Adelaide was often referred to as the “Athens of the South.” The city’s well-planned layout, and historic focus on education and the arts, drew parallels with classical Athens.
Last weekend, Adelaide’s Semaphore foreshore was transformed into Athens’ riviera. The Semaphore Greek Festival, held January 16–18, was a panegyric celebration of Greek culture, music, food, and South Australia’s Greek community life. Semaphore’s hot summer afternoons and balmy evenings were caressed by sea breezes as festivalgoers, young and old, and the music all evoked elements of Athens’ Glyfada or Vouliagmeni beaches.
Premier announces increased funding for festival
SA Premier Peter Malinauskas opened the celebrations, drawing what seemed like endless applause. He announced a major increase in funding for the Semaphore Greek Festival.
As the sun lowered over Semaphore’s jetty and a gentle sea breeze swept across the foreshore, Malinauskas took to the stage, framed by Greek flags. Scanning the large, multigenerational crowd, the premier seemed visibly moved by the overwhelming response.
He described the event as “one of the great cultural festivals of South Australia” and acknowledged “the decades of effort that had transformed a modest community gathering into a major state-wide event.”
“This festival represents the best of multicultural South Australia and shows how culture, generosity and community spirit bring people together in a way that strengthens society,” he said. The premier then committed to increased annual funding of $50,000, with a four-year funding commitment totalling $200,000.
“The festival is a cornerstone of South Australia’s multicultural identity, and the Greek community has made an enduring contribution to the state’s social, cultural and economic life.”
Malinauskas said that “Semaphore Greek Festival is not just about food and music, but about belonging, passing culture from one generation to the next, and building a society where people from every background feel welcome and valued.”
The premier paid tribute to the volunteers who power the festival each year, calling their commitment “a remarkable example of civic generosity and community pride,” prompting another round of applause.
The premier acknowledged the “immense” role Greek migrants and their descendants have played in shaping the state’s post-war prosperity and spoke of “Greek values of family, faith and hard work—the same values that underpin South Australia’s broader multicultural success story.”
Premier admits to loukoumades addiction
He drew laughter when he said he measured the festival’s annual success by “how many loukoumades he managed to eat before someone can take the plate away from him.” He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to multicultural festivals as “essential to social cohesion at a time of growing global uncertainty and division.”
Semaphore Greek Festival was a truly intergenerational affair. Families with prams, teens, children, young couples, and the elderly all gave the festival life. Elders strolled along the foreshore, paused to greet old friends and exchanged kisses—the Greek way, on both cheeks. For many, the festival was a reunion, an annual ritual marking the heart of summer in Adelaide.
The scent of charcoal-grilled souvlaki, kontosouvli, and loukoumades wafted across the precinct. Long, cheerful queues formed at food stalls operated by volunteers from the Port Adelaide Greek Orthodox Community.
High energy highjinks
The Bouzoukia by the Sea concert transformed Semaphore into an open-air seaside Greek nightclub. Kelly Kelekidou and Nikos Zoidakis sang laïka hits to a packed crowd that danced late into the evening.
Enosis Band, with Paras Siasios, belted out high-energy sets of folk, laïko, and pop classics, while DJ Apostal ramped up the mood with Greek and contemporary beats.
The Bill Moutzouris Bouzouki School of Music showcased neophyte Greek-Australian musicians.
Local dance groups such as the Messinian Dance School, the Pontian Brotherhood, the Cretan Association, the Greek Lyceum, and the Port Adelaide Greek Dance Academy presented regional dances from across Greece.
The festival offered a full program of crowd-pleasing competitions, including Who Loves Pita, Honey, I Ate the Loukoumades, What-A-Melon Eating, and the iconic Spasta! plate-smashing contest, all drawing laughter, cheering, and spirited participation.
Sporting life also found a place at the festival, as Port Adelaide Football Club AFL and AFLW players mingled with festivalgoers and posed for photographs.
A festival of life
Federal Minister Mark Butler, the Consul General of Greece in South Australia Alexandra Theodoropoulou, Bishop Silouan, City of Port Adelaide Enfield Mayor Claire Boan, Minister Tom Koutsantonis, and other leaders were also in attendance.
As the sun set over Semaphore jetty each evening, families lingered long after the performances ended. Children danced barefoot on the grass, couples shared the last plates of loukoumades, and friends embraced goodbye with promises to meet again the following year.
Marking its 45th year, the Semaphore Greek Festival continues to evolve yet remains anchored in its values of faith, family, and culture. With greater government support, a strong volunteer base, and overwhelming public enthusiasm, the festival has a bright future.
