2026 SALA Festival Program Revealed Lead Image: Artist Jack Fran Painting oudoors at night, SALA 2024 Pt Adl, photo by Sam Roberts – Courtesy SALA Festival South Australia will once again become Australia’s largest open gallery this August as the 29th South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Festival showcases thousands of artists and exhibitions across the […]

**2026 SALA Festival Program Revealed**

*Lead Image: Artist Jack Fran Painting oudoors at night, SALA 2024 Pt Adl, photo by Sam Roberts – Courtesy SALA Festival*

South Australia will once again become Australia’s largest open gallery this August as the 29th South Australian Living Artists (**SALA**) Festival showcases thousands of artists and exhibitions across the state. From the heart of the city to the states most remote communities, artists will display their work in hundreds of venues turning everyday spaces into places of inspiration, conversation and discovery.

The 2026 program is now available online at [salafestival.com](https://www.salafestival.com/), with printed copies available from 18 July at Foodland supermarkets, **SALA** venues, civic centres, and visitor information centres across the state. Running from 1–31 August, the festival invites audiences to discover art further afield, or right on their doorstep, with more than 11,000 artists presenting over 700 exhibitions and events across South Australia.

![](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/originals/adhoc/c6c3cca6/6MFYUrgA.jpg)

*Carly Tarkari Dodd at Central Studios, 2020, photo Sam Roberts*

As Australia’s largest open-access visual arts festival, **SALA** celebrates creativity in all its forms, welcoming artists of every age, background and stage of their creative journey. This year’s program showcases the stories, perspectives and character of South Australia’s communities, with exhibitions appearing in galleries, cafés, wineries, libraries, schools, community halls, public spaces and unexpected places. Whether discovering an emerging artist or reconnecting with a favourite, **SALA** invites everyone to explore, connect and experience the remarkable breadth of artistic talent across the state.

**Deputy Premier and Minister for Arts Kyam Maher** said “**SALA** is a real highlight on the South Australian calendar. Each year cafes, workplaces and streets across the state come alive for **SALA**, to celebrate local arts and artists. With such a big program this year there’s never been a better chance to get involved.”

**SALA CEO Bridget Alfred** said “This year’s Festival is a celebration of creativity, community and connection with exceptional South Australian artists at its heart. Work will be showcased that will inspire, delight and challenge and will be found in unexpected corners right across the state, with over 700 events and just over 11,000 artists of all ages and stages. Use the **SALA **program and app to explore the state through art in August and jump onto our tours and events for guided navigation!”

![](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/originals/adhoc/e461b91e/sE3A322Q.jpg)

*Central Studios, 2020, photo Sam Roberts*

Immersive Light and Art (ILA) will host a fantastic line-up of **SALA** events during the festival including: –

- Matthew Quick’s bold new exhibition *‘Deaf in One Eye’*, with new paintings alongside an immersive animation inviting you to step inside his earlier painting series.  Presented by Hill Smith Art Advisory, in association with Immersive Light and Art and Monkeystack. 6 -29 August
- ***SALA**** Date Night* invites partners, friends and siblings to team up for an evening of playful creativity. Designed for duos, the event combines light-hearted challenges, collaborative artmaking and plenty of laughs. 14 August

Other events include:

- ***SALA ****Slide Night*, discover what’s on the minds of our South Australian contemporary artists when they’re given the microphone to share what’s on their mind about their art, interests, or something else entirely. This event is a fast-paced snapshot into what South Australian contemporary artists are thinking about. Hosted by Sam Faehrmann and featuring artists Robin Eley, Meg Riley, Charlotte Treloar, Cheryl Bridgart, Shirley Wu, Damien Warman, Niki Sperou, Jake Yang, Orlando Mee, and Juanella Donovan. 20 August at Nexus Arts.

- *Artists & Galleries networking event*, where artist and gallery representatives can connect in a relaxed setting. This is a chance for artists to hear about opportunities, callouts, programs, workshops, studio spaces, swap business cards or just to put a face to a name. Think speed dating for the arts scene! 18 August at Keith Murdoch House.

- ***SALA’s**** Guided Walking Tours* take you through a selection of exhibitions in the heart of Adelaide led by our expert artist tour guides:

- *Street Art Walking Tour* – Lucinda Penn will lead the Street Art Walking Tour in the CBD giving insights on mural painting techniques and what might influence an artist’s subject matter, design and colour palettes. 22 August
- *Wander & Wonder Walking Tour* – Filipina Australian visual artist Alyssa Powell-Ascura leads this guided walking tour. Inspired by the Filipino concept of ‘gala’, which means to ‘roam’ or ‘wander’, you’ll discover artwork by culturally diverse artists who are taking part in this year’s **SALA** Festival. 8 August
- *Artist-Run Initiative’ Walking Tour* – Luna Chen is a local artist and long-term member of FELTspace and will be your guide to explore Adelaide’s artist-run initiatives. Discover contemporary, experimental and emerging works, enjoy a fun day out and connect with artists behind the exhibitions. 15 August
- *Fire Talks* – Dominic Guerrera will host Fire Talks, a dynamic critical response yarning circle that uses a simple yet powerful format to spark audience reflection, meaningful conversation and deeper connections to art. 8 August at Milpinti Indigenous Art Gallery and 29 August at APY Gallery. The CBD tours are supported by the Adelaide Econo