Adelaide Festival

& Writers' Week

Enjoy nine world-class performances and a host of other activities at the 2026 Adelaide Festival & Writers’ Week.

tour snapshot

  • March 1-9, 2026 | 9 Days

  • Assoc. Prof. Kate Foy. View full bio >

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  • The tour starts at 3.00pm on Sunday 1 March, at the Crowne Plaza Adelaide.

    The tour ends after breakfast on Monday 9 March, at the Crowne Plaza Adelaide.

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  • Grade One. This tour is appropriate for travellers in good health with good mobility.

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  • $TBA AUD per person, twin share (land content only)
    $TBA AUD supplement for sole use of a hotel room

    • A $1,000 AUD non-refundable deposit is required per person to confirm your booking on tour

    • Once the full and final performance program is released, an instalment of $2,000 is required.

    Inclusions
    8 nights’ accommodation in a centrally located 4-star hotel. All breakfasts,
    4 lunches and 2 dinners. Premium tickets to 9 Adelaide Festival performances. Services of an expert tour leader and an experienced tour manager throughout. All ground transport, entrance fees and tipping. View standard tour inclusions >

  • Places Available. Maximum 16

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Status: Places Available - Maximum 16

 

tour overview

Academy Travel is delighted to present a nine day trip to Adelaide, timed to coincide with a superb run of performances at the 2026 Adelaide Festival.

Since 1960 the Adelaide Festival has been a highlight of the Australian cultural calendar and continues to burnish its international reputation to this day. Academy Travel is the only travel company to be partner sponsors of the 2026 Adelaide Festival, guaranteeing access to premium seating at nine festival performances. Our program will include the Festival’s centrepiece production and an intimate concert at the beautiful UKARIA Cultural Centre, a small but striking venue perched on the hillside of the Ngeringa property in the picturesque Adelaide Hills.

Around the Festival performances we’ve built a program of gallery visits, excursions and an opportunity to participate in Adelaide Writers’ Week, which coincides with the festival. Accommodation is at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, located close to many of the city’s attractions.

 

tour highlights

The aim of every Academy Travel tour is to provide a rewarding, in-depth travel experience.

  • Adelaide Festival

    Experience nine performances of the 2026 Adelaide Festival, offering an array of world-class musicians, breathtaking dance theatre, renowned writers and striking visual arts displays.

  • Adelaide Writers’ Week

    Enjoy sessions at Writers’ Week – Australia’s largest literary festival, offering both writers and readers a unique opportunity to spend time sharing ideas in a garden setting.

  • Museums and Galleries

    Tour the South Australian Museum’s Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery with an Indigenous guide, and take in the special Festival exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

  • The Cedars - Hans Heysen

    Visit The Cedars in the Adelaide Hills, the family home of iconic landscape painter and early conservationist Sir Hans Heysen, with many of their captivating works still on display in the original furnished home.

  • McLaren Vale

    Take a day trip to McLaren Vale, one of Australia’s oldest and most acclaimed wine regions, and enjoy a tasting and relaxed lunch in one of the region’s award-winning restaurants.

 

your expert tour leader

Assoc. Prof. Kate Foy holds a BA and an MLitt from the University of New England (NSW), and a PhD from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her PhD studies focussed on world theatre history, whilst her final dissertation was a cultural history on aspects of colonial and post-federation developments in Australian theatre. In addition to her extensive professional profile as an actor (Kate Wilson), she also has a considerable production biography in Australian university theatre (UNE; USQ; GU).

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In good hands...

In addition to your expert tour leader, you will be accompanied by a trained tour manager for the duration of the tour. Our tour managers will ensure your safety and comfort on tour, while also overseeing the behind-the-scenes logistics. Our tour managers are great travel companions who ensure your needs are well taken care of. From offering suggestions for your free time, to a lively chat at dinner or even providing space for a quiet moment of reflection, rest assured you are in good hands when travelling.

tour itinerary

Included meals are shown with the letters B, L and D

  • Sunday 1 March
    Arrival | Adelaide Festival
    The tour begins in our Adelaide hotel at 3.00pm, where we meet in the bar for a welcome drink and light appetisers. Following brief introductions, we take in our first Festival performance (schedules permitting) before returning to our hotel for a welcome dinner at Koomo on the 10th floor of the Crowne Plaza. Overnight Adelaide (D)

    Performance I
    Venue: To be advised
    Program: To be advised

  • Monday 2 March
    Indigenous Heritage | Adelaide Festival
    After a lecture in our hotel this morning, we make our way to the South Australian Museum for a tour through the Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery. This collection of over 3,000 artefacts from Central Australia and the Top End is considered among the best in the world and will be shown to us by an Indigenous guide. The afternoon is then set aside to enjoy sessions at Writers’ Week – Australia’s largest free literary festival located in the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden, a short walk from our hotel. We reconvene this evening for our second Festival performance (schedules permitting). Overnight Adelaide (B)

    Performance II
    Venue: To be advised
    Program: To be advised

  • Tuesday 3 March
    Hans Heysen | Adelaide Festival
    Today we head to the Adelaide Hills to visit The Cedars, the estate of artists Hans Heysen and his daughter Nora where more than 200 of their original artworks are displayed. Located a few minutes from the picturesque German Village of Hahndorf, this charming arts and crafts residence offers one of the best historic artist house-studios anywhere. A curator of the estate will take us through the studios and house, with time to enjoy the charming garden. We then return to Adelaide to take in more Writers’ Week sessions. This evening we enjoy another Festival performance (schedules permitting). Overnight Adelaide (B)

    Performance III
    Venue: To be advised
    Program: To be advised

  • Wednesday 4 March
    Adelaide Festival | Adelaide Festival
    After a talk in the hotel this morning, today is set aside to enjoy a morning Festival performance, followed by some free time in the afternoon to attend a Writers’ Week session. We then reconvene in the evening for another Festival performance (schedules permitting). Overnight Adelaide (B)

    Performance IV
    Venue: To be advised
    Program: To be advised

    Performance V
    Venue: To be advised
    Program: To be advised

  • Thursday 5 March
    McLaren Vale
    Located in hilly terrain south of Adelaide, McLaren Vale is one of Australia’s most celebrated wine-growing regions, known especially for its Shiraz. In the late morning, we have a special wine tasting before enjoying a relaxed lunch at one of the region’s highly-regarded restaurants. In the later afternoon, we return to Adelaide via the historic village of Clarendon. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Adelaide (B, L)

  • Friday 6 March
    AGSA | Adelaide Festival
    After a leisurely breakfast we make our way to the Art Gallery of South Australia, where we have a guided tour through the gallery’s extensive collection. Spanning the period from ancient Rome to the present, the collection includes paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, textiles, ceramics, glass, metalwork and jewellery, and even furniture. From here we head to one of Adelaide’s great places to dine, with an innovative lunch menu based on local, seasonal produce. There will be time to freshen up back at our hotel before tonight’s Festival performance (schedules permitting). Overnight Adelaide (B, L)

    Performance VI
    Venue: To be advised
    Program: To be advised

  • Saturday 7 March
    Adelaide Festival | Adelaide Festival
    We begin today with a talk in our hotel, before returning to the Art Gallery of South Australia to view the special Festival exhibition (to be announced), followed by a leisurely lunch at one of the city’s superb restaurants. Before tonight’s Festival performance (schedules permitting), we meet in
    the hotel bar for a pre-show drink and a selection of canapés. Overnight Adelaide (B, L, C)

    Performance VII
    Venue: To be advised
    Program: To be advised

  • Sunday 8 March
    UKARIA Cultural Centre | Adelaide Festival
    This morning we depart by coach to the UKARIA Cultural Centre, a small concert venue in a lovely setting deep in the Adelaide Hills. Since opening in 2015, UKARIA has become one of the leading venues for chamber music in Australia and we plan to spend the day here enjoying two Festival performances (schedules permitting). Lunch will be served in the spacious garden terrace restaurant before returning to Adelaide in the late afternoon. Tonight we enjoy a farewell dinner together in one of Adelaide’s finest restaurants. Overnight Adelaide
    (B, L, D)

    Performance VIII
    Venue: To be advised
    Program: To be advised

    Performance IV
    Venue: To be advised
    Program: To be advised

  • Monday 9 March
    Departure
    The tour concludes after breakfast this morning. (B)

tour Accommodation

Crowne Plaza Adelaide (8 nights)

The four-star Crowne Plaza Adelaide offers modern accommodation in the heart of the city, overlooking the CBD and Adelaide Hills. The hotel is within a short walking distance of many of the attractions on the tour.

adelaide.crowneplaza.com

tour booking

$TBA AUD per person, twin share (land content only)
$TBA AUD supplement for sole use of a hotel room

A $1,000 deposit is required per person to confirm your booking on tour. This deposit is non-refundable.

Once the full and final performance program is released, an instalment of $2,000 is required.

  • Book Online

    To secure your place(s) on tour, book online below with “Athena”, our virtual tour consultant.

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  • Book via Email or Post

    Download a printable booking form. You can also complete the form on screen and submit via email.

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Still deciding? Hold a place…

We are happy to hold a tentative place for 7 days while you make your final arrangements.

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your tour consultant

The consultant for this tour is Sharon Williams. For further information or to discuss the tour, please call 9235 0023 (Sydney) or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email sharon@academytravel.com.au

have you thought about?

Academy Travel is more than just a tour operator. We are also a full-service travel agency who can assist you with all aspects of your travel, including flights, transfers, pre-tour arrival, additional travel and comprehensive travel insurance.