Keen to go to the Royal Adelaide Show, but want to keep your budget in check? A weekday visit is the way to go.

Monday to Friday offers cheaper admission tickets, plus shows and activities you will not find on the weekend.

Make sure to pre-purchase online or in-store at Foodland, as you can no longer buy tickets at the gate. Just remember – you are buying a ticket for a set day that cannot be swapped over.

And if you are taking public transport, travelling off-peak (9am–3pm) will slice even more off your costs.

Once inside, there will be plenty to keep kids and adults happy without spending a single cent.

Here are a few favourites for a free and super-cheerful weekday at the Show.

Kaleidoscope: A Cultural Cabaret Tapestry

Catch the entertainment on the Boulevard Stage

Turn off the telly or put your email out-of-office message on!

Get your fix of weekday entertainment with daily shows at the Boulevard Stage brought to you by Gluttony.

Step into the vibrant world of Kaleidoscope: A Cultural Cabaret Tapestry for a captivating fusion of dance and music performances from cultures worldwide.

Join Hannah and her massive wheel for The Big Wheel Show, as she contorts herself through rings, spinning and rolling through the wheel. Expect light-hearted banter and gasp-inducing moments.

Get ready to have your scrunchies blown off with 80’s Ladies, a spectacular hair-raising show bringing 80’s bangers to life.

And stick around on Friday post-fireworks to have a boogie on the dance floor with the global sounds and genre-blending mixes of Kaurna local DJ Nelya.

Get into farming

The Royal Adelaide Show raises awareness about the state’s agriculture and horticulture industries.

As it is run by a not-for-profit, the Show’s proceeds are invested back into these industries through education initiatives, scholarships, funding and sponsorship.

Which makes it a great place to learn about farming, food production and fibres.

Kids can become a farmer for the day at Aggie’s Farm, picking fruit, harvesting veggies and collecting eggs to take to the Farmers Market and exchange for a barnyard themed surprise.

Decide if farm life is your jam and get along to the sheep shearing, cow milking and baby animal feeding demonstrations held every day in the Learning Centre.

Get hands on in Golden Grains with the grains and fodder education display. Learn about the importance of farm safety, biosecurity and where your food and fibre comes from.

And if you have always dreamed about having chickens, check out the Frizzles, Leghorns, Australorps and more in the upper level of Stirling Angas Hall.

Be wowed by feats of strength

Find that motivation you need to get back into strength training. Or just hang out and cheer on these super-strong men and women.

On Monday, get behind the Aussie women as Australia takes on the New Zealand team in woodchopping. Tuesday to Thursday, see both veterans teams in action, while on Friday, the U21s take up their axes. It is happening in the Woodchopping Arena.

On Thursday, Adelaide’s own very own strong man Jordan ‘Biggie’ Steffens will pull a 60-tonne crane in the Kingsway.

Take the kids to a show they’ll love

In between petting the hundreds of farm animals and fending off requests for a second dog, you will need time out to put your feet up and take a breather.

Head to the Goyder Pavilion where the kids can catch a show with their favourite TV characters performing in real life.

There are several shows each day. See everyone’s favourite Bluey and her little sister Bingo. Dig into Dirtgirl and Scrapboy’s Grubby Bucket Show. Or stay safe in the water with the crew from Kangaroo Beach.

Find the show times here.

Eat and drink like there’s no tomorrow

While there is a seriously tempting array of food on offer in the Kingsway Gourmet, Dairy Food Hall and elsewhere, you could just nibble your way through the Show.

Head to the Taste SA Pavilion in the Stirling Angas Hall to sample all the delicious local produce. Each day, there will also be a small batch SA producer featured in A New Taste of SA.

The Taste SA Pavilion is also where you can try the expanded Cellar Door Experience and delve into a world of chocolate and ice cream, as well as beer and wine.

Make like a judge for the cookery and handicrafts

Once you’ve taken the edge off your hunger, the Duncan Gallery beckons where you can admire the mouth-watering cookery displays and skilled handicrafts.

Got an eye for art? Pick your favourite piece in the Royal Adelaide Art Prize on show in the Goyder Pavilion.

If Wednesday is your Show day, don’t miss the great Show Bake Off. Professional cake decorators will pair up with local media personalities to compete for the Best Decorator title.

Their one hour to wow the crowd is your time to let that sampled food settle before taste testing more deliciousness in the Goyder Food and Wine section of Goyder Pavilion.

Live life in the fast and furious lane

Yes, the show is there to promote the expertise and excellence of our primary industries, but all work and no play can make a farmer sad.

This explains why the farm workhorse (the ute) will get a daily and nightly outing as professional drifters put the pedal to the metal in the Holden vs Ford V8 Ute Challenge.

Catch more ute excitement in Harry & Carly, as the cute brother and sister utes skid and race against each other.

And be there when the Airtime FMX team jump and flip their motorbikes across the Main Arena, with the chance to get a selfie and autograph from the team after their show.

All three shows are in the Main Arena.

For indoor action, take a spin in a flight simulator at the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) stand in the Jubilee Pavilion.

Give mother nature a great, big hug

Our food production is dependent on the health of our environment. So, be sure to have a free experience of the environmental kind.

Take in a birds-eye view of the Showground on the daily Rooftop Solar and Beehive Tours. View 10,000 square metres of rooftop solar panels and the working beehives, positioned on the rooftop. Meet at Atrium Kiosk, tours leave every hour from 11am – 4pm.

Visit Bugs ‘n’ Slugs to get hands on with nature education and invertebrates and discover that even creepy crawlies can be super cute! Find it in the Pet Centre.

If your kids are fans of Dirtgirl and Scrapboy, they will love the chance to meet them in the Nature Play Space in Goyder Plaza before each show.

This is just a taste of what is on offer for free at this year’s Royal Adelaide Show, making it the best ticket in town. Find dozens more free activities at their website.