Mourning in the Morning
Smoking Ceremony
26 January
7.30 am to 8.45 am
Elder Park / Tarntanya Wama
Aus Lights on the River is back again for 2025, with a free program of events that reminds us we are all part of the story. The event will showcase Our SA Story through immersive, visually engaging light, vision, and sound installations supported with complimentary children’s activations.
Under the theme of Respect, Reflect, Celebrate. The 2025 Aus Lights on the River Program will be inspired by creative visions of Belonging to Country and Connecting to Nature.
The Aus Lights on the River program enables us to reflect on this great land and its peoples, starting with the oldest living cultures, our First Nations, to our most recent arrivals, the refugees who call Australia home. This Australia Day is an opportunity to reflect on how we can continue to deepen our connection to nature and belonging to Country. Our increasingly fragile world reminds us of our great country’s extraordinary beauty, richness, and expansiveness and the incredible diversity of its people. We can look back at our history, acknowledge the times we are now living through, and manifest our future on the foundations of respect, inclusivity and shared values.
Jan Chorley, CEO Australia Day Council of SA
Aus Lights on the River 2025 will showcase diverse stories and highlight the community organisations, performers, and charities that contribute to the greatness of our state.
The event will feature vibrant cultural procession full of colour, music and dance where South Australian communities come together to celebrate the diversity and richness of our state in a spirit of inclusion and respect, family-friendly activities and performances by singer-songwriter John Schumann, the Adelaide Youth Orchestra, and contemporary a cappella singers the Festival Statesmen Chorus.
The Elder Park Rotunda will feature Peter Drew’s iconic AUSSIE series, celebrating Australia’s migrant history and fostering reflection and unity. The eventing will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display.
Aus Lights on the River Program 2025 Pdf version (Download here).
Peter Drew’s AUSSIE artworks illuminate Elder Park Rotunda, transforming it into a glowing symbol of inclusion and unity. These powerful images, inspired by Australia’s migrant history, reflect individuals impacted by the White Australia Policy and celebrate diversity, connection, and identity. This stunning display invites us to reflect on our shared histories, fostering a deeper understanding of what it means to be part of a multicultural Australia.
Step into a world of imagination and nature with Evelyn Roth’s Story Space with Bushland and Marine Creatures!
In Story Space, join an inflatable storytelling theatre celebrating Australia’s unique biodiversity. Choose a costume and become an animal, exploring movement and stories guided by storytellers.
Nearby, encounter Creatures of Land and Sea, a vibrant display of supersized bushland and underwater marine animals. Wander among the echidna, bilby, shark, platypus, and Ruby Roo. This engaging experience celebrates the rich biodiversity of our country and highlights the importance of conserving these unique ecosystems.
Both experiences combine art, storytelling, and nature to inspire a love for biodiversity and habitat conservation. Limited capacity for Story Space – guided entry applies.
Creative Team: Evelyn Roth – Nylon Zoo, with support from illuminart stories in light and AH.
A Hands-On Creative Making Experience for Families and Children.
The hands-on creative space for young children invites them to explore the themes of heritage and diversity through engaging and imaginative activities. Drawing inspiration from Peter Drew’s iconic paste-up artwork, children can create their own vibrant, message-filled posters that celebrate cultural identity and togetherness. Alongside this, a Harmony Day-inspired activity fosters a sense of belonging, encouraging kids to decorate paper cut-outs symbolizing their unique cultural stories, which will form a collaborative mural. This interactive space promotes creative expression, cultural awareness, and working together to honour the richness of our diverse communities.
Creative team: Monica Prichard and Michelle Jahn – exclusive illuminations.
We reflect on the meaning of Country, creating new reflections on the river. Light spills upwards from tree trunks into foliage, casting reflections into the water where light and time intertwine to share stories. The illumination spells out Country, inviting us to reflect on our place. Connected through land, sea, and sky, the river’s freshwater song reminds us: everything in nature is one.
What does Country mean to you?
End your evening on a high note with our extraordinary fireworks display!
As the day transitions to night, be awed by a captivating show of light and colour that will illuminate the sky and delight guests of all ages.
Creative team: – Howard and Sons.
Discover a world of diverse flavours at our Food Hub. Savor international delights in a vibrant, welcoming setting, featuring dishes from local vendors that celebrate global cuisine. Enjoy your meal in a communal atmosphere that brings people together to share and connect through food.
The Food Hub will be open on 26 January from 7.30am for coffee, from 10am to 4pm for visitors of Tour Down Under, and again from 5pm until 11pm during the Aus Lights on the River afternoon program.
Step into a world of wonder with Aus Lights 4 Kids, a magical event bursting with fun and discovery for children aged 4 to 8. Let their imaginations soar with vibrant performers, creative crafts, and dazzling face painting. They’ll love exploring eco-inspired storytelling sessions that bring nature’s wonders to life.
For a truly unique experience, visit the inflatable theatre where kids can transform into their favourite animals and enjoy captivating stories about Australia’s wildlife. Or venture into the world of larger-than-life marine and bushland animals such as echidna, shark, bilby and ruby roo. With activities for every young adventurer, it’s a day filled with unforgettable memories.
Could a resurgence in First Nations languages help re-write Australia’s national story? And are open hearts and minds, courage and conviction all that are needed to underpin it?
South Australians are warmly invited to honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, histories, cultures and perspectives at the Australia Day Council of SA’s Mourning in the Morning event early on 26 January 2025.
Held in Elder Park/Tarntanya Wama on the banks of Adelaide’s River Torrens/Karrawirra Parri, this groundbreaking First Nations-led event is for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians.
Gather at 7.30am for a welcome to Kaurna country, followed by First Nations speakers, musicians, dancers, and interactive activities grounded in respect. The event will conclude at 8.45am with a smoking ceremony conducted by respected Elder Uncle Moogy Sumner.
Starting at 7 pm, the Parade will begin at Adelaide Oval on War Memorial Drive before travelling over the Torrens River Footbridge into Elder Park/Tarntanya Wama. You can view the parade in designated areas or from Elder Park/Tarntanya Wama.
The Respecting Country Parade is a vibrant celebration of more than 60 South Australian communities, highlighting the diversity and richness of our state. It is a coming together in a spirit of inclusion and respect.
The Parade begins with South Australian Migrant and Refugee Story and Our Ancestral Story, a cultural procession full of colour, music, and dance. This is followed by South Australians at their Best, highlighting both large and small community organisations, performers, and charities that contribute to our state. An energetic call and response drumming experience will conclude the parade.
Before the Respecting Country Parade, the Australian Defence Force will conduct a ceremony at 7 pm on the Torrens Parade Ground with a 21-gun salute, national anthem, flag ceremony and an Airforce flypast. The public can view this from the perimeter of the Torrens Parade Ground in designated areas proscribed by the ADF. The significance of the 21-gun salute is that it is a gesture of friendship, respect, and trust and is always fired with an odd number of rounds because this is considered lucky.
Join us for the Official Ceremony on January 26th at Elder Park, where we reflect on who we are as Australians.
This unforgettable event will feature heartfelt performances by singer-songwriter John Schumann, the Adelaide Youth Orchestra conducted by Keith Crellin OAM, and the contemporary a cappella group, the Festival Statesman Chorus, under the musical direction of Dr. Julian Ferraretto.
Adding to the evening’s significance, few local community leaders will share their personal stories, offering unique insights into what it means to be part of this diverse and vibrant nation. Their narratives will inspire and connect us, highlighting the shared values and experiences that unite us all.
The Australia Day Council of South Australia acknowledges the Adelaide region as the traditional country of the Kaurna people and respect Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned that this website may contain images and voices of deceased persons.
