Theatre, dance, music and visual art will collide at this year’s Adelaide Festival.

From 1 – 17 March, the 2013 program features 314 performances of 53 events, including 29 events exclusive to Adelaide, and 27 Australian premieres and showcasing the talents of more than 1000 artists and writers.

A celebration of creative excellence, Adelaide Festival has been delivering the world’s most innovative artists, companies and productions to audiences since launching in 1960.

Previously running biennially, 2013 marks both the first year Adelaide Festival will occur annually and the beginning of the world-renowned and respected David Sefton’s three-year tenure as artistic director.

"To come into a festival with the reputation and history of the Adelaide Festival is an enormous honour and I look forward to the opportunities presented playing a part in its future," Mr Sefton said.

"At the heart of my artistic philosophy has always been the importance of creating festivals with strong identities and I will continue and extend that philosophy here."

The festival will open on 1 March with a huge free concert in magnificent Elder Park, headlined by celebrated singer-songwriters Paul Kelly and Neil Finn.

Mr Sefton said the concert would be the perfect way to open his first Adelaide Festival.

“I wanted to give something special to Adelaide Festival patrons and the city,” he said.

“A huge free concert in Elder Park with two of Australasia’s beloved performers was the perfect way to do that.”

This year’s festival will deliver a few world firsts, including a series of concerts curated by the founders of New York indie record label Brassland and a screening of Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey with live accompaniment by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

An exclusive career-retrospective performance by ‘70s music icon Van Dyke Parks, who will be accompanied by special guests including recent Grammy Award-winning pop singer Kimbra, is also tipped to be a highlight.

In conjunction with the arts events programmed by Mr Sefton, this year’s Adelaide Festival will also encompass a series of independently programmed events celebrating sublime writing and fresh ideas including DocWeek, which will feature screenings of current and retrospective work by internationally acclaimed documentary filmmakers, and, for book lovers, the annual Adelaide Writers Week.

Huge numbers of festival-goers are also expected to descend on Botanic Park during the middle weekend of the festival for one of the nation’s most loved and distinctive music festivals, WOMADelaide, which will feature performances by the Cat Empire, The Herd and Jimmy Cliff among others.

Finally, the legendary late-night shantytown club Barrio will return with a wild, ever-changing mix of market place, bar, stage, dance floor, and nightly performers and DJs from around the world.

“If I didn’t bring Barrio back I would’ve been tarred and feathered,” Mr Sefton said.

To view the complete Adelaide Festival schedule and to purchase tickets visit: http://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/

Pic: Grammy Award winner Kimbra will perform at the 2013 Adelaide Festival (photo courtesy Thom Kerr).