Music of Adelaide includes music relating to the city of

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

. It includes all genres of both live and recorded music by artists born or living in the city, live music events happening in the city, and other aspects of the music industry relating to Adelaide. Adelaide is a UNESCO City of Music. It enjoys several annual music festivals and awards, and possibly has more live music venues per capita than any other capital city in the southern hemisphere. Organisations such as Music SA and the Music Development Office (MDO), backed by the

state government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonom ...

, help to nurture the live music industry and the careers of emerging artists. Artists of some renown such as Sia, Paul Kelly, Redgum,

Cold Chisel Cold Chisel are an Australian Pub rock (Australia), pub rock band, which formed in Adelaide in 1973 by mainstay members Ian Moss on guitar and vocals, Steve Prestwich on drums, Les Kaczmarek on bass and Don Walker (musician), Don Walker on pia ...

, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra,

Hilltop Hoods Hilltop Hoods are an Australian hip hop group that formed in 1994 in Blackwood, Adelaide, South Australia. They are regarded as pioneers of the " larrikin-like" style of Australian hip hop. The group was founded by Suffa (Matthew David Lambert) ...

, No Fixed Address and

Guy Sebastian Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer who rose to fame after winning the Australian Idol (season 1), first season of ''Australian Idol'', in 2003. Born in Malaysia and raised in Adelaide, Australia, Sebastian h ...

originate from the city.

Live music

2013: ''Reverb'' report leads to new support

In 2012, the Don Dunstan Foundation, in partnership with Adelaide City Council, the

Australia Council Creative Australia, formerly known as the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announ ...

, Arts SA,

Adelaide Fringe Adelaide Fringe, formerly Adelaide Fringe Festival, is Australia’s biggest arts festival and is the world's second-largest annual arts festival (after the Edinburgh Festival Fringe), held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Between ...

, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and Regional Development Australia Barossa, hired British music promoter Martin Elbourne as Thinker in Residence on a project named "Reverb". The project aimed "to create collaboration and unified action for a healthy, more sustainable music scene" in

. A report based on his recommendations was produced in 2013, entitled ''The future of live music in South Australia''. As a result of Elbourne's report, the Music Development Office (MDO) and adjunct St Paul's Creative Centre was created by the state government (then under Arts SA, now Dept of Innovation & Skills) in 2014, with the goal of "build ngpathways into creative and industry development, with city vibrancy and economic benefit being the ultimate outcomes", which it does by facilitating grants, fellowships and other means of developing the careers of contemporary musicians. A new independent body called Musitec and an advisory body known as the Music Industry Council were also established.

City of Music

Adelaide was awarded a UNESCO City of Music title from the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

in late 2015, after an application driven by the Festival Centre, the Music Development Office and Adelaide City Council. It was the 19th city to gain the status. In 2015, it was said that there were more live music venues per capita in Adelaide than any other capital city in the southern hemisphere, and ''

Lonely Planet Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books. History 20th century Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen Wheeler, Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 19 ...

'' labelled Adelaide “Australia’s live music city”.

2017–2020: Live Music Action Plan

In 2017 the

City of Adelaide The City of Adelaide, also known as the Corporation of the City of Adelaide and Adelaide City Council, is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the metropolitan area of greater Adelaide, South Australia. It is legally defi ...

produced a report entitled ''Adelaide: City of Music: Live Music Action Plan 2017−2020'', after holding its first Live Music Summit to coincide with a visit by other global UNESCO Cities of Music on 8 March 2017. The report outlined the council's strategic plan and role in sustaining live music in the city.

Live music events

The city and surrounding area showcases many different genres of music with international and local artists in events such as the

Adelaide Festival of Arts The Adelaide Festival of Arts, also known as the Adelaide Festival, an arts festival, takes place in the South Australian capital of Adelaide in March each year. Started in 1960, it is a major celebration of the arts and a significant cultural ...

, Barossa Music Festival,

, the

world music "World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...

festival

WOMADelaide WOMADelaide is an annual four-day festival of music, arts and dance in Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia. One of many WOMAD festivals held around the world, it is an event that presents a diverse selection of music from artists around th ...

(held annually in Botanic Park), the Adelaide Guitar Festival and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Music SA is a

not-for-profit A not-for-profit or non-for-profit organization (NFPO) is a Legal Entity, legal entity that does not distribute surplus funds to its members and is formed to fulfill specific objectives. While not-for-profit organizations and Nonprofit organ ...

organisation founded in 1997 to promote, support and develop contemporary music in South Australia, which it does by providing training at many levels, professional development advice and live performance opportunities. Among its other activities, it has run the annual Umbrella: Winter City Sounds event since 2016, growing each year. Described as "a grass roots organic creation that is made up of local venues and mainly local performers", it offered over 350 live events in 2018. In association with the biennial Adelaide Guitar Festival, it presents "Guitars in Bars" each year, as part of Umbrella. The touring music festival, St Jerome's Laneway Festival, visits Adelaide each February with a range of contemporary artists, since 2014 at Hart's Mill in

Port Adelaide Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide city centre, Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is t ...

. The first Adelaide Jazz Festival was held in 2023.

Classical music

The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1937, with William Cade as conductor. The ASO often plays for the State Opera of South Australia, the Adelaide Youth Orchestra and Adelaide Chamber Singers.

Music education

Music education starts in primary and secondary public and private schools across the state. A number of public schools (19 have been designated "music focus schools" by an Education Department program called Instrumental Music (IM). Some of these are the APY Lands schools, Marryatville High School, Open Access College and Whyalla High School. The primary tertiary academy of music is the Elder Conservatorium at the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...

. In the south-east of the state at

Mount Gambier Mount Gambier is the second most populated city in South Australia, with a population of 25,591 as of the 2021 census. The city is located on the slopes of Mount Gambier (volcano), Mount Gambier, a volcano in the south east of the state, about ...

, James Morrison opened the James Morrison Academy of Music – a tertiary level, dedicated jazz school offering a degree in jazz performance.

Music organisations

As well as those mentioned above (Music SA, Music Development Office, etc.) there are other organisations based in Adelaide which focus on various aspects of the music industry. SCALA (Songwriters, Composers, and Lyricists Association) is a non-profit, incorporated association, founded in November 1987 in Adelaide. Its goal is to support and encourage

songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

s, and

lyricist A lyricist is a writer who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's income derives ...

s in any style and genre, regardless of their level of skill and experience. It runs a venue for original music, workshops, the annual FOOM (Festival of Original Music) Song Competition, and regularly releases albums of original music (the 23rd such CD being released in 2015). SCALA also hosts special events, often at the Wheatsheaf Hotel in the inner western suburb of Thebarton, such as "Showcasing Aboriginal Artists" in June 2019.

Awards and events

From 2017 to 2020, the

South Australian Government The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government or the SA Government, is the executive branch of the state of South Australia. It is modelled on the Westminster system, meaning that the highest ranking mem ...

’s newly established Live Music Events Fund promised funding to the AIR (Australian Independent Record Labels Association) Awards and concurrent music conference, to take place at the Queen's Theatre in Adelaide. The events take place in July, along with Music SA's '' Umbrella: Winter City Sounds'', a program of live music across Adelaide, and a couple of food and wine festivals in the city. Music SA presents the annual

South Australian Music Awards The South Australian Music Awards, also known as SA Music Awards, commonly SAM Awards, formerly Fowler's Live Music Awards (FLMA), are annual awards that exist to recognise, promote and celebrate excellence in the South Australian contemporary m ...

(SAM Awards), which replaced the Fowler's Live Awards from 2015, with support from the MDO, APRA AMCOS, and other sponsors. The 2019 Awards are to be held at the Bonython Hall in November. SCALA presents the annual FOOM (Festival of Original Music) Song Competition, with the finals awards event held in September at the Wheatsheaf Hotel. The Robert Stigwood Fellowship Program was established by the MDO in 2014, named in honour of South Australian expat music entrepreneur

Robert Stigwood Robert Colin Stigwood (16 April 1934 – 4 January 2016) was an Australian-born British-resident music entrepreneur, film producer, and impresario, best known for managing musicians such as Cream, Andy Gibb, and the Bee Gees; theatrical produc ...

. Fellowships are offered annually, providing mentorship and professional development to local musicians and entrepreneurs by Stu MacQueen and Dan Crannitch of Wonderlick Entertainment. Past winners have included Teenage Joans, East Av3, George Alice, West Thebarton,

Tkay Maidza Takudzwa Victoria Rosa "Tkay" Maidza ( ; (born 17 December 1995) is a Zimbabwean-born Australian singer-songwriter and hip hop artist from Adelaide, South Australia. She has been nominated for and won many awards, and released two albums: '' Tk ...

, Electric Fields, and Bad Dreems. In 2024, Dem Mob, Nathan May, and Coldwave were among the artists granted the fellowships. In September 2023, the MDO provided funding for the formation of the Independent Live Venues Alliance (ILVA), comprising seven independent music venues in South Australia: the Grace Emily Hotel, Jive, and the Broadcast Bar in the city centre; inner-metro venues The Governor Hindmarsh and Wheatsheaf Hotel; along with the Semaphore Workers Club in

Semaphore Semaphore (; ) is the use of an apparatus to create a visual signal transmitted over distance. A semaphore can be performed with devices including: fire, lights, flags, sunlight, and moving arms. Semaphores can be used for telegraphy when arra ...

and the Murray Delta Juke Joint on the

Fleurieu Peninsula The Fleurieu Peninsula ( ; locally mainly ) is a peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia located south of the state capital of Adelaide city centre, Adelaide. History Before British colonisation of South Australia, the western s ...

. The group's first event was the four-day "Everyday Event", with 14 gigs hosted across the venues between 19 and October 2023.

Local radio

Local community radio stations Fresh 92.7 and

Radio Adelaide Radio Adelaide (call sign: 5UV) is Australia's first community radio station. The signal reaches across the Adelaide metropolitan area to the Mid North, the Yorke Peninsula and Fleurieu Peninsula, the southern Barossa Valley, Barossa, Kangaroo ...

play and promote local music.

Venues

Music venues for live music of all types and for musicians at all levels of experience include the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, Elder Hall, Adelaide Town Hall, Nexus Multicultural Arts Centre,

Lion Arts Factory The Lion Arts Centre, also known as Fowler's Lion Factory and Fowlers Building, with the main music venue within known as the Lion Arts Factory (formerly Fowler's Live), is a multi-purpose arts centre, including studios, galleries, music and pe ...

, The Gov, and a host of smaller pubs, theatres and halls.

List

* Adelaide Entertainment Centre * Adelaide Festival Centre * Adelaide UniBar * Crown & Anchor (The Cranker) * Exeter Hotel * Governor Hindmarsh Hotel (The Gov) * Grace Emily Hotel *

* The Jade, formerly Jade Monkey * Jive * The Highway Hotel, Plympton (occasional) * Rhino Room * Rocket Bar & Rooftop * Thebarton Theatre (Thebby) * The Hotel Metropolitan (The Metro) *The Wheatsheaf Hotel (Wheaty)

Musicians of note

Adelaide has produced a number of popular bands and musicians, including

Australian hip-hop Australian hip-hop traces its origins to the early 1980s and was initially largely inspired by hip-hop and other urban musical genres from the United States. As the form matured, Australian hip hop has become a commercially viable style of musi ...

crew Hilltop Hoods, pub-rock act Cold Chisel (and soloist Jimmy Barnes), and ''

Australian Idol ''Australian Idol'' is an Australian singing competition, which began its first season in July 2003 and ended its initial run in November 2009. As part of the ''Idol'' franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program '' Pop Id ...

'' winner Guy Sebastian. Other popular bands include

Atlas Genius Atlas Genius is an Australian alternative rock band formed in Adelaide, Australia in November 2009. The band's mainstay members are the Jeffery brothers, Keith on lead vocals and lead guitar; Michael on drums; and Darren Sell on keyboard. Their ...

, Testeagles,

Eric Bogle Eric Bogle (born 23 September 1944) is an Australian folk music, folk singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Scotland, he emigrated to Australia at the age of 25 to settle near Adelaide, South Australia. Bogle's songs have covered a variety of to ...

, The Mark of Cain and the Superjesus. American Ben Folds has also lived in the city, inspiring his song titled "Adelaide" from the album '' Super D''. Electric Fields, winners of the 2016 Emily Burrows Award and Best New Talent in the 2017 National Indigenous Music Awards as well as being a contestant for representing Australia at the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

, hail from Adelaide.

List

The following is a list of some artists, past and present, originating in Adelaide and/or based in Adelaide. * Adelaide Symphony Orchestra * Adelaide Youth Orchestra * Amber Calling *

* Australian Pink Floyd Show * Bad//Dreems * Bit by Bats *

Chalice A chalice (from Latin 'cup', taken from the Ancient Greek () 'cup') is a drinking cup raised on a stem with a foot or base. Although it is a technical archaeological term, in modern parlance the word is now used almost exclusively for the ...

* City Riots * Clowns of Decadence * Coerce *

Double Dragon is a beat 'em up video game series originally developed and published by Technōs Japan. It began with the release of the arcade game '' Double Dragon'' in 1987. The series features twin martial artists, Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they fight again ...

* Electric Fields * Embodiment 12:14 * Exploding White Mice * Fear and Loathing * Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! *

Fraternity A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...

* Funkoars * Fury *

Headband A headband or hairband is a clothing accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes. Headbands generally consist of a loop of elastic material or a horseshoe-shaped piece of flexible plast ...

* Hindley Street Country Club * I Killed the Prom Queen * In Fiction * Iwantja (band) * JAB * James Taylor Move *

Jimmy Barnes James Dixon Barnes ( Swan; born 28 April 1956) is an Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best-selling Australian music a ...

King Snake Roost King Snake Roost (also known as KSR) were an Australian noise rock band. King Snake Roost formed in 1985 in Adelaide and in 1987 the band moved to Sydney. The band broke up in 1990 after a two-month tour of the US. In Australia and the USA the ...

* Leader Cheetah * Lowrider * Mere Theory * No Fixed Address *

Orianthi Orianthi Penny Panagaris (born 22 January 1985), known mononymously as Orianthi, is an Australian guitarist, singer and songwriter. Her 2009 debut single " According to You" peaked at No. 3 in Japan, No. 8 in Australia and No. 17 in the US; her ...

* Paul Kelly * Redgum * Reece Mastin * Sia * Screaming Believers * Testeagles * The Angels * The Audreys * The Dairy Brothers * The Hot Lies * The Mad Turks from Istanbul * The Mark of Cain * The Masters Apprentices * The Open Season * The Shaolin Afronauts * The Sundance Kids * The Superjesus * The Sweets of Sin * The Transatlantics * The Vibrants * Unitopia * Universum (band) * The Urban Guerillas * Virgin Black * Wes Carr * Where's the Pope? * Wolf & Cub * Wrench * Young Adelaide Voices * Zephyr Quartet * Zoot (band)

References

{{Music of Australia

Live music

2013: ''Reverb'' report leads to new support

City of Music

2017–2020: Live Music Action Plan

Live music events

Classical music

Music education

Music organisations

Awards and events

Local radio

Venues

List

Musicians of note

List

See also

References