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Bluebeard in water and fire
Romeo Castellucci stages Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle on a water-filled stage lit by erupting fire, opening the seven doors through Judith’s eyes.
Festivals & traditions
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The Adelaide Festival Centre at night across the River Torrens, 2014, home of the Festival Theatre; a file photo. · Report image rightsAdelaide · AustraliaFestivals & traditions
2027.02.26 — 2027.03.14 · Coming soon
For seventeen days, the world’s stages come to Adelaide.
Adelaide Festival 2027
The Adelaide Festival calls itself Australia’s international festival and is one of the great arts festivals of the world; in 2026 it staged 59 events and opened with a free Pulp concert for 10,000 people in Elder Park. In 2027 it runs from 26 February to 14 March, and the first release includes Bartók’s opera Bluebeard’s Castle staged by Romeo Castellucci on a water-filled stage, Barrie Kosky and the Berliner Ensemble’s K., inspired by Kafka’s The Trial, and Robert Icke’s Oedipus with Richard Roxburgh. The full programme is revealed in October.
GOWOAH / Adelaide
A REASON TO GO
A REASON TO GO
Venues across Adelaide (Festival Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theatre and more)2027.02.26 — 2027.03.14Festivals & traditionsTicket required
FIND YOUR REASON
What draws you to this experience?
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Kafka by the Berliner Ensemble
Barrie Kosky and the Berliner Ensemble turn Kafka’s The Trial into a Talmudic vaudeville, with music running from Bach and Schumann to Yiddish vaudeville.
Festivals & traditions03
Oedipus on election night
Robert Icke reimagines the Oedipus myth as an election-night political thriller, a hit in the West End and on Broadway, here with Richard Roxburgh and Heather Mitchell.
Festivals & traditionsProgramme, background & sources
Checked · 2026-10-15
A LITTLE CLOSER
A closer look.
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2026 · Yu Chu Chin · Photo source · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Preview cropped; enlarge for full image. · Report image rights
MAKE IT YOUR EXPERIENCE
Does this fit what you are looking for?
This could be for you if you are…
- Lovers of opera, theatre and contemporary performance
- Anyone visiting South Australia in February or March
Before you decide
The full programme comes out in October.
Each show is ticketed separately, and popular ones sell fast.
Many shows carry adult content warnings and admit no latecomers.
FIND YOUR PLACE
Explore the layout. Plan your route.
Shows are spread across Adelaide’s theatres; see each show page for its venue.
Open official guide ↗FROM AN IDEA TO A PLAN
Make a plan that works for you.
Dates & times
2027.02.26 — 2027.03.14Friday 26 February to Sunday 14 March 2027, 17 days (Adelaide time). First release: Bluebeard’s Castle, 26 February to 2 March, Festival Theatre, about 1 hour 10 minutes; K., 4 to 7 March, Her Majesty’s Theatre, about 3 hours 5 minutes with an interval; Oedipus, 10 to 14 March, Festival Theatre, about 2 hours.
Australia/AdelaideMore programme details
- Bluebeard in water and fire
- Kafka by the Berliner Ensemble
- Oedipus on election night
Venue & travel
Venues across Adelaide (Festival Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theatre and more)The Festival Theatre is at the Adelaide Festival Centre on King William Road by the River Torrens, and Her Majesty’s Theatre is at 58 Grote Street, both within walking distance in the city centre.
Entry & companions
Each show is ticketed separately. Bluebeard’s Castle is sung in Hungarian with English surtitles, recommended for 15+, with no latecomers; K. is in German, Yiddish and Hebrew with English surtitles; Oedipus is recommended for 16+, with no latecomers. Check each show page for content warnings before buying.
Tickets & access
Ticketed per show · from AUD 119
Confirm accessibility services and companion policies with the organiser before travel.
Sources & image credits
Dates and entry details refer to this edition; individual sessions may differ.
Keir Gravil · CC BY-SA 4.0 Image source
Adelaide Festival
The Adelaide Festival Centre at night across the River Torrens, 2014, home of the Festival Theatre; a file photo.
Information checked on 2026-10-15
Suggest a correction ↗
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