Adelaide Festival Centre Lights Up With Sights, Sounds And Tastes As OzAsia Festival Opens For 2023

The Adelaide Festival Centre and riverbank precincts will be lit up with illuminating performances, giant lanterns, delectable food and much more for tonight's official opening of OzAsia Festival 2023.

With more than 190 indoor and outdoor events across 18 days, the 2023 OzAsia Festival program will feature more than 300 national and International Artists from 13 countries showcasing dance, theatre, music, visual arts, comedy, literature and ideas.

The much-loved Moon Lantern Trail returns for 2023, lighting up the riverbank precinct. This year's display will feature two new lanterns from local artists; Jaydenlee Tong and Nicky Tsz Tung Li including Jaydenlee's Kurdany Tangku (Rainbow Serpent) which was specially created to celebrate Adelaide Festival Centre's 50th anniversary. This free, family-friendly four day only event features roving performances, delicious food, workshops and music.

Tonight's ticketed program includes a performance by Bulareyaung Dance Company direct from Taiwan in the Australian premiere of tiaen tiamen Episode 1,which explores the rhythm of the Paiwan (indigenous people of Taiwan) identity with a work humming with youthfulness, radiant colour, beats and energy. 

Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream has its Adelaide premiere from tonight at Space Theatre. Jacob Rajan returns as Kutisar from 2018's The Guru of Chai in a dazzling solo performance which comes to OzAsia Festival after delighting audiences in his powerhouse performance earlier this year at Sydney Festival.

OzAsia Festival, Artistic Director Annette Shun Wah: “I'm so pleased with the strength of the program this year, with some of our region's leading choreographers, composers, writers, musicians and theatre artists joining us to offer rare and thrilling new experiences for OzAsia Festival audiences.

“It will be a wonderful way to connect with the ideas, conversations and exceptional talents that international audiences are excited by right now, and to celebrate the Australian artists who are right up there with them.”

Visual art lovers will love the free exhibitions HOME-LAND from artist Chris Yee, who designed the artwork for this year's OzAsia Festival program and Yellah Fellah which showcases the work of four distinctive contemporary First Nations artists with narratives rooted in their Aboriginal and Chinese heritages. Families can enjoy Have You Eaten? an immersive art exhibition with leading contemporary artist Truc Troung in collaboration with Adelaide school students and in an Australian premiere Punk Protest Propaganda brings the political art of Fahmi Reza (described as the Malaysian Banksy)  to Adelaide in a companion piece to the documentary theatre work A Notional History. Audiences can catch the coolest video art direct from Seoul, via the award-winning Back to Back Theatre's latest version of their short film project THE DEMOCRATIC SET.

OzAsia Festival also includes 1988 which tells the story of Dung Nguyen's emigration to Australia from South Vietnam via an intricate sonic tapestry featuring a unique ensemble of six musicians and the Australian premiere of the incredibly moving I Swallowed a Moon Made of Iron from Canadian performer and composer Njo Kong Kie. Be thrilled by Edinburgh Festival Fringe favourites TS Crew direct from Hong Kong with No Dragon No Lion and spend the evening with acclaimed artist Sunny Kim and an ensemble of musicians for the beautiful MotherTongue, Motherland. Limited tickets available for the hilarious Special Comedy Comedy Special that brings together a stellar bill of Asian Australian comedians next weekend. 

The Honourable Andrea Michaels MP, Minister for Arts: “It's fantastic to have OzAsia Festival back at Adelaide Festival Centre. This extraordinary festival gives South Australians a taste of Asian culture right here at home with many people getting to enjoy Asian cuisine, arts and culture over the next few weeks.

The Malinauskas Government is proud to support this fabulous event and I look forward to seeing lots of people out at the Lucky Dumpling Market, along the beautiful Moon Lantern Trail and enjoying the many and varied performances and talks”.

Those visiting the Lucky Dumpling Market can enjoy foodie treats  from food vendors selling a delicious array of dumplings and other foodie delights from Asia, and while enjoying your bite to eat, listen to  some of the country's hottest acts including Jaguar Jonze, Emily Wurramara, Nathan Hui-Yi, 1300 and Hyoshi in Counterpoint on the outdoor Lucky Beats stage. Check out the full Lucky Beats program at ozasiafestival.com.au and enjoy a selection of incredible Asian/Australian cultural experiences when community groups from across South Australia perform family friendly concerts and workshops during   OzAsia Festival.

Adelaide Festival Centre CEO & Artistic Director, Douglas Gautier AM: “We look forward to welcoming visitors to Adelaide Festival Centre to celebrate another wonderful OzAsia Festival. With an exceptional program created by Artistic Director Annette Shun Wah, everyone is sure to enjoy the very best in contemporary Asian and Asian Australian performance, literature, art and cuisine.”

As the OzAsia Festival continues, audiences can look forward to further ticketed events across  comedy, theatre and dance, including the not to be missed multi-disciplinary live performance The Bridal Lament with the award-winning Rainbow Chan which was commissioned by OzAsia Festival and Performance Space. The writing and ideas program In Other Words returns from November 3 to 5 with over 28 free thought-provoking panels, discussions and conversations and features the one night only Australian premiere of A Night with Poh Ling Yeow and Sarah Tiong In Conversation with Benjamin Law and the beloved Bubble Tea Garden returns to Festival Plaza November 4 to 5.

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