Now in its fourth year, the state’s leading winter event has earned a reputation for showcasing the best in contemporary sound.

This July, forward-thinking music and bold beats will resonate throughout the Illuminate Adelaide program, inviting all to listen and dance along.

This year’s theme centres on interdisciplinary collaboration and pushing boundaries. Illuminate Adelaide co-founder and creative director Lee Cumberlidge says the winter event has increased its focus on innovative music, fusing music, art and technology. “The program of artists from across the globe are all pushing genre boundaries and engaging with technology in new ways.”

Illuminate Adelaide will kick off with an exclusive performance by Helen Svoboda at Nexus Arts. The Australian double bassist, vocalist and composer will present vegetable-themed compositions in a unique jazz and art event, promising to wake the city from its winter slumber.

Early in the month, Illuminate Adelaide will make waves at Live @ the Lab. The team at The Lab at ILA, known for pairing artists with audiences eager for trailblazing music, has co-curated a multi-genre, two-weekend event featuring cutting edge acts like Mondo Psycho and Georgia Oatley.

Unsound Adelaide returns for its third year, celebrating progressive musicians and performers from around the globe. This event, originating from Unsound HQ in Poland, promises two massive nights at Dom Polski Centre with radical artists such as Kim Gordon and The Caretaker.

Just when you think the fun’s over, the party continues late into the night at The Lab at ILA with Unsound Club’s energetic beats from four international DJs like the UK’s Lee Gamble and Manuka Honey.

Cumberlidge suggests kickstarting an Illuminate Adelaide weekend with Max Cooper, an Irish geneticist turned music producer and audiovisual artist, who will be joined by special guest Motez, an Australian-Iraqi ARIA-charting musician blending visual arts into his popular and ambitious mixes. This pair promises a sensory performance unlike any other, complete with 3D/AV displays.

Classical music enthusiasts can also indulge in Joep Beving: Hermetism at Her Majesty’s Theatre. The Dutch pianist, who rose to fame via social media, is now renowned alongside greats like Max Richter. Launching his nationwide tour at Illuminate Adelaide, his performance features an evolving artwork by Boris Ackert that will shift relationships with sound and light.

With talent brimming across these unique audiovisual performances, Illuminate Adelaide is set to dive into unexplored musical possibilities. They may come from all corners of the globe but each performer at Illuminate Adelaide brings something in common: a visionary expression of sound not to be missed.

Find more info on the music program and buy tickets here.