Culture

Introduction

Adelaide is a very cultured city - maybe helped by the fact that it was the only state capital settled by English free settlers rather than down-at-heel convicts.

The city's main performing arts hall is the Adelaide Festival Centre, King William Road (tel: (08) 8216 8600; www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au). Here you'll find four auditoriums, the 2,000-seat Festival Theatre (home to the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra), the 620-seat Dunstan Playhouse, and the 350-seat Space Theatre. An outdoor Amphitheatre, used for jazz, rock concerts and country music concerts, seats another 600 people. Also part of the centre is Her Majesty's Theatre, located in the city itself, at 58 Grote Street, opposite the Central Market.

Another respected performing arts venue is The Arts Theatre, at 53 Angas Street (tel: (08) 8221 5644). The Adelaide Repertory Festival (tel: (08) 8212 5777; www.adelaiderep.com) puts on comedy features here, and it's also the home of the Metropolitan Music Theatre Company, which presents two comedy productions annually.

Movie-lovers should head to Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, this complex is located on either side of the road at 250 and 251 Rundle Street (tel: (08) 8232 3434; www.palacenova.com).