Feature: Ceduna OysterFest
Spring in South Australia is a season of contrasts, roaring engines one weekend, rose gardens the next. Whether you’re chasing adventure, keeping the family entertained, or after something a little more cultured, here are the spring events in South Australia worth pencilling into the diary in 2026.
If you like your spring loud and competitive, South Australia has two major drawcards this year.
The bp Adelaide Grand Final roars into town from 26 to 29 November, Australia’s largest domestic motorsport event and the season finale for the Supercars Championship. Expect driver autograph sessions, exotic vehicle displays and major concerts in the Adelaide Parklands once the chequered flag falls, plus a city parade in the lead-up as the cars make their way through town.
Cricket fans should mark Sunday 15 November in the diary, when Adelaide Oval hosts a Men’s ODI clash between Australia and England. One of the season’s biggest sporting drawcards, and a day/night match to boot.
South Australia’s spring school holidays run from 26 September to 11 October, and there’s plenty on to fill the break.
Oysterfest Ceduna kicks off the SA Labour Day long weekend on 3 and 4 October, a free, family-friendly celebration of the state’s oyster capital with a kids’ zone and carnival rides on the shores of Murat Bay, plus cocktails, live entertainment and Ceduna’s prized Eyre Peninsula oysters served every way imaginable to keep the adults entertained too.
Earlier in the season, the SA Spring Garden Festival runs Saturday 19 September from 8am to 3pm at the Mount Pleasant Showgrounds, alongside the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market. A relaxed day out with live music, garden experts and plenty of stalls to wander through.
And for reliable school holiday entertainment, Cleland Wildlife Park and the South Australian Museum are both worth building a day around. Cleland’s spring self-guided trail, ‘A Place to Roost’, has kids discovering which animals lay what eggs and the surprising places they call home, while the SA Museum is known for interactive discovery centres and hands-on science activities that refresh every school holidays.
For a slower-paced spring, South Australia’s arts and produce scene runs deep this season.
The Adelaide Film Festival takes over screens across the city from 14 to 25 October, showcasing bold Australian and international cinema.
Out in the Riverland, the Riverland Rose and Garden Festival runs 9th to 18th October, ten days of open gardens across Renmark, Waikerie, Loxton, Berri and Barmera, recognised as Australia’s fourth largest garden festival. Plus, you can enjoy festival fairs and markets, tea parties and gardening workshops as well.
And new to the calendar this year, Barossa Sessions turns the region into a two-weekend live music trail centred on Tanunda’s Old Mill Brewery. Acoustic Sessions (25–27 September) keeps things intimate, think sunset sessions, long lunches, and cosy nights. Then the Big Mix (2–5 October) cranks up the long weekend with bigger stages and open-air parties across multiple venues. No single ticket gate, just good music, good wine, food, and an excuse to make a weekend of it.
However you like to spend your time, whether that’s cheering trackside at the Grand Final, wandering a Riverland garden in full bloom, or catching a set at the Old Mill Brewery, spring events in South Australia offer a season’s worth of reasons to get out and explore. Pack the van, pick your pace, and get out there.
For places to stay in SA, check out SA-Parks.
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