Adelaide Guitar Festival to be delivered across 55 regional venues 2022

The 2022 Adelaide Guitar Festival – ‘On the Road’ – will deliver free one-day events and concerts by some of the country’s best musicians across 55 venues in ten South Australian towns (an increase from eight in 2021).

Employing 75 individual artists across 120 paid opportunities, each town will enjoy either an evening community hall concert, or a town-wide “micro festival” throughout the day and evening, whereby the entire township is activated with free-entry, family-friendly live music presented in pubs, bars, cafes, sports clubs and community halls.

Adelaide Guitar Festival Artistic Director (and On the Road artist) Slava Grigoryan notes “In 2021, the overall economic benefit of On the Road to the communities exceeded $1.8 million, and on average, 24% of audiences were visitors to the regions. That shows us how strongly the program was valued everywhere by both locals and tourists, and we’re so glad to get to bring it back and expand it even further in 2022.

“We thank our funding partners who have enabled us to do so and to all of the communities who have welcomed us so enthusiastically. We can’t wait to visit you all in July!”

In 2022, On the Road received seed support from Festivals Australia, Australia Council for the Arts, RISE and the Live Music Events Fund, as well as support from local councils and the Office for Health and Ageing.

SA Minister for Arts, Andrea Michaels notes "The South Australian Government – through the Music Development Office and Events South Australia – is proud to support Adelaide Guitar Festival’s On The Road initiative.

“On The Road also supports and builds capacity in our regional towns: it gives local and visiting artists new audience opportunities and will help develop South Australia’s regional touring circuit, which is integral to the development and employment of our talented live music artists."

The tour begins in the Eyre Peninsula on 8th July in Elliston and Streaky Bay, followed by Tumby Bay (9th July) and Cleve (10th July). Artists will then visit the Mid North (Crystal Brook and Watervale on 15th July), Yorke Peninsula (Edithburgh on 16th July and Wallaroo on 17th July), Kangaroo Island (Eleanor Downs on 17th July) and the Adelaide Hills (Gumeracha on 24th July).

Confirmed artists include three-time ARIA Award winner and festival favourite Jeff Lang, indie folk singer-songwriter Laura Hill, soul/roots/alt-country singer-songwriter Kelly Menhennett, young First Nations storyteller Nathan May, roots and pop poetic performer Lucie Thorne, blues stalwarts Chris Finnen and Cal Williams Jr, energetic tour-de-force blues band Hussy Hicks, and Tibetan lyric musician Tenzin Choegyal. Full musician lineups and individual event details are listed below.

On the Road also includes additional regional town visits via Resonance, where artists entertain residents of 11 individual Helping Hand residential care services in Whyalla, Port Pirie, Jamestown, Clare and Adelaide; Adelaide Festival Centre’s CentrED school visits, bringing musical entertainment and information sessions to over 400 school children in Kadina, Maitland, Tumby Bay and Cleve; and Adelaide Guitar Festival’s Winter School and Orchestra programs.

All On the Road events are free to attend.  

Adelaide Guitar Festival On the Road Program – 2022

Images from top: Runebilly Rattle, Adelaide Guitar Festival On the Road 2021.Credit: Charlotte Nicholson; Kelly Menhennett and Steve Pederson - Tumby Bay - Adelaide Guitar Festival On the Road 2021; Chris Finnen Band - The Joiners Arms Hotel - Hidden Hindmarsh. Credit: Claudio Raschella