The art of cabaret has been documented way back to 15th century France. The word in French means "small room" or "wine cellar". Most cultures have an oral tradition of cabaret, storytelling with songs.

Cabaret is an extraordinary form of human communication evoking all our senses and challenging and informing our thoughts about ourselves and the world around us. The cabaret artist talks and sings directly to the audience.

Cabaret can be avant-garde, as well as entertaining. It can make you cry and laugh at the same time. It can be a critically reflective mirror of topical events, morals, politics, personal and cultural issues, walking the tightrope between drama theatre and the variety show. Always a flexible medium, cabaret has shifted with the times without ever losing its rebellious wit or innovative nature. It's a playroom of emotions for adults.

"...this specialised festival is at once more contained, intimate and inclusive... it reaches the parts - and most particularly your heart and soul - that other art forms often fail to." What's On Stage, UK

25 June: SEVENTH HEAVEN AT THE SEVENTH ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL!

The 2007 Adelaide Cabaret Festival finished with a flourish on Saturday 23 June.

The closing night featured the only Australian performance of America's leading cabaret performer; Michael Feinstein, as well as performances by Li'l Fi and Margret Roadknight with their tribute to the Blues Mamas; Bad Seeds guitarist Mick Harvey; British writer and alter-ego of Tina C: Chris Green; French performers Isabelle Georges and Frédérik Steenbrink; satirist Phil Scott; kamikaze cabaret with Meow Meow; Licence to Thrill: The Scores of James Bond; Bob Downe Live and Swingin' ; and the humourous yet moving conversations of Mantalk.

This year the Adelaide Cabaret Festival has featured some 450 artists from New York, Paris, London, Germany, Canada and all over Australia giving 180 sensational performances over 16 memorable nights.

The 67 sold out performances included Ruth Rogers-Wright's evocation of Nina Simone songs; High Tea with Ida Barr; Andy Seymour and The Gospel According to Elvis; French chanteuse Caroline Nin; the high priestesses of performance art The Burlesque Hour; Julie Anthony and Simon Gallaher; the sumptuous extravaganza - The Feast of Argentina Gina Catalina; musician Dave Graney; local performers Lisette and her Faux Manouches; Gyan and Leunig and octogenerian torch singer Madam Pat Thompson.

Festival Director Julia Holt says, "It's been another very successful step in the development of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival with 17 premieres of new productions, six Festival commissions including Variété, Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, and Marlene, workshops of new musicals Shane Warne: The Musical and The Beauty Spot, four very well attended Masterclasses with Jeremy Sams (UK), Michael Feinstein (US) and Philip Quast as well as the free weekend series, In Conversation With ... An atmosphere of joyous endeavour has embraced the Festival Centre as we have been busily putting these shows together".

Adelaide Festival Centre CEO & Artistic Director, Douglas Gautier says, "As the centre of festivals in South Australia we are thrilled that the Adelaide Cabaret Festival has once again been embraced by audiences. This is the template for an event of national and international visibility and reputation that we hope to attain for our new festivals: OzAsia Festival and Adelaide International Guitar Festival."

The 8th Adelaide Cabaret Festival will take place from 6-21 June 2008 at the Adelaide Festival Centre.

11 June

The opening weekend of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival went off with a bang. The Hon Mike Rann, Premier of South Australia, officially opened the Festival on Friday 8 June to a packed house. Over the weekend 15,000 people came through the Adelaide Festival Centre's doors to enjoy a smorgasbord of Cabaret delights. Happy snaps from opening night.

5 April

Check out the launch snapshots.