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What’s On in Adelaide: September 2026 & Beyond
This is your ultimate guide to what's on in Adelaide this month and beyond.
This month in Adelaide (September 2026), winter’s finally packing its bags and spring is elbowing its way in. There’s a five-decade birthday party taking over the city centre, showbags and thrill rides returning for their annual reign at Wayville, and ranunculus fields opening up in the Hills for the picking. Add a rare kitchen collab worth booking ahead for and a blockbuster exhibition still very much worth the trip, and September is shaping up as the month Adelaide shakes off the cold for good. 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
Hentley Farm x Penny Blue Celebration Dinner
For one night only, two of South Australia’s standout kitchens will share the pass. Hentley Farm Restaurant’s Kyle Johns heads into the city to cook alongside Penny Blue’s Jayesh Patnaik, with a four-course menu shaped around local produce and the distinct sensibilities of both chefs. Johns is known for drawing remarkable flavour from humble, often overlooked ingredients, while Patnaik approaches modern Australian food through a broader global lens. Hentley Farm’s wines have been woven into the menu from the beginning, with an optional Luxury Wine Pairing completing the experience. With only 65 seats, this is a rare meeting of Barossa wine country and Adelaide dining under one roof.
Where: Penny Blue, Adelaide Marriott Hotel
When: Wednesday 2 September 2026 from 5:30pm
Cost: $275pp for food only, or $400pp with the Hentley Wine pairing
Best For: Couples, Date night, Wine lovers
Need to know: Limited to 65 seats — bookings essential.
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, Adelaide CBD
When: Saturday 11 July to Sunday 8 November 2026 | Friday Nights from 24 July, 5.30–8.30pm
Cost: From $45
Best for: Art lovers, Cultural experiences, Date night, Couples, Families
Tickets available here.
Festivals & Major Events
50 Years of Rundle Mall, Adelaide
Rundle Mall is hitting the big 5-0, and it’s celebrating in suitably spectacular style. From September 1 – 6, the city’s favourite meeting place is getting a birthday makeover, with a cinematic parade, nostalgic throwbacks, free carousel rides, a Prosecco Piazza and plenty of music, cake and confetti. There’s even a free photobooth and $50,000 up for grabs. Consider this your excuse to pop into the city and celebrate a little piece of Adelaide history.
Where: Rundle Mall, Adelaide
When: Tuesday 1 – Sunday 6 September
Cost: Free entry
Best For: Families; Free events; Community events; Locals
Royal Adelaide Show
The Royal Adelaide Show is back for another nine days of everything South Australians look forward to all year. From September 5 – 13, the Adelaide Showground transforms into a whirlwind of new-for-2026 rides (hello, Warrior and Lunarix), fresh showbags to hunt down, a Hot Wheels Stunt Spectacular, a Human Cannonball act from a Guinness World Record holder, plus the usual line-up of animal nurseries, fireworks and fairy floss that make it a South Australian institution. Whether you’re chasing thrill rides or just here for the showbags, it’s the one week Adelaide fully embraces its inner kid.
Where: Adelaide Showground, Goodwood Road, Wayville
When: Saturday 5 – Sunday 13 September
Cost: From $29 (adult, Mon–Fri) / $35 (Sat–Sun); Child (5–14) from $17; Under 5 free; Family passes from $69
Best For: Families; Rides and thrills; Food and showbags; Community events
Tickets available here.
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Eat & Drink
The Olive Hours, Adelaide
A martini in one hand, a gilda in the other — winter evenings don’t get much more enticing than that. Paloma’s new weekly ritual, The Olive Hours, is bringing a touch of European aperitivo culture to Adelaide every Thursday, pairing crisp, ice-cold martinis with the salty, savoury bite of a perfectly crafted gilda. Choose from Classic Gin and Vodka Martinis, Oyster Gin Martinis and Vespers, then settle in for an evening of good conversation and even better snacks.
Where: Paloma Bar & Pantry, 20 Peel Street, Adelaide
When: Every Thursday, 4:00pm–12:00am
Cost: Free entry
Best for: Couples, Girls’ nights, Group catch-ups, Food & drink lovers, Nightlife
After Light at Exchange Lane, Adelaide
Adelaide Marriott Hotel’s Exchange Lane has a new reason to linger after dark. After Light launches this winter as a weekly Thursday evening experience — seasonal cocktails, curated food and a warm, intimate atmosphere designed to make the most of the cooler months rather than hide from them. The kind of after-work drinks situation that has a habit of turning into a full evening.
Where: Exchange Lane, Adelaide Marriott Hotel, Adelaide CBD
When: Every Thursday from 12 June, 6pm until late
Cost: Free entry
Best for: Date night, Group catch-ups, Food lovers, Locals, Weekend plans
Outdoor & Active
Hahndorf Flower Farm, Paechtown
Hahndorf Flower Farm is opening its gates for spring, with rows of ranunculus in full bloom across the Adelaide Hills. Online bookings are open now for the farm’s signature Pick Your Own Flowers experience, a 90-minute wander through the fields where you handpick your own bunch and build a bouquet to take home. Kids can join in too, with 50% off flower picking for little ones this season. Spring blooms move fast once the warmer weather sets in, so it’s worth locking in a slot before the season wraps.
Where: 97b Darby Road, Paechtown
When: Spring season, online bookings open now
Cost: $65pp for Pick Your Own Flowers (90 min); kids’ flower picking 50% off this season
Best For: Families; Flower picking; Adelaide Hills day trips; Spring activities
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: Saturday 17 – Sunday 18 October 2026, Saturday 11am–8pm, Sunday 11am–6pm
Cost: From $29 (Cheese Curious entry), $34 (Cheese Master, includes signature glass), $39.80 (Cheese Addict, express entry + glass + tote). Free entry for kids under 12.
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
Hahndorf Flower Farm in Paechtown, in the Adelaide Hills, opens for spring with its Pick Your Own Flowers experience, a 90-minute session through fields of ranunculus in bloom. Bookings are open online now, with sessions priced from $65 per person and 50% off flower picking for kids this season. Given spring blooms move quickly once warmer weather sets in, locking in a slot early is worth prioritising for anyone planning a Hills day trip built around it.
Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition is showing at the Art Gallery of South Australia, featuring 57 masterworks from Ohio’s Toledo Museum of Art, including pieces by Van Gogh, Cézanne, Degas, Picasso and Matisse, none previously shown in Australia. It’s the debut exhibition in AGSA’s new Winter Art Series and runs until November 2026. The show is supported by a full program, including weekly Friday Nights 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.
Rundle Mall is marking 50 years with a week of celebrations from Tuesday 1 to Sunday 6 September 2026. The program includes a cinematic parade, nostalgic throwbacks, free carousel rides, a Prosecco Piazza, live music, cake, confetti and a free photobooth, with $50,000 up for grabs across the celebrations. Entry is free, making it an easy add-on to a day in the city centre. It suits families, locals and anyone keen to mark a piece of Adelaide retail history without needing to book ahead.
The Royal Adelaide Show runs for nine days from Saturday 5 to Sunday 13 September 2026 at the Adelaide Showground on Goodwood Road, Wayville. Adult tickets start from $29 Monday to Friday and $35 on weekends, with child tickets (ages 5 to 14) from $17 and children under 5 admitted free. Family passes are available from $69. The 2026 show features new rides including Warrior and Lunarix, a Human Cannonball act, a Hot Wheels Stunt Spectacular, and the usual line-up of animal nurseries, fireworks and showbags.
September brings a strong mix of major events and dining moments to Adelaide. Highlights include the Royal Adelaide Show at the Adelaide Showground from 5 to 13 September, Rundle Mall’s 50th birthday celebrations from 1 to 6 September, and the Monet to Matisse exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia, running until November. Foodies can catch the one-off Hentley Farm x Penny Blue Celebration Dinner on 2 September, while the Adelaide Hills’ Hahndorf Flower Farm opens for spring with pick-your-own ranunculus sessions. Weekly options like The Olive Hours and After Light also run through the month for those after something lower key.
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.
