Adelaide Cabaret Festival to host Variety Gala as part of full programme launch in March

The first four shows for this year’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival have been revealed, with new Artistic Director Tina Arena adding a twist on The Variety Gala and headlining her own heartfelt show. 

Audiences will get a double act of cabaret when Adelaide Cabaret Festival welcomes back the popular Variety Gala but not as you know it.  

Kicking off the winter cabaret season early, The 2022 Variety Gala will be held in the balmy month of March, for a one-night-only show celebrating the launch of the full festival program at Festival Theatre on 25 March 2022.  

Still the glamorous, red carpet event cabaret fans have come to love, charming host and comedian Paul McDermott along with the incomparable Tina Arena will lead you astray with a selection of delights from the 2022 programme, directed by Mitchell Butel and with musical direction by Mark Ferguson.  

Paul McDermott will host The 2022 Variety Gala in Adelaide Festival Centre’s Festival Theatre on March 25.

Bringing a touch of her Italian heritage to the programme, audiences will get a rare chance to connect with Tina Arena on a personal level, as she headlines and hosts the world premiere show Songs My Mother Taught Me.  

Featuring Tina and special guests Lior, Thando, Jess Hitchcock and Sophie Koh, this show celebrates culture, legacy and love and is inspired by storytelling and family. Two shows only at Her Majesty’s Theatre on 24 and 25 June 2022 with additional line-up to be announced… watch this space! 

Adelaide Cabaret Festival Artistic Director Tina Arena will headline Songs My Mother Taught Me.

In an Adelaide premiere, The Shànghǎi MiMi Band featuring award-winning singer Sophie Koh will transform The Famous Spiegeltent into a glamorous club, bringing to life the golden period of 1930s Shanghai.  

A zenith of talent and opportunity; the show tells the story of how Shanghai became a magnet for foreign musicians in famous jazz venues on The Bund performing alongside Chinese singers. An extraordinary woman and an exquisite performance set to a score of intoxicating songs from the Paris of the east and directed by John McAll on 16 – 18 June 2022.  

“Shànghǎi MiMi is a charming, intoxicating cabaret with sumptuous visuals and a taste of music we don’t often get to hear.’ – Limelight Magazine.  

Sophie Koh will appear in The Shànghǎi MiMi Band at Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2022.

Lastly but not least, this year’s new late-night hub – sure to be one of the hottest tickets in town – will see The Famous Spiegeltent pay homage to the icons of disco at The Piña Colada Room.  

Beneath a mirror-ball sky, late night revelers can dance all night to the sounds that moved a generation, inspired artists, and created icons. With an ever-revolving roster of DJs, cabaret stars and mischief makers taking over the club – no two nights will be the same. On until late between 1 – 25 June 2022.  

The Famous Spiegeltent will host the festival’s new late-night hub, The Piña Colada Room.

Adelaide Cabaret Festival Artistic Director Tina Arena says she is elated to announce the early line-up for her inaugural programme:  

“I cannot wait to return to Adelaide and lead you astray into a decadent world of magic, glamour and unadulterated revelry! Starting with the Variety Gala in March, I hope it is a chance to celebrate and reunite as an audience, as we give you a tease of what’s to come in June.  

“Join me as I take you back to my most loved childhood songs taught to me by my mother and ask Australian cabaret artists to share their stories and heritage in Songs My Mother Taught Me. Talented musician Sophie Koh and the band will transport you back in time and The Pina Colada Room will be the place to be, come those cool cabaret nights.  

“From intimate evenings with some of the world’s best performers, to wild nights under disco lights – this year’s programme will be bursting with provocation and pizazz. Can’t wait to see you there!” 

Tickets for early release shows are on sale at adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au 

Tickets to The Piña Colada Room are only available as part of the first release when purchasing to another performance. Single tickets to The Piña Colada Room will go on sale closer to the date.  

The Variety Gala 2022 is on at Festival Theatre, 25 March, at 7.30pm.  

The world’s biggest and best cabaret festival gets underway from 10-25 June 2022.