Picks
Lucky Dumpling Market
Lucky Dumpling Market returns to Elder Park for four weeks of dumplings, bao, noodles, curries, satay and sweet treats, with 27 vendors to work your way through. Alongside returning favourites, six newcomers join the line-up, including a collaboration between Shōbōshō and ShoSho. Expect a few drinks, live entertainment and karaoke between plates, with Moon Lanterns joining the market for the first time. Fridays will also open from noon, making this a rather good excuse to trade the desk for dumplings.
Where: Elder Park / Tarntanya Wama
When: October 9-November 1, 2026
Cost: Free entry
Best For: Families, Foodies, Group catch-ups, Live music
ADL Fashion Week 2026
Adelaide gets dressed up for five days of fashion, with ADL Fashion Week bringing runway shows, styling sessions, talks and events to the city and North Adelaide. Expect local labels, Australian designers, slow-fashion workshops and a few stylish reasons to linger over lunch or a drink along the way. Highlights include The South Australian Showcase, BY JOHNNY’s return to the runway, The Couture Ball and The Wolf Gang’s 10-year celebration.
Where: Adelaide CBD and North Adelaide
When: October 7-11, 2026
Cost: Varies by event
Best For: Cultural experiences, Unique experiences, Locals, Visitors
Tickets available here.
Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition, Adelaide
Van Gogh, Cézanne, Degas, Picasso, Matisse. Fifty-seven masterworks from Ohio’s Toledo Museum of Art — none of them previously seen in Australia — arrive at the Art Gallery of South Australia for an Australian-exclusive exhibition tracing modern art from Impressionism through to Abstract Expressionism. The debut show in AGSA’s new Winter Art Series, it comes with a full program to match: weekly Friday Nights from late July with after-hours access, live music and a Taittinger champagne lounge, curator-led tours, family days, a teen program and French-inspired dining from AGSA_eat. This one runs until November — but the sooner you go, the more you’ll get out of it.
Where: Art Gallery of South Australia, 490 North Terrace, Adelaide
When: July 11-November 8, 2026
Cost: From $45
Best For: Art lovers, Cultural experiences, Date night, Couples, Families
Tickets available here.
Festivals & Major Events
CheeseFest 2026, Rundle Park/Kadlitpina
CheeseFest is turning 21, and this year’s guest list has a genuine curveball. South Australia’s biggest celebration of cheese, wine and produce returns to Rundle Park/Kadlitpina on October 17 and 18, and joining the usual line-up of local makers is a face you wouldn’t expect on the RAA cooking demonstration stage: Spanish chef and television personality Miguel Maestre, making his CheeseFest debut alongside returning MasterChef 2025 winner Laura Sharrad.
Beyond the headline act, it’s the festival doing what it does best, just at scale. Over 100 cheese, wine, beer, spirit and food producers set up across the park for the weekend, with live demonstrations, hands-on masterclasses and enough tasting opportunities to make a proper afternoon of it.
Where: Rundle Park/Kadlitpina, Adelaide
When: October 17-18, 2026
Cost: From $29
Best For: Food & drink lovers, Wine lovers, Families, Festivals, Group catch-ups
Need to Know: Cooking demonstrations are free to attend; masterclasses are separately ticketed and require booking.
Tickets available here.
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Adelaide Film Festival, Adelaide
For two weeks this October, Adelaide gets its annual dose of big-screen discoveries. The Adelaide Film Festival returns with local and international premieres spanning features, shorts, documentaries and moving image projects, alongside talks, art and parties. It’s a good one for dipping into the program and finding something you wouldn’t necessarily stumble across at the cinema, with family-friendly sessions in the mix too.
Where: Various venues, Adelaide (including Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and The Regal Theatre, Goodwood)
When: October 14-25, 2026
Cost: Pay-what-you-can equity tickets (weekdays before 4pm); $10 Rushes tickets; film passes from $59
Best For: Film buffs; Festivals; Cultural experiences; Families; Budget-friendly
Tickets available here.
Eat & Drink
Good Measure Pop-Up
If you’ve been wondering where that very photogenic Mont Blanc came from, meet Good Measure. The Melbourne team behind the viral coffee creation is making Adelaide the final stop on its Aussie tour, taking over Honeydripper HiFi Bar for a one-day pop-up on October4 . From 8am, expect Mont Blancs, Mandarin cold brew, strawberry-peach iced tea and more of Good Measure’s morning hits, before things shift upstairs for a cocktail takeover from 6pm to 10pm.
Where: Honeydripper HiFi Bar, 11 Frome Street, Adelaide
When: October 4, 2026, 8am to 12pm and 6pm to 10pm
Cost: Free entry, drinks at additional cost
Best For: Food lovers, Weekend plans, Unique experiences, Group catch-ups
Need To Know: One day only
Family Affair at Latteria
Sunday lunch gets the Italian treatment at Latteria, where Family Affair is an invitation to settle in and stay awhile. Expect lasagne, Italian favourites, a few glasses of something good and the kind of long-table conversation that makes a Sunday afternoon disappear. Come hungry, bring your favourite people and let lunch take its time.
Where: Latteria, 185 Hutt Street, Adelaide CBD
When: Every Sunday
Cost: À la carte
Best For: Families, Group catch-ups, Weekend plans, Food lovers
Bowden Bierfest, Bowden
Steins at the ready. Bowden Brewing is giving Plant 3 a German beer hall makeover for the weekend, with four German-style brews, giant 1L steins, tasting paddles, pretzels and live music on the agenda. There’s also the small matter of the Stein Holding Championships, running twice daily with a $200 bar tab for the last one standing. Grab a table, order something salty and settle in for an afternoon that’s best taken at a leisurely pace.
Where: Fourth Street, Plant 3, Bowden
When: October 3 & 4, 2026
Cost: Free entry
Best For: Food & drink lovers; Group catch-ups; Weekend plans; Festivals
Need To Know: Bookings required
Book here.
Outdoor & Active
So Golden PYO, Charleston Farm
A little twilight magic, courtesy of the Adelaide Hills. Charleston Farm is opening its flower patch for Friday evening Pick Your Own sessions throughout October, giving you 90 minutes to wander the blooms, pick 15 stems and settle in as the sun slips behind the hills. Spring brings ranunculus and peonies, while dahlias, hydrangeas, zinnias and more take over in summer and autumn, so blooms vary with the season. Bring a picnic and something to sip, then take your flowers home in a recyclable cup. More dates will be added as summer approaches, with limited numbers each session making this one to book ahead.
Where: Charleston Farm, Adelaide Hills
When: Friday evenings throughout October 2026, 6- 7:30 pm
Cost: $75pp; children 12 and under free
Best For: Couples; Family-friendly; Outdoor enthusiasts; Regional travel
Need to Know: BYO picnic and drinks
Book your session here.
Art, Culture & Performance
Zara Larsson: Midnight Sun Tour, Hindmarsh
Zara Larsson brings her Midnight Sun Tour to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on October 18, big hits, viral choreography and a very colourful new era in tow. The Swedish pop star’s recent resurgence began with the internet’s unexpected obsession with Symphony, while her PinkPantheress collaboration Stateside has since landed on the Billboard Hot 100. Expect plenty to sing along to, plus the chance to join the Lush Life dance craze from the crowd.
Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, 98 Port Road, Hindmarsh
When: October 18, 2026
Cost: From $89.90
Best For: Pop fans; Big nights out; Group catch-ups
Tickets available here.
Aaron Chen: Technology, Hindmarsh
A night of very-online comedy is coming to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, with Aaron Chen bringing his new show, Technology, to town. The Logie and Melbourne International Comedy Festival award winner is known for his Netflix special Funny Garden, alongside roles in Fisk, Make That Movie and The Dink. The premise is simple, the delivery is decidedly dry, and the details are still under wraps, making this an easy pick for a night of laughs with your funniest friend.
Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, 98 Port Road, Hindmarsh
When: October 2 & 3, 2026
Cost: $71.20
Best For: Comedy fans; Date nights; Mates’ nights out
Tickets available here.
Coming Soon
National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant, Adelaide
Christmas has officially entered the chat. The National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant returns to Adelaide on November 14, bringing its annual parade of floats, performers, bands and plenty of festive sparkle to the city. Running since 1933, it’s the Southern Hemisphere’s largest public parade, with more than 335,000 people lining the route last year. Expect 170-plus theatrical sets, 18 bands, 30 dance groups, five choirs and around 3000 costumes, plus the all-important clowns, elves and police horses. It’s free to watch, so claim a spot early and consider your Christmas outfit part of the ticket.
Where: Adelaide CBD
When: November 14, 2026
Cost: Free
Best For: Families; Kids; Christmas traditions; Free things to do
Frequently Asked Questions
October 2026 in Adelaide is packed with festivals, food events and big nights out. Lucky Dumpling Market runs at Elder Park from Friday 9 October to Sunday 1 November, ADL Fashion Week takes over the city from Wednesday 7 to Sunday 11 October, and the Adelaide Film Festival screens from 14 to 25 October. CheeseFest returns to Rundle Park/Kadlitpina on 17 and 18 October, while Zara Larsson plays the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on 18 October. Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition is also on at the Art Gallery of South Australia.
Lucky Dumpling Market at Elder Park/Tarntanya Wama is free to enter and runs from Friday 9 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. The Good Measure pop-up at Honeydripper HiFi Bar on Sunday 4 October also has free entry, with drinks at additional cost. CheeseFest cooking demonstrations are free to attend once inside Rundle Park/Kadlitpina, and kids under 12 enter the festival free. Coming up in November, the National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant is free to watch along the Adelaide CBD route on 14 November.
Four festivals and events stand out this October. CheeseFest turns 21 at Rundle Park/Kadlitpina on 17 and 18 October, with more than 100 producers and Spanish chef Miguel Maestre making his debut on the cooking demonstration stage. The Adelaide Film Festival runs from 14 to 25 October across venues including Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and The Regal Theatre in Goodwood. ADL Fashion Week runs from 7 to 11 October, and Lucky Dumpling Market brings 27 vendors to Elder Park until 1 November.
Families have plenty to choose from. Lucky Dumpling Market at Elder Park serves dumplings, bao, noodles and sweet treats, while CheeseFest at Rundle Park/Kadlitpina offers free entry for kids under 12. The Adelaide Film Festival includes family-friendly sessions, and Hahndorf Flower Farm in Paechtown has 50% off Pick Your Own Flowers for kids this spring. Latteria on Hutt Street in the Adelaide CBD hosts its Family Affair Sunday lunch every week, and the National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant follows on 14 November.
Zara Larsson brings her Midnight Sun Tour to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Hindmarsh on 18 October, with tickets from $89.90. Comedian Aaron Chen, a Logie and Melbourne International Comedy Festival award winner, performs his new show, Technology, at the same venue on 2 and 3 October, with tickets at $71.20. For something different, ADL Fashion Week runs from 7 to 11 October with runway shows and talks, while the Adelaide Film Festival screens local and international premieres from 14 to 25 October.
CheeseFest 2026 runs at Rundle Park/Kadlitpina on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October, from 11am to 8pm on Saturday and 11am to 6pm on Sunday. Tickets start from $29 for Cheese Curious entry, $34 for Cheese Master, which includes a signature glass, and $39.80 for Cheese Addict, which adds express entry and a tote. Kids under 12 enter free. Cooking demonstrations are free to attend, but masterclasses are separately ticketed and need booking. More than 100 producers of cheese, wine, beer, spirits and food take part.
All event dates, times, and costs are accurate at the time of publication. Please check official event websites for any updates or changes.
Looking for more things to do in Adelaide? Check out 21 Fun Date Ideas in Adelaide. Or if you have little ones to entertain, try the Best Things to Do in Adelaide with Kids.
