Top Things to See & Do at the Royal Adelaide Show | 2025
Here are some of our favourite things to see and do with kids at the 2025 Royal Adelaide Show.
The Royal Adelaide Show is one of South Australia’s most loved family events, bringing together the best of entertainment, agriculture, rides, and food. From the excitement of the Bluey Live Interactive Experience and the adorable farmyard nursery to hands-on fun at Aggie’s Farm and the dazzling nightly fireworks, the Show truly has something for everyone.
The Play & Go team has rounded up some of our favourite family-friendly highlights at the Royal Adelaide Show 2025, making it easy for you to plan your visit. Whether it’s exploring interactive play zones, learning about farming and agriculture, or simply soaking up the carnival atmosphere, the Show is the perfect mix of fun and education for the whole family.
Check back as we add to our list throughout the week, and scroll down for more details about each activity.
- Nature Play Space by Climbing Tree
- Bluey Live Interactive Experience and Peppa Pig Mini Show
- Farmyard Nursery
- Cooking competitions – see the amazing cake decoration winners
- Hold a Baby Chick at the Poultry Pavilion
- Woodchopping Competition
- Crown Ferris Wheel
- The Learning Centre
- Aggie’s Farm
- Yellow Brick Road Showbag & Scavenger Hunt
- Main Arena Entertainment – Airtime FMX Motorbikes, V8 Utes Challenge, Farmyard Dash and Fireworks & Drone Show
- Cheese toasties at the Dairy Food Hall
- Eat the best hot donuts from Rotary Donuts
- Eat crunchy, swirly potatoes on a stick
- Eat scones by the SA Country Women’s Association
- Eat Smochi mochi donuts and soft serve
- Play the Free Clown game by South Aussie with Cosi & Lumo Energy
- Eat strawberries and chocolate by Chocolate and Co
- Eat dagwood dogs, a long-time show favourite
- Meet lots of dog breeds at Villis Dog Pavilion
- Visit the Pet Tech Centre to meet all kinds of pets & insects
- Have a blast on the carnival rides with a discount carnival pass
- Eat delicious Bao Buns at the Kingsway Gourmet dining area
- Ride on the iconic Skymaster Wheel
- Visit the Pig Pavilion
Nature Play Space by Climbing Tree – just north of the Goyder Pavillion (9am – 5pm daily)
A huge play space for kids to explore, right near several of the entry gates. It has potion-making kitchens, cubby houses, fairy houses, construction blocks, a slide and water play.
Bluey Live Interactive Experience – Goyder Stage (11am and 1pm every day except the last weekend of the show)
A fun show with audience participation, with Bluey and Bingo live on stage. Make sure to catch the Peppa Pig Mini Show on the same stage at 3pm.
Farmyard Nursery
Located by the Leader Street Entry Gate, the Farmyard Nursery is another free experience the kids will love. With a range of baby farm animals including lambs, calves, ducklings and even baby emu’s there is a lot to see in the Farmyard Nursery. There is an optional paid photo opportunity with the baby animals inside.
Cooking Competitions (Duncan Gallery)
The decorated cakes and gingerbread houses always astound us. Make sure to check out this year’s creations, we were particularly impressed by the bunches of flowers that were entirely made of cake.
Poultry, Pigeon and Egg Pavilion – Upstairs above Taste SA
Here you can look at all sorts of amazing chickens, ducks and fancy pigeons. You can also hold a baby chicken, with students from Urrbrae Agricultural High School supervising.
Woodchopping Competitions (Woodchopping arena, until 2 September)
This is one of our favourite lunchtime activities. Grab some food, take a seat and rest your legs while watching some amazing woodchopping skills. Different competitions run throughout the day, with men’s, women’s, and under-18 categories.
Crown Wheel – south of the Main Arena – $12 per person/$40 for 4 people
This ferris wheel gives a different view of the showgrounds. This ferris wheel is wheelchair accessible, fully enclosed (great for windy and wet weather) and one metre taller than the original Skymaster wheel. You’ll get a great view of the Main Arena from here, and it’s a great option for kids who may be a bit worried about the more open Skymaster ferris wheel. This ferris wheel also lights up spectacularly at night, with vibrant, constantly changing patterns.
The Learning Centre – Old Ram Shed, west of the Main Arena (open until 5pm each day)
There’s so much to do here! Collect a Passport and see how many activities on the checklist you can complete. Make sure you get the chance to create a smoothie in the Farm Kitchen, get your tractor license, and find learn about water bugs from the amazingly helpful Urrbrae Agricultural High School students.
Aggie’s Farm
Presented by PRISA and The Advertiser, Aggie’s farm is a free interactive and educational event perfect for the little ones! It is free, and allows the kids to learn about some of the produce grown in South Australia in a fun and interactive way. There are a range of activities including searching for fruit flies, magnetic fishing, colouring in and bouncy horse rides.
Aggie’s Farm is open 9am to 6pm every day during the show and is located by the Old Ram’s Shed.
The Yellow Brick Road Bag & Scavenger Hunt
A favourite tradition at the Adelaide Show, the Yellow Brick Road bag is on offer for $14 this year for a single bag, or two bags for $24. Receive a map and follow the directions to fill your bag with a range of proud South Australian products. This activity is great value with products on offer from The Fleurieu Milk Company, Vili’s Family Bakery, Gelista, Citrus SA and more!
Fireworks and Drone Show
The Southern Lights Spectacular presented by Drakes Supermarkets is a nightly fireworks display – a fabulous way to end a fun filled day at the Show. Watch them from the Main Arena from 7.45pm (8.45pm Friday and Saturday nights). The 30-minute firework show features lights, drones and pyrotechnics, setting the sky alight every night of the Show.
Cheese toasties at the Dairy Food Hall (9am – 7pm)
Eat the best hot donuts from Rotary Donuts (Near the north end of the Main Arena)
In our opinion, the best hot cinnamon donuts come from the Rotary Donuts van, and it’s a great charity organisation to support as well. The kids were doing lots of finger licking, and the parents may have been doing so too!
Eat crunchy, swirly potatoes on a stick (Various locations)
There are several food vans around the showgrounds selling spiral potatoes on a stick. Most locations are selling these for $10 this year.
Scones By SA Country Women’s Association (Kingsway Gourmet, near the Dairy Food Hall)
Have some old fashioned scones with jam and cream at the CWA Country Cafe and check out their tally board showing how many scones have been eaten! Volunteers run the cafeteria-style cafe, with two scones with jam and cream costing $8. There is indoor and outdoor seating, with extra seating in the adjoining marquee – complete with a shop selling the cutest knitted items at affordable prices.
Eat Smochi mochi donuts and soft serve (Kingsway Gourmet)
Soft serve icecream and delicious mochi donuts with condensed milk or cinnamon sugar.
Play the Free Clown game by South Aussie with Cosi & Lumo Energy (Showbag Hall)
Kids get a chance to play a sideshow clown game for free – find the stand in the showbag hall.
Eat strawberries and chocolate by Chocolate and Co (Kingsway Gourmet)
Enjoy a cup of fresh strawberries and melty chocolate for $14, or jump on the dubai chocolate bandwagon and spruce things up with pistachio cream and kataifi pastry.
Eat dagwood dogs, a long-time show favourite (various locations)
Battered hotdogs on a stick, often only available during shows and carnivals.
Meet lots of dog breeds at Vilis Dog Pavilion
Dog lovers can visit the Vilis Dog Pavilion to meet lots of different breeds of dogs, have a pat (if the breeder gives the ok) and watch the ‘best in show’ competitions. It’s also a chance to have a chat to the breeders and understand what dog could suit you and your home best.
Visit the Pet Tech Centre to meet all kinds of pets and insects
Once you have met the dogs at Vilis Dog Pavilion, visit the nearby Pet Tech Centre to catch up with cats, rabbits, cavies and reptiles. This hall is also home to the Bugs & Slugs Exhibit which is fascinating for those who are interested in insects such as stick insects, leaf insects and Egyptian beetles.
Have a blast on the carnival rides with a discount carnival pass
If the family is up for some carnival rides, consider pre-purchasing a discount carnival pass before hand to make some savings. One of our Play & Go kids’ favourite carnival attractions was the Big Bubble Bump. Kids hop inside a clear plastic bubble set on water and run, stumble and muck around to their heart’s content. It looks like loads of fun!
Eat delicious Bao Buns at the Kingsway Gourmet dining area
The Bao Buns from Sookii La La are delicious! You can find them at the Kingsway Gourmet dining area along with other tasty offerings such as Greek Street, Paella Bar and One Sneaky Cheetah (pizza).
Ride the iconic Skymaster Wheel – Carnival Precinct – $12 per person/$40 for four people
This ferris wheel is synonymous with the Royal Adelaide Show and has been a favourite for generations of South Australians. Riding one of the 24 colourful carriages and hanging 34 metres in the air is a real treat, with fabulous views of the carnival precinct and across to the Adelaide Hills and CBD. One carriage can fit up to four adults and two small children. It’s sure to give you a fresh (air!) perspective on all the hustle and bustle of the show.
Visit the Pig Pavilion
Whether you want to pat a pig, learn more about them or just admire them from over the fence, a visit to the Pig Pavilion is sure to delight small and big kids alike. A visit to the show just isn’t complete without saying hello to the piglets, who seem to always be either competing against their siblings for a feed or snuggling up together for a show snooze.
Find more ideas for things to see and do at the show:
Yellow Brick Road | Royal Adelaide Show | Review
Top Things to See & Do at the Royal Adelaide Show | 2025
ENDED: WIN Royal Adelaide Show Family Passes
How to Enjoy the Royal Adelaide Show on a Budget | Show Tips for Families
FREE Things To Do at the Royal Adelaide Show
Royal Adelaide Show | Adelaide Showground | 30 Aug – 7 Sep 2025
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.
As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (unless specified).
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