5 dazzling Adelaide Fringe experiences to catch in our parks and gardens

This year you can expe­ri­ence the­atre, music, and immer­sive expe­ri­ences in the heart of nature, with­in his­toric walls, and among lush gardens. 

If you’re look­ing for a unique way to enjoy the Fringe, here’s where you can catch a show in our nation­al parks, unique his­toric sites and incred­i­ble botan­ic gardens.

Uncov­er pre­his­toric secrets at Nara­coorte Caves

Pro­fes­sor Flint and the Dinosaur Hunters
Nara­coorte Caves Nation­al Park
1 – 2 March

Step into the under­ground world of Nara­coorte Caves for an unfor­get­table jour­ney into the past. Renowned singing palaeon­tol­o­gist Pro­fes­sor Flint is back with a show that will have kids (and adults!) enthralled by the sto­ry of South Australia’s pre­his­toric crea­tures. Set in the only World Her­itage-list­ed site in South Aus­tralia, this inter­ac­tive per­for­mance brings fos­sils to life in a way that’s fun, edu­ca­tion­al, and com­plete­ly immersive.

Step inside his­to­ry at Ade­laide Gaol

Gaol Glit­ter­ball
Ade­laide Gaol
1 March

His­to­ry meets dis­co at Ade­laide Gaol’s Glit­ter­ball, a one-night-only dance par­ty. Set with­in the stone walls of one of South Australia’s most his­toric sites, this event trans­forms the gaol into a daz­zling dance­floor where you can let loose under the stars. It’s part of a grow­ing tra­di­tion of unique, site-spe­cif­ic events at Ade­laide Gaol, prov­ing that even the most unex­pect­ed loca­tions can be a stage for creativity.

Escape Cells at Ade­laide Gaol
Ade­laide Gaol
Var­i­ous dates

Think you’ve got what it takes to break free? Escape Cells is an immer­sive escape room-style expe­ri­ence set inside the orig­i­nal cells of Ade­laide Gaol. Step into the shoes of a pris­on­er as you work against the clock to solve puz­zles, crack codes, and find your way out before time runs out. Whether you’re an escape room pro or a first-timer, this is a thrilling way to expe­ri­ence the his­to­ry of the gaol in an inter­ac­tive, adren­a­line-pump­ing way.

Shake­speare in the gardens

Mac­beth
Ade­laide Botan­ic Gar­den
16 Feb­ru­ary – 16 March

Few set­tings are more fit­ting for Shakespeare’s Mac­beth than the atmos­pher­ic Ade­laide Botan­ic Gar­den. As the sun sets, the garden’s tow­er­ing trees and wind­ing paths cre­ate an eerie back­drop for one of the Bard’s most famous tragedies. This open-air per­for­mance brings togeth­er nature and the­atre, offer­ing an unfor­get­table way to expe­ri­ence the dra­ma, pow­er, and super­nat­ur­al intrigue of Mac­beth.

Make a Fringe adven­ture of it

Each of these per­for­mances offers some­thing spe­cial, whether it’s step­ping back in time at Nara­coorte Caves, danc­ing the night away in a his­toric gaol, test­ing your wits in an escape room, or watch­ing Shake­speare under the stars. So why not turn your show into an adven­ture? Plan a week­end away, explore the sur­round­ing land­scapes, and expe­ri­ence the mag­ic of the Fringe in places you wouldn’t expect.

Tick­ets are avail­able now — don’t miss your chance to expe­ri­ence Ade­laide Fringe like nev­er before!