Adelaide’s winter arts festival Illuminate has added a bold new chapter to its music programming with the launch of Supersonic, a one-night-only sonic takeover of the city’s West End happening Saturday, July 19th.
The event will see 17 artists spread across seven venues for a genre-hopping marathon of live music, DJ sets, audiovisual performances and film screenings, running from 6pm through to the early hours.
From the thundering bass of club hero Motez to the genre-bending beats of dameeeela, the program offers a choose-your-own-adventure vibe that invites punters to navigate the night their own way—whether they’re chasing dancefloor euphoria, experimental art, or deeply resonant storytelling.
Venue highlights include:
Ancient World going full throttle until 5am with a stacked DJ lineup including Emelyne, MBODJ, NELYA and the ever-iconic dameeeela.
Lion Arts Factory, curated by Motez, delivering a peak-hour rave featuring Memphis LK, FUKHED and Housing Boom Soundsystem.
Jive hosting surrealist electronic act Plastiq and immersive post-rock from Kuiper.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.
Nexus Arts, where audiences can catch celebrated First Nations songwriter Frank Yamma alongside Japanese-Australian collaboration Yasha.
ILA’s The Lab becomes a living, breathing performance space with Tiny Hole Inside Me, a three-hour multimedia piece by Marcus Whale and Andrea Illés, which blends sound, dance and live-feed video with interactive elements.
ACE Gallery showcasing Input/Output, a hybrid installation blending sculpture, sound and performance with free sessions every 30 minutes from 6pm.
Mercury Cinema, open late for The Sound of Revolution, a free, curated program of documentaries spotlighting the powerful intersection of music and social change—from Gurrumul to Prison Songs to I’m Wanita.
Running until 2am across some of Adelaide’s most beloved independent venues, Supersonic blends underground grit with festival polish, offering something for both the curious wanderer and the dancefloor loyalist.
Individual tickets range from $20 to $59, with a multi-pass option available for $89. Full program and passes are available now via illuminateadelaide.com.
