After dipping its toe in Adelaide waters last year, Bastille Festival Adelaide 2026 is bigger and better providing us with four days of fabulous French fun on the last weekend in May.
This year sees the addition of paid experiences, which are part of the usual Bastille Festival Sydney line-up including an outdoor cinema, a champagne high tea, and a wine and cheese tasting. The food and wine passports return in 2026 offering you the chance to take your taste buds on a journey throughout France’s regions without leaving Adelaide’s CBD. These are add-ons that you can purchase, entry is still free to the festival itself and you can wander, and soak up the atmosphere at your own pace.
Le Passport is a great way to taste your way through the festival and through the regions of France.
With the wine passport, you’ll get a glass of wine from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Alsace, Provence and Rhône Valley (if you choose the 5 stops). You’re free to do it at your own pace and in your own order.
If you choose the 5 stop food passport, you’ll dine on La Pissaladière from Provence, garlic butter escargots from Burgundy, Saucisson baguette from the Rhône Valley, choucroute from Alsace, and a canelé from Bordeaux. If you choose 3, you can pick which of the 5 dishes you will have.
Choose from 3 or 5 stops on either the food or wine passport or choose le combo passport which offers the best value and again the option of 3 or 5 stops. You’ll get the full French experience with each dish paired with the regional wine.
Le Passport offers a culinary journey throughout France without leaving Festival Plaza.
A popular experience at the Sydney edition of Bastille Festival is le cinema, where you can watch a French film in the open air with your own headset and the option to upgrade to deck chair seating and blanket and a warming glass of mulled wine. Whether you’re into the French classics, or English language films set in France, there is something for all tastes in Le cinema program.
Thursday 28 May
5pm Coco before Chanel
8pm Amélie
Friday 29 May
5pm The Bélier Family
8pm Driving Madeleine
Saturday 30 May
11am Ratatouille
2pm Mrs Harris goes to Paris
5pm Midnight in Paris
8pm Moulin Rouge
Sunday 31 May
11am Astérix; The secret of the magic potion
2pm Return of the Hero
5pm Welcome to the Sticks
Choose from general admission access for $18 which gives you access to the cinema and headsets, or the comfort which includes deck chair seating and a blanket for $28. Add a glass of mulled wine with the Mulled Wine Pass option of $34 per person. Families can get access to the 11am sessions for 2 adults and 2 kids on deckchairs and with blankets for $60.
Sitting at a beautifully styled table, where soft French music plays in the background, a sommelier will guide you through a curated selection of wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Provence, Alsace and the Rhône Valley served alongside a board of cheeses, condiments, bread and crackers. There is no rush, this is a 90 minute experience to enjoy and savour at your own pace. It doesn’t matter if you’re a novice or an expert – the sommelier will pour, share and help you bring the French regions and flavours to life. Wrap up the experience with a polaroid picture to keep as souvenir.
90 minute sessions from $129 per person. Minimum of 2 people and maximum of 8.
7pm 28-31 May and an additional 3pm session on 30 &31 May
High Tea Champagne Garden Experience
Inspired by the garden pavilions of the French châteaux and the effortless elegance of French Champagne culture, this is not your average afternoon tea. Settle into a beautifully styled garden setting, raise a glass of champagne and let the afternoon unfold at its own pace.
Walk through the floral arch, along the red carpet as your Champagne Guide leads you to your table. You’ll start the experience by saying Santé, the word the French use to toast as you clink your welcome glass of Champagne Brue or Rosé with your friends. The main event here is the beautiful and delicious pastry tower on which tiered stands hold canelés, macarons, madeleines & savouries. Additional champagne can also be purchased to keep flowing throughout your afternoon experience. And as with the Wine & Cheese experience, you will wrap it up with a polaroid souvenir to take home with you.
5pm 28-31 May, and additional 11am and 1pm sessions on 30 and 31 May
From $95 per person. Session duration: 90 minutes
—
Whether you’re settling in for a film under the winter sky, sampling your way through the food and wine passport, or indulging in curated tastings and a refined champagne high tea, Bastille Festival Adelaide 2026 invites you to experience French culture beyond the plate. These paid experiences offer a deeper, more immersive way to celebrate, turning a visit to the festival into something truly memorable.
KEY INFO FOR BASTILLE FESTIVAL ADELAIDE
WHAT: Bastille Festival Adelaide
WHEN: Thursday 28 to Sunday 31 May 2026
Thursday: 4pm – 10pm
Friday: 12pm – 11pm
Saturday: 10am – 11pm
Sunday: 10am – 9pm
WHERE: Festival Plaza, ADELAIDE
HOW: To attend the festival itself, you can just go. But to take part in these paid experiences, you need to book via the links above.
HOW MUCH: Entry to the festival is free and the experience pricing depends on the experience chosen.
