Arts on Tour is excited to announce a brand new offering. With over 35 years' experience touring live performance to audiences, we’re launching ARTS ON TOUR TRAVEL: small group immersive tours that offer audiences a new kind of travel experience.

What if going to a festival could be more than great tickets? What if you could discover what’s behind a performance, meet the artists, and wander into conversations you wouldn’t otherwise have? That’s the idea behind Arts on Tour Travel.

Inside Adelaide Festival: 1-6 March 2027

For travellers who want more than great seats.

For our first adventure, we’re heading to Adelaide, a city that comes alive every Autumn.  Writers, musicians, artists and audiences gather in cafés, galleries and laneways. World premieres sit alongside fearless independent work, and every conversation seems to lead to another discovery.

Hosted by theatre and opera director and playwright Kate Gaul, this intimate small-group experience invites guests to immerse themselves in the rhythm of festival life. Alongside a carefully curated selection of Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Fringe performances, there is time to explore Writers' Week, wander galleries, discover independent venues and simply enjoy being in Adelaide when the whole city is buzzing with art. The pace is relaxed and conversational. By the end of the trip, you won't simply remember what you saw: you'll have a deeper sense of the artists, ideas and conversations that made the festival come alive.

This isn't about rushing from venue to venue.

It's about slowing down.

Looking deeper.

Asking questions.

Making new friends.

Discovering the stories behind the performances.

YOUR HOST - KATE GAUL
Kate Gaul is an acclaimed theatre and opera director, creative producer and playwright. She has spent more than thirty years directing, producing and developing new Australian work in a career that spans major festivals, independent companies and international touring. Kate is a natural host for Arts on Tour Travel. She is passionate about sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge of performing arts and has a warm, inclusive style that makes for a lively, stimulating and rewarding experience for guests.

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THE PROGRAM

The exact program will be released once the Festival Program has launched.

Rather than filling every hour, the itinerary has been designed to balance exceptional performances and group experiences with time for personal discovery. With a limited number of guests, the pace is relaxed and conversational, allowing time for discussion, discovery and those unexpected moments that often become the highlights of festival travel. Walking is moderate and generally within Adelaide's compact city centre.

A typical day might begin with coffee before wandering Writers' Week. Spend the afternoon exploring Adelaide's galleries, a matinee or following your own recommendations before gathering for a major Festival production. Afterwards, those who wish can join Kate for a relaxed drink and conversation unpacking the evening's performance.

Expect a week that includes:

• Premium Performances - Reserved premium seats at a carefully curated selection of Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Fringe productions.
• Curtain Raiser - pre-show talks providing artistic context before major performances.
• Thirty minutes before the performance Kate introduces the artists, creative process and ideas behind the work - not to tell you what to think, but to give you another way in.
• Festival Freedom – Some of the richest festival experiences happen when curiosity takes over.
• Return to Writers' Week for another session.  Follow a recommendation to an unexpected Fringe show. Spend an afternoon in the Art Gallery of South Australia. Browse Imprints Books. Sit in a café watching festival life unfold or simply follow your curiosity. Every guest experience Adelaide differently and that's exactly the point.
• After the Applause - Sometimes the most interesting part of theatre begins after the curtain call. Over an optional drink, continue the conversation with fellow travellers. Compare reactions, ask questions and discover just how many ways a single performance can be experienced.
• The Long Table (Optional) Inspired by the idea that some of the best conversations happen around a shared meal. Whenever possible, artists, curators, producers or writers will join the table. Hosted at carefully selected Adelaide restaurants, designed for conversation and exceptional food.

Discuss with kate. I think there needs to be some non-performance group activities – Welcome meal on the first night and say 2 other dinners/lunches; a gallery visit and a writers festival visit. Non-ticketed events can be optional, but this gives more structure to those who want to be more looked after (given they have opted for an organised guided trip)

Also list of recommendations of additional shows from Kate if people want to see more shows, particularly Fringe.

Whatsapp group to communicate and encourage guests to get together and do things not necessarily always with Kate.

WHY TRAVEL WITH ARTS ON TOUR?

Arts on Tour is an expert in touring performing arts productions to towns and cities across Australia. For the performers and crew we have on the road, we are passionate about making touring the best possible experience for them. We know travel logistics inside out, but we also know that it’s the small things that make all the difference. We’ll bend over backwards to make sure you have an excellent trip!

Arts on Tour is a not for profit organisation. Taking a trip with us also means you’re supporting us on our core mission: to ensure communities across Australia have access to live performing arts experiences; and to ensure artists can tour their work. Touring is a significant contributor to the career sustainability of performers, creatives and crew. 

TOUR BOOK

Every guest receives a Tour Book designed exclusively for the journey. More than an itinerary, it becomes a companion throughout the week. It includes:

• Daily schedules
• Production notes for performances
• Artist profiles
• Kate's recommendations
• Gallery, café and bookshop suggestions
• Reading and listening lists
• Space for personal reflections.

 A keepsake to revisit long after the final curtain.

TOUR INCLUSIONS

• Five nights' accommodation with daily breakfast
• Premium tickets to selected Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Fringe performances
• Welcome dinner and two other dinners during your stay at hand-picked restaurants
• Curtain Raiser pre-show talks
• Tour Book
• Arts on Tour travel support throughout the journey.

Arts on Tour can also provide quotes and organise your flights to and from Adelaide.

HOW TO BOOK

Here’s how it works:

1. Apply: take 5 minutes to complete your application here!
2. Receive your offer. Your spot is held for 48 hours. After that, we’ll send offers to the next round of guests in the queue.
3. Book and pay deposit. A XX% deposit secures your place!

Why applications?
This is a small-group immersive experience. We want to make sure we create a cohesive group so that you have the greatest time possible. Our hope is to bring together a diverse range of people who connect over a shared love of arts and culture. When we review applications we’ll be asking ourselves three questions:

• Are we providing what you’re looking for?
• Is the rhythm of the trip, the number of activities, and the amount of walking involved a good fit for you?
• Do we share similar values around being with other people on a group trip?

The application process is not about assessing your knowledge of the arts! Curiosity and enthusiasm count for everything, and this trip offers a unique opportunity to find your ‘way in’ with a warm and friendly group of like-minded people. The process also gives us information about how we can tailor the trip to suit individual needs around, for example, accessibility and dietary requirements.

BOOKING CONDITIONS

Please make sure you read the terms and conditions and make sure you’re comfortable with them. (More T&Cs to come)

Payment:

• Deposit: a 20% deposit is required when you book to secure your place. This is non-refundable, unless Arts on Tour cancels the trip (see below).
• Balance: the remaining 80% is due 8 weeks prior to departure.

Booking transfers: 

Things happen. If you can no longer come on the trip, you can nominate another person to attend in your place, as long as their application demonstrates they are a good fit.

Cancellation by you:

• Less than 8 week out, we’ll charge a cancellation fee of 30% of the total booking fee.
• More than 8 weeks out, we’ll retain your deposit.

Cancellation by us:

• This trip has a minimum group size of 4. If we don’t have this number of bookings 8 weeks out, when the balance of payment is due, we’ll refund your full deposit.

Cancellation by Force Majeure:

• ADD IN HERE, see Intrepid