The program features more than 300 national and international artists from 13 countries, and will include three world, seven Australian and nine Adelaide premiere performances.
On the opening weekend, the much-loved Moon Lantern Trail returns, bringing more than a dozen giant lanterns to light up the riverbank precinct. This year three new lanterns will feature in the free event, popular with families.
Another OzAsia Festival favourite, Lucky Dumpling Market, will once again be held at Elder Park and will serve up a vibrant range of cuisine from local vendors. The outdoor Lucky Beats stage will feature a selection of local, national and international contemporary music acts including Emily Wurramara.
OzAsia Festival Artistic Director Annette Shun Wah said the festival - the nation's leading contemporary arts festival engaging with Asia -would feature “stunning productions”.
“It’s such a joy that for this, my third OzAsia Festival program, I’ve been able to re-connect with artists in our region,” Ms Shun Wah said.
“As a result, we’ve invited some stunning productions that are exciting audiences in Asia, while continuing to support new Asian Australian works and fertile artistic collaborations across Asia and Australia.
“Reflecting the times, the themes of freedom, survival of endangered cultures and resilience are occupying the thoughts of many artists right now, both locally and abroad, providing profound and provocative works for our 2023 program.”
The event’s three-week-long program will include the Australian premiere of tiaen tiamen Episode 1 performed by Bulareyaung Dance Company, an Indigenous performing arts group from Taiwan.
Theatre performances will include the South Australian premiere of New Zealand's Indian Ink Theatre Company's Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream. This powerful play melds a dash of Bollywood disco and playful puppetry with thought-provoking musings on impermanence – of life, love and ice cream.
Music is used to explore the migrant experience in Dung Nguyen and Peter Knight’s 1988, taking the year Dung arrived in Australia as the starting point for an extraordinary musical and visual journey.
Returning for its third year, the hilarious Special Comedy Comedy Special brings together a stellar bill of Asian Australian comedians with live music by local street band Trio Sepia hosted by Sami Shah.
Tickets to all OzAsia Festival events are on sale now. As part of Adelaide Festival Centre’s commitment to Arts for All, tickets to all shows will be available for $25 when purchased between 10am August 17 and 11:59pm August 20.
There’s also plenty of free workshops, masterclasses and talks also on offer throughout the festival.
Get all the details from OzAsia Festival.
