Adelaide Fringe 2026 Poster Competition
The biggest arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere, Adelaide Fringe, has announced the 2026 Poster Competition winner!
The wait is over! Say hello to ‘Cockatoo Call’, the official poster design for the 2026 Adelaide Fringe, created by local legend Billie Justice Thomson.
Billie is a South Australian treasure – a painter and illustrator known for her bold, nostalgic style. From murals in beloved local eateries to collectors’ walls and fridge doors, her work captures everyday Aussie joy with a wink and a smile.
After years of entering the Fringe poster competition, Billie’s dream has finally taken flight.
“This poster is a nod to the cockatoos flying through the city of Adelaide, screeching over the music, songs and voices of Fringe-goers and performers alike. The loud, unapologetic cockatoo says: nah mate, I’m here and I’m beautiful and everyone’s gonna know about it!”
The Adelaide Fringe 2026 season will take place from Friday 20 February to Sunday 22 March 2026.
The Adelaide Fringe poster competition invites professionals, beginners, hobbyists, and everyone in between to submit their designs. The Poster Competition is a distinguished tradition that has, since 1974, launched emerging talent and celebrated bold artistic expression.
The theme for 2026 is: The Simple Pleasures.
A backstreet, a goosebump, a bit of glitter that lingers longer than expected. Fringe is one of South Australia’s greatest pleasures—spontaneous, surprising, and open to all. The poster should capture that spirit; think joy, wonder, creativity in everyday places. The kind that reminds you: something unexpected could be just around the corner.
Ideas and inspiration:
- The simple, serendipitous, sometimes sparkly pleasures that swirl together to create something bigger than a festival.
- A ticket to something you’ve never heard of before.
- A late-night show discovered by accident.
- A laugh that takes over your whole body.
- A tear in the dark, and no need to explain it.
- A warm evening shared with friends under festival lights.
- A moment of “that could be me”.
- A venue with no roof, two floodlights, and the best theatre of your life.
The winning artist receives:
- $10,000 prize money, thanks to Lumo Energy
- Free rego to exhibit at Adelaide Fringe 2026
- Their art EVERYWHERE from posters to merch to city streets
- Bragging rights to be part of the Fringe Poster alumni
Submissions for the competition close at 11:59pm ACST on Saturday 17 August 2025.
For more information and all enquiries please visit the Adelaide Fringe website.
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
Image Source: Adelaide Fringe – Artist: Billie Justice Thomson. Photo: Sia Duff
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