When multi-award-winning Australian comedian, singer and writer Reuben Kaye learned he would be in charge of pulling together the 2026 Adelaide Cabaret Festival he instinctively reached for his contact book.
Kaye called on old friends and called in old favours, he jumped on planes and searched nightclubs, bars and fringe tents for new talent and established legends and gradually assembled a program that perfectly fits his brief of Delicious Revolution.
"I actually loathe a jigsaw, so I approached this with some trepidation," Kaye laughs.
"I was intimidated by the volume of work, and the power of (previous Artistic Director) Virginia Gay. They are some big shoes to fill!
"But the moment I got into it all that faded away, and suddenly I was like 'this is what I want, this is what I’m passionate about'."
Kaye says that at the end of the day he assembled a festival built on gut instinct.
"And because of that this festival is eclectic," he says.
"It spans genres, it spans nationalities, and I think that makes it even more ‘cabaret'."
Kaye says there was a lot of "opening up my flipbook and saying 'this' and 'this' and 'oh, Adelaide is going to flip when they see this'", but he maintains that nobody made the cut if they didn't somehow embody the theme of Delicious Revolution.
"Anyone who didn’t fit that brief was out," he says.
"But I have loved doing this, it's been so much fun."
Headline acts performing at the Festival Theatre during Cabaret Festival include:
- Australian pop-rock group Lime Cordiale (pictured) will give their ARIA chart-topping tunes a sympho
nic facelift in a special collaboration with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in their Adelaide premiere show. - Experience the talent behind the global phenomenon Jesus Christ Superstar in this exclusive, one‑night‑only event, as Australian stars from the Olivier Award‑winning production perform iconic songs and share behind‑the‑scenes stories in What’s The Buzz. Featuring Reuben Kaye, Mahalia Barnes, John O’Hara, Elliot Baker, Graeme Isaako, Javon King, Peter Murphy and Michael Paynter.
- Adelaide audiences are treated to a one‑night‑only performance from Casey Donovan in This Is Me, as she brings Amy Winehouse’s iconic anthems to life with raw soul and unmistakable power.
- Celebrated opera and Broadway star Alfie Boe makes his Adelaide Cabaret Festival debut alongside soprano Amy Manford, performing greatest hits and songs from Facing Myself. The festival closes with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox – The Future is Vintage, transforming modern hits into a high‑energy, vintage‑style party.
Other Festival highlights include:
- In an Adelaide premiere, Em Rusciano presents Addicted to Love, an unfiltered take on romance, validation and the myths we’re sold.
- Australian TV royalty Jay Laga’aia shares songs and stories in Unscripted, an intimate, nostalgic evening reflecting on his journey from Play School to Water Rats.
- National treasure Vince Jones returns to Adelaide Cabaret Festival with A Maverick’s Tale, celebrating five decades of Australian jazz through a selection of his most beloved classics.
- In a world premiere, Festival favourite Mahalia Barnes performs Bette Midler’s award‑winning The Rose, delivering a raw, late‑’60s tale of fame, addiction and heartbreak, punctuated by hits from women of the era.
- Local legends Libby O’Donovan OAM and Michaela Burger bring Short, a high‑energy celebration of mega hits, tall tales and the power of small packages.
- Adelaide Cabaret Festival Icon Award winner Paul Capsis joins Adam Noviello in HOUSE OF ROT: Grey Gardens, a haunting world‑premiere reimagining of the 1975 documentary exploring legacy, survival and collapse.
- Australian rock icon Sarah McLeod gets up close and personal, sharing songs and wild stories from 30 years on stage.
Adelaide Cabaret Festival Executive Producer Isobel Marmion says this year's program is "a smorgasbord of perfectly balanced chaos and craft".
"We're thrilled to be bringing yet another year of superb performances to Adelaide and look forward to welcoming you all back to Adelaide Cabaret Festival this winter," Isobel says.
Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2026 runs from June 4-21 at Adelaide Festival Centre. Tickets on sale from Wednesday 1 April at www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au (external site) (external site) (external site)
