Adelaide Guitar Festival kicks off from tonight with a highly anticipated performance by John Butler who makes his Adelaide Guitar Festival debut with his PRISM Tour at Her Majesty’s Theatre.
Marking Adelaide’s 10th year as a UNESCO City of Music, this year’s festival is the ultimate celebration of the world’s most popular instrument, featuring award-winning guitarists from across Australia and around the globe, including international artists making their Australian debuts, world premieres, and performances by guitar icons and rising stars.
Adelaide Guitar Festival Artistic Director Slava Grigoryan: “We can’t wait to welcome audiences and performers to this year’s Adelaide Guitar Festival. With a program of events spanning Adelaide to South Australia’s South East, we are thrilled to host exceptional guitarists from diverse musical backgrounds across the world, who share a connection through this one instrument, the guitar.”
Opening week audiences can look forward to Troy Cassar-Daley, the 45-time Golden Guitar and six-time ARIA Award winner, who performs at Her Majesty’s Theatre on September 12. Hitting the stage with his full band, expect a night of musical excellence and great storytelling. Opening the show is Nancy Bates who celebrates her new album Share Your Love. Seeded through her years on the road with Archie Roach, Nancy’s soulful songs will take centre stage, accompanied by her stellar band.
Celebrating 50 years of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti, this world premiere concert at Her Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday 13 September brings the iconic album to life with the Southern Cross Symphony and some of Australia’s finest musicians, including Warwick Cheatle, Danny Leo, Paul White, Dusty Lee Stephensen, Kathleen Halloran, Shaun Holton, and Zkye Compson Harris performing all the greatest Zeppelin hits you know and love.
In a festival exclusive, Lau Noah comes to Australia for the first time. From Catalonia to New York's most prestigious stages, Lau Noah is fast becoming known as one of this generation's most distinctive guitarists. Noah brings her extraordinary technique to Adelaide fresh from collaborations with Jacob Collier, Chris Thile and Jorge Drexler. In a festival double bill, Australia's beloved Lior performs with his full band, showcasing his newest album The Blue Parade on Sunday September 14 at Her Majesty’s Theatre.
Adelaide Festival Centre CEO Kate Gould: “Adelaide Guitar Festival 2025 proudly hosts guitarists from Brazil, South Korea, the United States and Canada, alongside local and national musicians to our Adelaide venues and South Australian regions. Supporting and celebrating music across South Australia is part of our State’s DNA and with this year’s program we hope that you can experience both all-time favourites and some new discoveries at Adelaide Guitar Festival.”
On September 13, performing at Elder Hall, Adelaide Guitar Festival welcomes acclaimed Duo Siqueira Lima. Cecilia Siqueira (Uruguay) and Fernando de Lima (Brazil), bring an unparalleled fusion of classical precision and Latin passion to the stage. The concert commences with a recital by South Korea’s Young Taek Jo, winner of the 2024 Adelaide International Classical Guitar Competition Winner.
Consonance: Instrumental Conversations with Guitar will light up the stage at Elder Hall on September 14 for a very special afternoon event. Hailed for his fluidity and finesse, Aleksandr Tsiboulski premieres a new suite for classical guitar by South Australian composer Anne Cawrse. He is joined by violinist Dr Elizabeth Layton. Artistic Director Slava Grigoryan is joined by key collaborator and partner, cellist Sharon Grigoryan. Their synergy shines through their repertoire spanning cultures, generations and genres. Consonance opens with the 2025 Adelaide Guitar Festival Orchestra, led by the effervescent Dr Paul Svoboda, with special guest star, Lior.
Elder Hall will also welcome artists from around the globe for the final of Adelaide International Classical Guitar Competition on the morning of Sunday September 14. Guests can enjoy free entry to the final.
The Hon Andrea Michaels MP, South Australian Minister for Arts: “Well done to Slava Grigoryan and the team at Adelaide Festival Centre for a wonderful program of events for the 2025 Adelaide Guitar Festival. With performances and events across Adelaide and South Australia’s stunning South East, there is so much to enjoy.”
Adelaide Guitar Festival extends beyond Her Majesty’s Theatre and Elder Hall, bringing live music to top venues across the city through Guitars in Bars, and hitting the road from October 4 to 12 with On the Road performances across South Australia’s South East, including Mount Gambier.
Mount Gambier will feature two special ticketed events at Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre. Blak Country curated by Nancy Bates with special guests including Jess Hitchcock on October 10 and Australian Guitar Quartet featuring Slava Grigoryan, Leonard Grigoryan, Andrew Blanch and Vladimir Gorbach who make their South Australian debut on October 11.
Adelaide Guitar Festival 2025. Tickets on sale now at adelaideguitarfestival.com.au and via Ticketek.
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