It feels like Adelaide is emerging from a cocoon. The Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Fringe and WOMADelaide have passed with little disruption and the arts community is feeling optimistic. The Adelaide Cabaret Festival is a touchstone of the winter arts scene in Adelaide. For art lovers, it’s one of the few reasons to get out of our toasty lounge rooms. Under new Artistic Director Tina Arena, there’s great anticipation about what to expect from her program, which has just been announced – and if the gala concert is anything to go by, art lovers should be out in force with the hardiest of football nuts in June.

Paul McDermott hosted the 2022 Variety Gala, Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Photo © Sia Duff

A variety gala concert is akin to the excitement of opening a box of chocolates. You dive in for the Turkish Delights and Almond Whirls, and while you can’t take a bite of the Orange Cream, squirm, and put the rest in the wrapper back in the box, as I do when eating chocolates, you know that you’re going to savour more than you squirm....