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What’s On in Adelaide This Weekend: Our Editor’s Top Picks
Make the most of your weekend in Adelaide with our top five picks — a curated guide to the city’s standout events and experiences.
This weekend in Adelaide (October 9–11) is all about making the most of spring. From fashion and food in the city to after-dark art and flower-filled evenings in the Hills, there’s plenty to tempt you out of the house. Expect runway shows, dumplings, major exhibitions, live entertainment and a few excuses to linger outdoors as the weather warms up. Whether you’re in the mood to dress up, graze, wander or get out of town, here’s what’s on in Adelaide this weekend.
In This Guide
Editor’s 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
Festivals & Major Events
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.
Eat & Drink
Adelaide gelato favourite Gelato Bello is turning 30, and the celebrations come with a sweet trip down memory lane. On October 10 and 11, the Glynde flagship is bringing back some much-loved flavours from the archives, including Cherry Ripe, Golden Gaytime and Lemon Meringue Pie, alongside vintage memorabilia and a nod to its original 1996 prices. Expect 30% off all gelato across the weekend, with the first 100 customers each day able to score a scoop for just $3. Not a bad excuse for a gelato run, even if the weather doesn’t agree.
Where: Gelato Bello, Glynde
When: Saturday 10 to Sunday 11 October 2026, 1pm to 11pm
Cost: $3 scoops for the first 100 customers each day, then 30% off all gelato
Best For: Families, Kids, Food lovers, Budget-friendly, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Arrive early to secure one of the 100 daily $3 scoops.
Club Lago
Consider this your excuse to pretend you’re spending the afternoon on the shores of Lake Como, without leaving Adelaide. Club Lago is back from October 10, bringing a little European glamour to Saturdays with open-air bars, DJs, spritzes and plenty of time to linger.
The setting leans into sun-washed coastal tones and relaxed day-club energy, making it an easy pick for a long lunch, a few drinks with friends or an afternoon that quietly turns into evening. Doors open from 11:30am most Saturdays, with special event days on the calendar too and more opportunities coming in 2027.
Where: Club Lago, Morphettville
When: Saturdays from October 10, 2026
Cost: Free entry, VIP lounges and cabanas available at additional cost
Best For: Weekend plans, Group catch-ups, Live music, Outdoor activities, Locals
Art, Culture & Performance
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
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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.
Coming Soon
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About What’s On This Weekend in Adelaide
The top events in Adelaide this weekend, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2026, start with Lucky Dumpling Market at Elder Park / Tarntanya Wama. There, 27 vendors serve dumplings, bao, noodles and more, and entry is free. ADL Fashion Week wraps up on Sunday 11 October with runway shows, talks and events across the CBD and North Adelaide. Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition continues at the Art Gallery of South Australia, with tickets from $45. On Friday 9 October, So Golden PYO at Charleston Farm offers twilight flower picking in the Adelaide Hills.
Lucky Dumpling Market is the standout food event in Adelaide this weekend. Its 27 vendors at Elder Park / Tarntanya Wama serve dumplings, bao, noodles, curries, satay and sweet treats, with free entry. Six newcomers join this year’s line-up, including a collaboration between Shōbōshō and ShoSho. At the Art Gallery of South Australia, AGSA_eat serves French-inspired dining as part of the Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition program. For a slower evening, So Golden PYO at Charleston Farm in the Adelaide Hills invites guests to bring their own picnic and drinks to its Friday sessions.
Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition at the Art Gallery of South Australia is the major art exhibition in Adelaide this weekend. The Australian-exclusive show brings 57 masterworks from Ohio’s Toledo Museum of Art, none previously seen in Australia, with works by Monet, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Degas, Picasso and Matisse. Tickets start from $45, and the exhibition runs until Sunday 8 November 2026. For something more contemporary, ADL Fashion Week closes on Sunday 11 October with runway shows, styling sessions and talks featuring local labels and Australian designers across the CBD and North Adelaide.
Families have several good options in Adelaide this weekend. Lucky Dumpling Market at Elder Park / Tarntanya Wama has free entry, 27 food vendors and live entertainment, making it an easy, low-cost outing with children. Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition at the Art Gallery of South Australia runs a program that includes family days and a teen program, with tickets from $45. For a Friday evening in the Adelaide Hills, So Golden PYO at Charleston Farm lets children 12 and under pick flowers for free, while adult tickets cost $75 per person.
Lucky Dumpling Market is the best free event in Adelaide this weekend. Entry to Elder Park / Tarntanya Wama costs nothing, and you only pay for what you eat and drink across 27 vendors serving dumplings, bao, noodles, curries, satay and sweet treats. Live entertainment and karaoke run between plates, and Fridays open from noon for anyone wanting a lunchtime visit. Families heading to the Adelaide Hills on Friday 9 October will also find that children 12 and under join So Golden PYO at Charleston Farm for free, while adults pay $75 per person.
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.
