Adelaide stands out for many reasons, but none more so than its creative culture. Being the capital of South Australia and 5th largest city of the country with 1.3 million inhabitants, music is at its core and an essential component of its cultural policies. Creativity and the role of live music is highlighted as a driver for a more vibrant and sustainable city, and as a lever to economic development.

 

Throughout the year, Adelaide holds many arts and music festivals with the ten most popular events bringing in more than 62.5 million Australian dollars to the region’s economy per year. In 2014, total employment from the live music sector in South Australia was estimated at 4,100 job opportunities, representing 6.3% of the national figure. Adelaide’s main music festivals focus on fostering cooperation and exchange at both national and international levels. Every year, WOMADelaide – member of the WOMAD Festivals Network – gathers over 86,000 people with 45% of the audience coming from outside the region. Adelaide Festival Centre (AFC) holds many international development programmes and festivals, such as OzAsia Festival, and undertakes several partnerships and music initiatives across Asia, as well as cutting-edge collaborations with cities from Japan, India, China and Indonesia.

 

Adelaide’s leadership holds creativity at the heart of its cultural policy. In 2014, a pioneering Music Development Office was established, envisioning a music ecology for the city and placing music at the core of the city’s identity and development. The Adelaide City Council has implemented a comprehensive Live Music Action Plan identifying creative culture as a strategic priority for the city.