Festival Participation
The South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Festival is an open-access visual arts festival that celebrates the work of living South Australian visual artists. The Festival is held every August across South Australia and is made up of hundreds of exhibitions, open studio days, workshops, talks, and other art-based events.
How do I take part?
The way to take part in SALA is to organise an art exhibition or event,
and to register that event to be included in the festival.
organise
REGISTER
ENJOY
Who can be involved?
SALA is an open-access festival, which means that anyone can participate, regardless of age or skill level. The only criteria that apply to participating / exhibiting artists are:
- that they are from (or a resident of) South Australia
- that they are alive at the time of registration
- that their work is ‘visual art‘ (rather than music, dramaturgy, etc).
WHERE & WHEN?
To be part of SALA Festival, your event must take place within South Australia (or online) either in a place that is publicly accessible, or can be made publicly accessible for the display.
There is no minimum or maximum time that the event needs to run for, as long as it is open at least once during August.
What can I register?
SALA Festival is made up of events that display or celebrate the work of South Australian living visual artists.
Most of the events in the festival are art exhibitions, but there are other events formats, such as: open studio days, workshops, artist talks, performances, demonstrations, and more.
A solo exhibition is a display of artwork by one person.
From solo exhibitions and curated shows in dedicated art galleries, to a couple of friends casually showing work in their local cafe, to finalists in an art competition at the local library. in cafes and libraries, to online, up a tree, or projected onto a grain silo, the whole state becomes a giant canvas during SALA!
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Art exhibitions are the most common type of event in SALA Festival – in all kinds of spaces. From solo exhibitions and curated shows in dedicated art galleries, to a couple of friends casually showing work in their local cafe, to finalists in an art competition at the local library. in cafes and libraries, to online, up a tree, or projected onto a grain silo, the whole state becomes a giant canvas during SALA!
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Key dates for 2026
Event Registrations open: Sunday 1 March
Earlybird discount ends: Wednesday 8 April (midnight*)
Registrations close: Wednesday 6 May 2026 (midnight*)
Most awards close: Wednesday 13 May (midnight*)
SALA FESTIVAL: 1-31 AUGUST
Open Studios Weekend: 15-16 August
* SALA staff will be available to support submissions up until 5pm (Mon-Fri)
Got more questions?
For more information, check out the 2026 Participation Resource, the FAQs section below, or get in touch with us.
(08) 7077 0011 / [email protected]
Don’t forget to join the SALA Festival mailing list for reminders of approaching SALA key dates.
Steps to Participate:
As an Artist
Step 1: Confirm Artist Eligibility
Step 2: Find a Venue
Step 3: Agree on Event Details
Step 4: Register your event
Step 5: Promote & Install
As a Venue
Step 1: Confirm Venue Eligibility
Step 2: Find an artist
Step 3: Agree on Event Details
Step 4: Register your event
Step 5: Promote & Host
Frequently Asked Questions
To get your work into the SALA program you must organise an exhibition or arts event, complete a registration form and submit it before 6th May, 2026.
For more guidance on the process of organising an event and registering check out the resources page of our website.
- An in-person art exhibition. This is the most common way that artists participate. An exhibition can be indoors or outdoors.
- An online visual art exhibition
- An artist talk (which can occur without an exhibition)
- A forum about art
- An open studio
Don’t see your event type here? Get in contact with us to discuss your idea.
All visual artists living and working in South Australia are eligible to be part of SALA. You can work in any visual art medium, be of any skill level, and be any age.
Any South Australian venue can host a SALA exhibition, including private residences, as long as the exhibition can be safely viewable by the public at least once during August.
If you are unsure whether your activity falls within ‘visual art’ don’t hesitate to contact the SALA team to discuss.
The visual arts encompass painting, drawing, sculpture, glass, textiles, ceramics, printmaking, photographic art, (and more!) But it does not include theatre, music, or dance. These mediums are unable to be part of our Festival unless these activities support a visual arts event.
Online exhibitions are a valid form of display in the SALA Festival.
Please note that online exhibitions will need to be hosted independently (just like a physical exhibition does). Registering in the SALA Festival gets you a listing in the SALA Program, which acts as a directory rather than a host site.
If you’re wanting to put on an online exhibition but not sure which platform to use, think about what you actually want to do first. If you’re presenting a body of work through photographs/images, maybe you could use Wix or a virtual gallery like artsteps. If you want to make an artist talk, maybe a narrated PowerPoint slideshow on YouTube or an audio recording on Soundcloud is more appropriate.
You can find more information about the cost to register, and available council rebates in the Registration Fees and Council Rebates section of our website.
Each year, several local councils support artists and venues participating in SALA by subsiding partial or whole registration fees. This scheme acknowledges the role that artists and local venues play in the cultural life of the council area. See the Council Rebates page for a full list of participating councils.
If your council has not listed a rebate offer, please contact them directly to ask whether they can offer this service.
We love an unconventional idea!
As long as your event incorporates living South Australian visual artists, please consider registering it.
If you would like help or feedback with your idea, get in contact with us!
All donations have a huge impact on our future; we appreciate every contribution. You can donate to us via our Donate page.
Donations above $2 are tax deductible.
exhibitions from past years
Need help with your 2025 SALA registration? Whether you have questions about your SALA activity, council rebates, or anything else SALA-related, we’re here to assist!
Visit our Information Sessions page to book a time with a staff member.
Registering for SALA festival
Registrations for SALA Festival 2025 are now closed. Join the SALA Festival mailing list or check back in January for updates on the 2026 SALA key dates.
