The Garden Of Unearthly Delights Turns Up The Volume For Cabaret And Music Shows In 2026
Highlights include Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett, Michael Paynter’s The Great Australian Songbook Live, The LadyBoys of Bangkok and more.
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It’s hard to believe, but Adelaide Fringe is almost here, with The Garden of Unearthly Delights opening its gates this Friday 13 February.
As with past years, Rundle Park/Kadlitpina will be transformed into a celebration of arts and culture, with the 2026 program showcasing more than 115 dynamic shows across a six-week season running from 13 February to 22 March.
This year, the Garden has upped its game when it comes to cabaret and music shows, presenting an incredibly diverse program featuring something for everyone.
On the cabaret side of things, Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett is a mishmash of breathtaking circus, gender-bending aerial and fire-breathing performances from the hottest cabaret club from East Berlin. The Dust Palace circus company presents HAUS of YOLO, which features fashion designer (and part-time conman) Welt Couture creating their Adelaide collection live on satge wit in a blend of circus and camp comedy. A Star is Born! is a cabaret performance from musical comedian Alexis Sakellaris about sharing his queer joy in becoming a stan for pop divas, telling his story through ten original songs, sung and played live on a keyboard.
Music fans will not want to miss Michael Paynter performing an intimate set of songs from The Great Australian Songbook Live, while Meg Washington brings her Natural Beauty Tour to the Aurora Spiegeltent. Opening night also plays host to MONSTR – The Best of MTV Unplugged, an all-star celebration that will reignite the spirit of MTV with members from iconic Australian bands Taxiride, The Superjesus, Dragon and The Screaming Jets.
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Other cabaret highlights include:
● FLOP – The Best Songs from the Worst Musicals Ever Written!: The virtuosic Arthur Hull returns for another Garden season with an updated version of his love letter to Broadway and the West End’s biggest musical theatre misfires!
● The LadyBoys of Bangkok: International sensations make their Garden debut with a glamorous, new performance complete with fresh choreography, couture-level costumes and a sassy soundtrack.
● Ethel Chop & Tina Del Twist: Together at Last: Ethel Chop was born sometime and has been around a lot longer. After sharing her unique wisdom on telly and the wireless, Australia’s best loved Octogenarian is coming to Adelaide with a brand-new blouse. Tina is Australia’s much-loved nightingale. With comedic wit that could shred brie and a voice as smooth as honey, her talents have hugged the globe to wild acclaim, garnishing her iconic. Together they are delighted to entertain you for a solid hour.
Other music highlights include:
● Trevor Jones - Sing It!: Get ready for the wildest, most interactive singalong of your life with Australia’s favourite piano man, Dr Trevor Jones.
● Zooma Zooma - “Led Zeppole”: The award-winning team bring a hilarious and high-energy show, reimagining Led Zeppelin’s greatest hits through an Italian-jazz-Vegas lens.
● Gigi Macfarlane: London-born with Jamaican roots and now based in Barcelona, Gigi’s sound is a magnetic blend of soul, groove and infectious energy.
● Wilbur Wilde – Talkin’ & Saxin’: Hey Hey it’s Saturday, OL55, Jo Jo Zep and The Falcons, The New Rocky Horror Show and Mad Max. Wilbur pays homage to the moments, the characters, the laughs and the rich Australian music and entertainment scene.
● Moko Kodo & The Pursuits: I’m not going to marry you!: In this world premiere, self-proclaimed, Spanish-Bulgarian-South Australian, folk princess, Moko Kodo, will lead an evening of new auteured songs and interpretations of some greats – including Leonard Cohan and George Michael.
● The Garden Sessions: Every Saturday afternoon, South Australia’s best, new and emerging Indigenous musicians will perform for a free show that is suitable for all ages.
Michelle Buxton, Co-Director of The Garden of Unearthly Delights, says the musical and cabaret talent on offer for The Garden’s 26th season will be hard to miss. “We’ve carefully curated a dynamic program of musical and cabaret powerhouses that will be hard to miss. This promises to be our most dazzling season yet, with brilliant musicians, entertainers and cabaret performers who are sure to captivate the hearts of music lovers and have many up and dancing.”
The Garden of Unearthly Delights is open from Friday 13 February to Sunday 22 March. Discover the full program of events at gardenofunearthlydelights.com.au.
