Mourning in the Morning and Women’s T20 cricket
This weekend, head to the beach for Brighton Jetty Sculptures or discover Narungga culture at Gynburra.
Mourning in the Morning
While many Australians consider January 26 a day of celebration, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the day symbolises sadness and loss. This January 26, the First Nations-led Mourning in the Morning smoking ceremony will be held, reflecting the conflicting meanings this day holds. Smoking ceremonies have been used for thousands of years as a way to cleanse areas and people of bad spirits, as well as welcoming visitors to Country. This year’s Mourning in the Morning ceremony will focus on the continent’s more than 250 Indigenous languages, with an emphasis on preserving them. The ceremony takes place at Elder Park/Tarntanya Wama at 7.30am.
Howzat!
Cricket balls will be soaring this weekend as the Australian Women’s cricket team takes on arch-rivals England at the CommBank Women’s T20I v England, part of the Women’s Ashes Series. The match, taking place on Saturday, will see South Australian team members Darcie Brown, Tahlia McGrath and Megan Schutt head to Adelaide Oval for what promised to be an exciting, fast-paced match. There are still general admission tickets available, or catch the game on Foxtel, Channel 7 and Kayo.
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Brighton Jetty Sculptures
The much-loved Brighton Jetty Sculptures returns to Brighton Beach on February 2. Now in its 18th year, Brighton Jetty Sculptures was first held in 2008, when 34 sculptures by 14 artists were displayed. Fast forward to 2025 and the annual tradition is now billed as South Australia’s largest sculpture exhibition, attracting more than 120,000 people to view about 200 sculptures depicting everything from a giant pearl to a solar-powered lamp playing a double bass and a rusty seahorse made from everyday objects. Brighton Jetty Sculptures features along the foreshore and Bindarra Reserve, where sculptures can be purchased at the sales marquee. Brighton Surf Life Saving Club puts on this volunteer-run event to fundraise for new equipment and training programs.
Discover Narungga culture
Long before the arrival of Europeans, the Narungga people of Guuranda (Yorke Peninsula) lived and travelled throughout the Point Pierce area, known in the Narungga language as Bookooyanna. This weekend, the Narungga people invite you to learn about their culture at the free Gynburra event, on January 24 and 25 at the Port Victoria Jetty carpark. The event will kick off with a family fun day, featuring live entertainment, bric-a-brac stalls, sumptuous food, cultural performances and a family movie night. The following day, the Clem Graham Senior Memorial Butterfish Competition will take place, as participants compete to be crowned the “Butterfish King”, with $1000 in prize money awarded for the biggest butterfish. Gynburra will conclude on Saturday night, with a firework display on Spencer Gulf.
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Happy Lunar New Year
Fireworks, lion dances and red lanterns will welcome the Year of the Snake as the Lunar New Year is celebrated this January and February. Head to the Adelaide Arcade on January 29 at 1pm to receive a lucky red envelope, or watch as lion dancers spread good fortune throughout the historic shopping destination. The festivities continue in Rundle Mall on January 31, with hourly performances from 12pm to 5pm. Or why not head to Sky City and watch a free lion dance and take advantage of special Lunar New Year-themed food and beverage options? Then, on February 8, Gouger and Moonta Streets will be transformed with the 2025 Chinatown Adelaide Lunar New Year Street Party, featuring traditional music, lion and dragon dances, and delicious food.
Written in the Stars
European musicians Anna Stegmann and Jorge Jimenez will delight audiences with an exquisite early music performance, Circulos, a musical journey through the Zodiac. Stegman is a virtuosic recorder player and teacher whose repertoire ranges from early to contemporary music, while Jimenez is a renowned violinist, conductor and creator, who will be performing on the medieval vielle and the violin. This performance is hosted by Adelaide Baroque at North Adelaide Baptist Church at 3pm on January 26 and will feature music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Johannes Ciconia, with 20th-century composer Karlheinz Stockhausen’s composition Tierkreis taking a central place.
A bottle of red, a bottle of white
It’s just over one week until Cellar Door Fest brings three days of gourmet fun to the heart of Adelaide. Meet, taste and discover the best of South Australia as more than 100 of the state’s best wineries, distilleries and food producers come together under one roof at Adelaide Convention Centre. Learn about South Australia’s world-class wine scene, with everyone from internationally renowned and boutique brands through to emerging producers. Explore the regions, enjoy complimentary tastings and chat with the makers themselves. Highlights include a series of guided tastings with respected South Australian wine identity Nick Ryan, interactive masterclasses on cheese and wine pairings, blindfolded tastings, Mediterranean-inspired tapas from Sprout and a behind-the-scenes dining experience presented by Africola and Murdoch Hill. Cellar Door Fest takes place from January 31 until February 1, with strictly limited tickets available.
Artists unite at BMGART
Head to the contemporary Australian art gallery BMGART for its latest installation, featuring artwork from Philip Cam, Joanna Poulson, Erin Renfrey and Mia Behrens. Philosopher and author Philip will be showcasing his acrylic on linen works, titled Reflections and Quotations, depicting our everyday world. Meanwhile, visual artist Joanna will display her floral oil paintings in Floral Perspectives: A Five-Year Exploration. Emerging artist Erin’s collection, titled Any Colour You Like, with feature her whimsical creations in watercolour and gouache. Lastly, Mia will present her oil paintings representing “feminine experiences of objectification under the male gaze, and the enforced mentality that our value as women is driven by our bodily usefulness”. This exhibition takes place at BMGART on Halifax Street from January 31 until February 15.
