The Countdown Is On To The 2017 Adelaide Festival Opening Weekend

The countdown is on to the 2017 Adelaide Festival's opening weekend, with a whole host of events starting tomorrow to ring in the debut festival for Artistic Directors Neil Armfield and Rachel Healy.

Festivities begin tomorrow (Thursday March 2) with the public opening of the Festival's official hub, the floating Riverbank Palais and surrounding Parc Palais on the Adelaide Riverbank, marking the beginning of a program of live concerts, breakfast discussion panels, free forums and theatre that's as dazzling as the venue itself.

The Adelaide Festival main program officially opens on Friday March 3, with the Australian premieres of major works Barrie Kosky's Saul, Schaubühne Theatre's Richard III and dance theatre work Betroffenheit by Canada's Electric Company Theatre, while Sydney Theatre Company and State Theatre Company of SA's The Secret River continues its run at Anstey Hill quarry following the success of its preview performances.

The fifth annual Adelaide Writers' Week kicks off on Saturday March 4 for six days of free talks, panel discussions and book signing sessions with 86 writers from Australia and around the world in the leafy surrounds of the Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden. The ever popular Kids Weekend runs on site both Saturday March 4 and Sunday March 5, with storytelling, arts and crafts and fun for young readers.

And the Festival's opening weekend will wrap up in stunning style on Sunday March 5 with a free twilight concert by music legend Neil Finn, with 15,000 people expected to crowd Parc Palais to hear a 90 minute concert of his Crowded House, Split Enz and solo hits.

ADELAIDE FESTIVAL OPENING WEEKEND MAJOR EVENTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 2
Official public opening of the Riverbank Palais and Parc Palais

The Adelaide Festival's official hub, the two-storey floating Riverbank Palais on the River Torrens, will commemorate its first night by harking back to the historic Adelaide venue that inspired it - the legendary Floating Palais de Danse of the 1920s - with a swinging concert of 1920s music by Andrew Nolte and his Orchestra followed by a late night DJ set by Nickodemus.

The festivities will spread onto the Adelaide Riverbank in Parc Palais, with free live music in the rotunda by DJ Stereotone, Atlantic Street Band and Despair, delicious food by Brad Sappenbergh of Comida in the Adelaide Central Market, and the must-try giant mirror-maze House of Mirrors.

As a special opening night offer, members of the public are invited on board the Riverbank Palais for free from 5.30pm to 7.15pm. Please note capacity is limited.

RIVERBANK PALAIS OPENING NIGHT - KEY POINTS:

• The Riverbank Palais and Parc Palais open to the public at 5.30pm.

• Entry to Parc Palais is free, access via the main gates on King William Road

• Entry on board the Riverbank Palais is free between 5.30pm and 7.15pm on this night only. Capacity is limited.

• Andrew Nolte and His Orchestra concert on board the Riverbank Palais at 8pm, tickets $39 + transaction fee.

• Nickodemus concert on board the Riverbank Palais late night, tickets $10 at the door.

• The House of Mirrors operates from 5.30pm to 11pm, tickets $10 at the door.

The Riverbank Palais program runs March 2 to 19, and features more than 60 free and ticketed events involving more than 130 artists and special guests across 18 days and nights from breakfast until late night.

Highlights include concerts by US godfather of chillwave Toro Y Moi (Friday March 3), multi-instrumentalist producer and DJ Lord Echo Sound System (Saturday March 4), Aussie music legends Dave Graney 'n' the Coral Snakes (Thursday March 9) and The Bamboos (Sunday March 12), US indie rocker Kurt Vile (March 14 and 15) and New Orleans jazz stompers Hot 8 Brass Band (Thursday March 16), as well as The F Word featuring Annabel Crabb, a series of early evening conversations with prominent women from across the Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Writers' Week including Kate Grenville (Monday March 6), Lindy West (Tuesday March 7), Lynette Wallworth and Margaret Wertheim (Thursday March 9) and Christine Manfield (Friday March 10).

Free events on board the Riverbank Palais include Breakfast with Papers (7am to 9.30am daily excluding March 2, 5 and 6), where you can enjoy quality coffee and light breakfast from CIBO Espresso and copies of The Advertiser, along with lively discussions on current affairs and Festival news chaired by popular Sydney Writers' Festival events host Tom Wright. Guests include Gardens Speak artist Tania El Khoury (Friday March 3), journalist and author Patrick Cockburn (Tuesday March 7), author Decca Aitkenhead (Friday March 10), The Encounter performer Richard Katz (Saturday March 11) and many more, alongside some of Adelaide's top journalists.

Weekday lunchtimes (12.30pm to 1.30pm) will see a series of free Festival Forums, hosted by one of Australia's most influential commentators, David Marr. The celebrated author and journalist will chat with a range of Festival artists, performers, directors and influencers for an unprecedented peek behind the curtain of the 2017 Adelaide Festival line-up. Guests include Barrie Kosky (Friday March 3), Neil Armfield, Kate Grenville and Andrew Bovell (Tuesday March 7), Richard III star Lars Eidinger (Wednesday, March 8), Miriam Margolyes (Thursday, March 9), and Rufus Wainwright (Thursday, March 16), and many more.

And on the weekends, the Riverbank Palais will be transformed into a floating restaurant with the Long Lunches series, each curated by iconic Australian chefs Cheong Liew (Neddy's, The Grange) and Christine Manfield (Paramount, East@West, Universal), Cath Kerry (Petaluma, Art Gallery Restaurant at the Art Gallery of SA), Mark Best (Marque, Pei Modern), Michael Ryan (Range, Provenance) and Karl Firla (est. Restaurant, Oscillate Wildly).

The full Riverbank Palais program can be viewed and downloaded from adelaidefestival.com.au

FRIDAY, MARCH 3
Official opening night of the 2017 Adelaide Festival

The debut Adelaide Festival program of 31 theatre, music, opera, dance, film and visual arts events from Joint Artistic Directors Neil Armfield and Rachel Healy officially opens with a range of major premieres across Adelaide.

• Barrie Kosky's sold out masterpiece Glyndebourne Opera Festival production Saul opens at the Festival Theatre, 7.30pm

• Schaubühne Theatre's rock and roll reimagining of Richard III opens at Her Majesty's Theatre, 8.00pm

• Sold out dance theatre work Betroffenheit by Canada's Electric Company Theatre opens at The Playhouse, 8.00pm

• Theatre work Wot? No Fish! Opens at AC Arts Main Theatre, 6.00pm

• Interactive dance work Intimate Space by Adelaide company Restless Dance Theatre opens at the Hilton Adelaide Hotel from 2.00pm

• Visual arts exhibitions Yidaki: Didjeridu and the Sound of Australia opens at the SA Museum, and The Ocean After Nature / Countercurrents opens at the Samstag Museum

SATURDAY, MARCH 4
Opening of 2017 Adelaide Writers' Week

The 32nd and fifth annual Adelaide Writers' Week, directed by Laura Kroetsch, opens for six days of free talks, panel discussions and book signing sessions with 86 writers from Australia and around the world in the leafy surrounds of the Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden.

Sessions start at 9.30am and run through to 6.00pm daily, until Thursday March 9. Opening weekend guest authors include Kate Grenville (AUS), Nathan Hill (US), Graeme Macrae Burnet (UK), Hannah Kent (AUS), Kate Summerscale (UK), Patrick Cockburn (UK) and more.

Also featured on opening weekend is the Kids' Weekend, with storytelling sessions, art and craft and fun for young readers involving guest authors Nick Earls, David Hunt, Andrew Joyner and more.

Check adelaidefestival.com.au for full session times and details.

SUNDAY, MARCH 5
Free opening weekend concert with Neil Finn in Parc Palais

One of the world's greatest living singer-songwriters and front man of legendary bands Crowded House and Split Enz Neil Finn will round out the Festival's opening weekend with a free twilight concert in Parc Palais.

The first concert of Finn's recently announced national tour, this will be the only chance for Adelaide audiences to see him on home soil, and for free. Around 15,000 people are expected to attend the concert, which will see Finn play a stunning set of his Crowded House, Split Enz and solo hits.

NEIL FINN OPENING WEEKEND CONCERT - KEY POINTS:

• Gates to Parc Palais open at 1.00pm.

• Concert starts 6.00pm and runs to 7.30pm.

• Capacity in Parc Palais will be limited to 15,000, so concert-goers are encouraged to arrive early to get a good spot and enjoy a taste of what the precinct will offer for the duration of the Festival.

• Free admission. Low chairs permitted.

• This is an outdoor event that will play rain or shine, but in case of severe weather please refer to the Adelaide Festival website adelaidefestival.com.au and official social media channels for updates on the day.

• Road closure information: From 6.00am on Sunday March 5 to 4.00am on Monday March 6, King William Street will be closed between Currie Street and War Memorial Drive, and Victoria Drive will be closed between King William Road and Kintore Avenue. Metro ticket buses will be exempted on the eastern side of King William St/Rd.

Tickets to all Adelaide Festival shows, including the Riverbank Palais program, are on sale now through BASS on 131 246 or via http://www.adelaidefestival.com.au.

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