picnic in the park feast festivalAdelaide’s 18th Feast Festival kicks off 15 days of queer arts and culture with a Pride March and a huge opening night street.

Adelaide’s west end will party until it turns pink this Saturday, November 15, as the Feast Festival officially opens with the Pride March through the city and a giant street party on Hindley Street West.

Led by Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallist turned cabaret performer and Feast Festival ambassador Matthew Mitcham, around 3000 people are expected to join this year’s Pride March celebrating love, equality and sexual and gender diversity by marching from Victoria Square to Feast’s official opening night party in the west end.

With the festival now in its 18th year, the star-studded street party will double as a special birthday celebration as Feast kicks off 15 days of queer comedy, cabaret, theatre, music, visual arts, literature, films, food and forums.

Hindley Street West will be closed to traffic for the event, to be hosted by Australian comedy legend Bob Downe and featuring live performances by Scottish singing sensation Horse, Melbourne electro-pop band Asian Envy and Adelaide’s own DJ JoSH.

Food truck revolutionaries Fork on the Road will provide gourmet grub alongside Hindley Street traders, with two dedicated Feast bars and a range of community stalls.

The Feast Opening Night Party runs from 6 pm to 1 am, followed by the Feast Official After Party at Caos Cafe Bar, where DJ Cross will spin tunes in the Register Street outdoor arena until 5 am.

“The Feast Festival turns 18 this year, and what better way to celebrate coming of age than by inviting the whole city to a giant street party,” Feast Artistic Director Catherine Fitzgerald said.

“Our theme this year is ‘indulge’ and that’s exactly what we want people to do – indulge in arts, culture, food and everything that makes Feast such a fun annual event.”

Tickets to Feast Festival’s Opening Night Party are $10 at the gate or can be pre-purchased from www.feast.org.au or on 8463 0684. Entry will be from Morphett Street.

The Pride March is free and open to all. Participants should meet at the southern end of Victoria Square at 5.30 pm for a 6.30 pm march, progressing down Gouger and Morphett Streets.

Road closure information: Hindley Street West will be closed to vehicular traffic from 12 noon on Saturday, November 15 until 6 am on Sunday, November 16. There will be rolling traffic stoppages from Victoria Square along Gouger and Morphett Streets from 6.30 pm on Saturday, November 15 until the end of the Pride March.