Celebrating 100 Years of the Adelaide Show
This year marked the 100th Royal Adelaide Show since it became an annual event in 1925.
A staple of Adelaidean life, for a week and half each year the Show becomes the focus for the State. This year, we sent the Hub Squad to explore and experience the Show in all its glory, and this is what they have reported back:
Rides – Jessica Ishimwe
Everyone loves a little thrill. Whether it’s crashing into strangers on the bumper cars, stumbling through a creepy haunted house, or being spun 24 metres into the air, the Adelaide Show does not disappoint when it comes to fun rides!
The first ride that caught my eye was Alien Abduction mainly because of the name and its weird circular shape. We were curious about what was inside the UFO. As soon as we stepped into the dark room, we felt a little uneasy – almost as if we had actually been abducted by aliens. There were no seatbelts and the only thing we had to hold onto was the thin railing along the wall. Then it started spinning at 24 revolutions per minute, 3 times the normal force of gravity. It was intense, thrilling and felt like we were being launched straight into orbit. My body was pinned in place, completely paralysed. The only down-side was that it ended too soon!
Score: 9/10
The next ride we went on was Break Dance — another fun ride that leaves you slightly nauseous. It’s pretty straightforward; you sit in a hub with a slight incline of 7.5 degrees while it rotates in the opposite direction to the platform. As someone who rarely gets dizzy, it was both disorienting and exhilarating. It wasn’t as fast as Alien Abduction, but the combination of spinning at an angle while moving in the opposite direction was a bit overwhelming in the best way!
Score: 8.5/10
The last ride we went on was not really a ride but Hailey and Max’s Haunted House. We didn’t know what to expect because it was our first haunted house and from the movies we’ve watched, it seemed a bit tame. But boy, were we wrong. There were constant jump scares, pitch-black corridors, creepy music and unsettling props that seemed to move when you weren’t looking. The whole experience was chilling and nerve-racking. We had to walk through 13 rooms and while each was different, they all carried the same, spine-tingling atmosphere.
Score: 9/10
Entertainment - Aubrey Maynard
If you’re looking for free attractions to really get your money’s worth, the Show has plenty of entertainment for the whole family.
In an attempt to escape from the leftover rainy winter weather I found myself indoors at the Goyder Pavilion, where kids can see Bluey in a live interactive experience. Performing twice a day, Bluey and her sister Bingo (with the help of two human friends) did some fun crowdwork to get kids vocal and moving. This performance was sure to delight families who want to sit down and take a break from walking around the showground.
Luckily, the clouds cleared as we settled at the Boulevard Stage. We caught a performance from the 80s-inspired circus duo The Iron Maidens, who ran two shows every day featuring fun rock vibes and thrilling wheel gymnastics.
Afterwards, Brazilian dance troupe Amazonia stunned in their daily show with elaborate costumes, high energy, and mesmerising dancing. There was a lot of audience interaction, with groups of kids encouraged to get on stage and perform alongside the stars.
There is almost always something going on at the Boulevard Stage, so it is definitely worth taking a look at each day’s schedule and stopping by for some good music and free performances.
Aside from performances, it isn’t a day at the Show without getting up close and personal with a wide variety of animals. At the Pet & Tech Centre, we saw the dog judging with over 250 breeds featured over the course of the Show. We also joined small crowds for some of the niche delights including the alpaca judging and rabbit jumping contest! Great fun for for animal-lovers.
Food - Sophie Hoff
One thing you should never overlook at the Show is the food. And I’m not just talking about food trucks like Chips On A Stick and Oscars (though they do hit the spot), but the local wares found in the Taste SA hall and through the Yellow Brick Road showbag.
After spending the morning looking at animals, at 11:30 we sat down to enjoy the Cellar Door Experience Ice Cream Tasting, with a range of ice creams provided by Barossa Valley Ice Cream. It was a great experience, getting to learn about the company’s history and commitment to local ingredients, while trying 11 of their unique flavours. Some of our favourites were the ginger, the rose petal & white chocolate, and the balsamic roasted strawberry (so good I went back to buy a tub of it at the end of the day!).
Towards the end of our time at the Show, we knew we had to go and experience a Show staple, the Yellow Brick Road showbag. Collecting our bags and maps, we were led on a journey through the showgrounds collecting local South Australian goodies on the way. We collected everything from fresh fruit, ice cream, and even toothpaste, all provided by Brand SA-backed vendors. While we walked from stall to stall, we also got the opportunity to stop off at some attractions that we might otherwise have missed like the Farmyard Nursery and the Airtime FMX motorstunts. I would definitely recommend the Yellow Brick Road for a good walk supporting local brands.
