Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Adelaide Festival Centre holds a distinction that often surprises people: it was Australia's first capital city multi-purpose arts centre, beating the Sydney Opera House to the punch in some respects (and costing a fraction of the price). Built in three stages from 1970 to 1980, the main building, the Festival Theatre, was completed in 1973 at a cost of A$10 million. The whole complex came in at A$21 million. For comparison, the Sydney Opera House, completed the same year, cost A$102 million. Adelaide got its arts centre done on time and on budget, a fact locals are quietly proud of. The complex was officially opened on June 2, 1973, by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, with a gala performance of Beethoven's opera Fidelio and Choral Symphony. It sits on King William Road, distinguished by its two white geometric dome roofs visible from across the river. Inside, it houses the Festival Theatre, Dunstan Playhouse, Space Theatre, and several gallery and function spaces. The site itself has a layered history. Several historic buildings were demolished to make way for the centre, and the land sits between Elder Park and Parliament House, placing it squarely in the centre of Adelaide's civic life. If you're walking along the Torrens or exploring Adelaide on a Questo quest, the Festival Centre's distinctive domes make it hard to miss. The stories of what was here before, and what it took to build, add another layer to the experience.