Illuminate Adelaide has catapulted into the ranks of Australia’s fastest-growing events, with this year’s festival delivering a record economic boost to the state.
The beloved festival, which aims to brighten up the dark nights of winter, has tripled its annual total attendance and more than doubled annual economic activity generated for South Australia since the inaugural event in 2021.
The year’s fifth edition generated $74.7 million in economic activity for the State, with total attendances increasing to 1.5 million, including almost 100,000 interstate and overseas visitors.
Illuminate coincided with the historic British & Irish Lions rugby union match at Adelaide Oval on 12 July, with the two events combining to deliver a new record for Adelaide accommodation.
The Saturday night saw the then highest ever number of hotel rooms filled in greater metropolitan Adelaide, with 10,752 room nights occupied.
The 2025 Illuminate resonated with both new and returning audiences, featuring the talents of 
173 artists across a line-up of 134 free and ticketed events, including 58 new commissions from local and overseas technology and creative industries.
Highlights over the 17-day program included the popular Night Visions in Adelaide Botanic Garden, nightly free City Lights, Universal Kingdom: The Next Era at Adelaide Zoo, an electric performance by Kiasmos, and the debut of mobile music marathon, Supersonic - while restaurants, bars, cafes and pubs brimmed with patrons across the city.
Illuminate Adelaide Quotes Co-founders and Creative Directors Lee Cumberlidge and Rachael Azzopardi said they were thrilled to create an event magical enough to "break winter’s sleepy spell and entice people into town for an after-dark adventure under the stars".
"Alongside the significant economic returns to the state, Illuminate Adelaide’s social impact continues to grow with our culturally and linguistically diverse audience share increasing by 17 per cent since 2021 – reflecting the inclusive and accessible nature of our programming approach," Mr Cumberlidge said.
Ms Azzopardi added: "Data collected at this year’s event has also been incredibly positive."
"Eighty-four per cent of visitors said they’d visit South Australia again because of their Illuminate Adelaide experience and 96 per cent would recommend the festival to their family and friends."
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