Theatre and live shows in Adelaide: venues, companies and how to book

Adelaide punches above its size for live performance. In one city you can see a touring musical, a new Australian play, an orchestra in a Victorian town hall and a stadium concert, often in the same week, and in late summer the festivals add hundreds more shows.

This guide covers the main venues and the companies that call them home, how to find out what is on, and the access services that make a night out easier.

The short version

• Main venues: the Adelaide Festival Centre (Festival Theatre, Dunstan Playhouse and Space Theatre), Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide Entertainment Centre and Thebarton Theatre.
• Resident companies: State Theatre Company South Australia and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, among others.
• Booking: through each venue or company website; Festival Centre and Entertainment Centre shows are ticketed through Ticketek.
• Access: accessible seating, Companion Card, hearing assistance and audio-described performances are offered at the major venues.
• Festival season: late summer is the busiest time; check the official sites for this year’s dates.

The venues

Adelaide Festival Centre

On the banks of the Torrens beside King William Road, the Festival Centre was designed by architect John Morphett and opened on 2 June 1973 as Australia’s first multi-purpose arts centre. It now runs four theatres across two sites: the Festival Theatre, the Dunstan Playhouse and the Space Theatre on the riverbank, and Her Majesty’s Theatre on Grote Street.

The Festival Theatre is the large house, used for musicals, ballet, opera and orchestral concerts. The Dunstan Playhouse, which opened in 1974 and seats 590 over two levels, was built for drama. The Space Theatre is a flexible studio with no fixed stage or seating, set up in the round or in other shapes for between about 200 and 350 people. The centre also presents its own festivals, including the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and OzAsia Festival, and its galleries hold free exhibitions.

Her Majesty’s Theatre

Her Majesty’s on Grote Street opened in 1913 as The New Tivoli and spent years on the Tivoli vaudeville circuit. It has had several names since, from the Prince of Wales Theatre to the Opera Theatre, and has been Her Majesty’s again since 1988, when the Festival Centre took over its management. After more than two years of redevelopment it reopened in June 2020 as a proscenium theatre seating close to 1,500 people over three levels, keeping its heritage character. It hosts large musicals and touring productions.

Adelaide Entertainment Centre

At the corner of Port Road and Adam Street in Hindmarsh, on the edge of the city, the Entertainment Centre is South Australia’s main indoor arena for big concerts, spectaculars and sport, with a separate Theatre space. It has been running for more than 30 years. Look for The Orb, its domed entry, which lights up each evening.

Thebarton Theatre

At 112 Henley Beach Road, Torrensville, Thebarton Theatre opened on 11 June 1928 as the Thebarton Town Hall, built by the local council. It was designed by Kaberry and Chard, who reproduced the facade of Colonel Light’s English home, Theberton House, for the council chambers, and it originally seated 2,000. Long a concert venue, it has reopened after a period of closure; check its website for what is on.

The companies

State Theatre Company South Australia

The state’s flagship theatre company was established in 1972 under its own Act, on the initiative of Premier Don Dunstan. It is a resident company of the Festival Centre, and the Dunstan Playhouse is its main performance home; it also uses the Space Theatre and Her Majesty’s. It produces new and existing Australian and international plays, and announces a season each year.

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 1936, the ASO is South Australia’s largest performing arts organisation. Its primary venues are Adelaide Town Hall, the Festival Theatre, the Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena (often for film concerts), Elder Hall, St Peter’s Cathedral and Grainger Studio, its home and rehearsal room. It also plays for the Adelaide Festival, WOMADelaide, State Opera and The Australian Ballet when they perform in Adelaide.

How to find shows

• Venue and company sites: each has a What’s On page; companies publish their seasons in advance, often with subscription packages.
• Box office: the Festival Centre has a Ticketek box office in the Festival Theatre foyer, and there is another at the Entertainment Centre. Check opening times before you go.
• Lower-cost tickets: the State Theatre Company offers pay-what-you-can tickets for matinee and Wednesday evening performances, and the ASO and the Festival Centre run programs for younger audiences and equity ticketing; check each site for current offers.
• Festivals: the Adelaide Festival runs from 26 February to 14 March 2027, alongside the Adelaide Fringe. See our Adelaide Festival guide and Adelaide Fringe guide.
• Our listings: browse our events listing.

Accessibility

The major venues have put real work into access:

• Seating and companions: accessible seats can be booked online for some shows or by phone. The Festival Centre, the Entertainment Centre and the ASO take part in the Companion Card program.
• Hearing: the Festival Centre lends hearing assistance packs with a neck loop or headphones at all four of its theatres; arrive early to collect one. The Entertainment Centre has an FM system you can tune into with your own receiver.
• Vision: selected Festival Centre and State Theatre Company performances are audio described, with touch tours or pre-show briefings where you can explore the set and costumes.
• Captions: the State Theatre Company offers captioned performances in the Dunstan Playhouse.
• Relaxed concerts: the ASO runs relaxed performances designed for neurodiverse audiences and people with sensory or communication needs.
• Getting in: the Festival Centre has lifts serving each of its theatres, a drop-off zone on King William Road and loan wheelchairs; the Entertainment Centre asks you to pre-book accessible parking for events.

Getting there

The Festival Centre is next to Adelaide Railway Station, with the free city tram nearby on North Terrace and King William Street. Her Majesty’s is on Grote Street, a short walk from Victoria Square. The tram runs along Port Road to the Entertainment Centre’s own stop. For Thebarton Theatre, buses stop on Henley Beach Road and South Road, and Mile End station is about a 20-minute walk. See our guide to getting around Adelaide by public transport.

Before you go

• Arrive early: foyers get busy, and access services such as hearing packs are first come, first served.
• Check the conditions: each venue publishes its conditions of entry, bag rules and payment methods.
• Parking: city car parks fill on show nights; public transport is often easier.
• Eat nearby: browse our directory of restaurants and bars for a pre-show meal.

Keep exploring

For more music, read our guide to live music in Adelaide. Planning a night out? See our guides to nightlife precincts, accessible Adelaide and rainy-day things to do, or browse our directory of activities and entertainment.