Neo: X-Change at the AGSA

For its final teenager-exclusive Neo event of the year, the Art Gallery of South Australia will host a free, after-hours opening of the Picasso: The Vollard Suite exhibition tomorrow night. The evening is targeted at 13-17 year olds and will feature a workshop with local artists Dave Court and Rosina Possingham, who will create a large-scale, immersive installation using smoke, lighting, live drawing projection and live photo feeds. Teen band Vicious Pandas will headline the evening’s live entertainment, alongside local music acts including punk band Mental Head and jazz vocal ensemble The Off Beats. Doors open at 6pm.

Christmas Proms

Father Christmas will make a special appearance at Christmas Proms.

Conductor Guy Noble will lead the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for the much-loved annual Christmas Proms concert today and tomorrow (matinee and evening performances) at the Festival Theatre. As well as featuring festive songs and traditional carols from the likes of Bizet, Tchaikovsky and Strauss, this year’s concert will also showcase a musical theatre number by Wicked and Wizard of Oz star Lucy Durack and a “tap dance extravaganza” by Tap Pack members Jan Di Pietro and Sean Mulligan. Rising ballet star 10-year-old Mietta Brookman will join special guest Father Christmas on stage to perform a special Christmas dance routine.

Unsound Adelaide

DJ Lag will be on the decks at Sugar on Saturday night as part of Unsound Adelaide.

Experimental music festival Unsound Adelaide, will bring a mix of avant-garde electronic music, sound installations and late-night club shows to venues across Adelaide this weekend. It kicks off tonight with live performances from electronic artists Eartheater, Nicolás Jaar, Matmos, Lucas Abela and Giant Swan at Queen’s Theatre, and a late-night event at Sugar nightclub featuring a series of international DJs and producers. The Discourse Program will also return to the University of South Australia’s Allan Scott Auditorium, featuring a series of talk forums with artists across the weekend. The festival will wrap up with a closing night party including Australian artists Lucy Cliché, Jannah Quill and Lauren Abineri at Hotel Metro on Sunday night. View the full festival schedule here.

Dan Sultan

Singer Dan Sultan. Photo: Tracey Lee Hayes

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Dan Sultan is playing a solo show to the Governor Hindmarsh tonight as part of a short national tour. Sultan’s latest release is Killer Under a Blood Moon, but The Gov says he will be playing tunes from all his albums, “as well as a few new surprises”. Doors open at 7.30pm, and there will  be two sets – starting at 9.20pm and 10.20pm. Last time we checked, tickets were still available. 

Moonlight Cinema

Moonlight outdoor cinema continues at Botanic Park this weekend with a mix of science-fiction and animated films. Tonight’s film – First Man – stars Ryan Gosling as astronaut Neil Armstrong in his quest to become the first man to walk on the Moon. Tomorrow night’s film, Bumblebee, centres on the Transformers character of the same name who finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Other upcoming screenings are popular children’s animation Incredibles 2 (Sunday), Love Actually (Tuesday), Bad Times at the El Royale (Wednesday) and Elf (Thursday). Gates open at 7pm, with films starting at sundown. Moonlight Cinema runs until February 17. Keep an eye on Facebook for possible cancellations due to the weather.

Parasites: Life Undercover

The South Australian Museum is presenting a special exhibition on parasites in conjunction with the Museum of Natural History in Berlin. It features a giant mosquito model, the opportunity to get up close to more than 50 original parasite specimens, and more than 30 displays showing how a parasite-host relationship works. Parasites: Life Undercover is on display until February 3.