Adelaide University is set to celebrate the institution's first Kaurna Day as 'Adelaide University - Tirkangkaku, a Place of Learning' on Thursday with a traditional Smoking Ceremony and sunrise Welcome to Country.

The University said Kaurna Day, also known as Tirkanthi | Ngutu | Taikurrinthi (Learning | Knowledge | Be united together) is a day to honour, learn from and celebrate the living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Thursday's event will see students and community members join First Nations Elders to participate in the deeply significant Aboriginal cultural ceremonies at Adelaide University's City Easy campus.

Adelaide University Deputy Vice Chancellor - Indigenous, Professor Steve Larkin, said holding the ceremony at sunrise signals continuity and new beginnings - a deliberate way for the University to begin its next chapter grounded in respect for the knowledge systems of Kaurna Country.

"When we gather at sunrise, we are not just marking the start of a day, we are acknowledging thousands of generations who have watched this same light rise over Kaurna Country," Professor Larkin said.

"A Smoking Ceremony prepares the space and the people. It reminds us that we carry responsibility - to Country, to each other and to the generations still to come.

"When people walk through the smoke at sunrise, they step into a shared space of learning and respect. Seeing a university begin its journey in this way shows respect for the knowledge that has always been here."

While 2026 marks the first Kaurna Day for Adelaide University, the event was first established in 2024 to celebrate the connection between the University and the Kaurna, Boandik, and Barngarla Peoples.

The University says Kaurna Day has since become "a signature event for staff, students and community alike".

Adelaide University Vice Chancellor, Professor Niels Philips, said commencing Adelaide University's first Kaurna Day at sunrise is both symbolic and intentional.

"As a new institution, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to build our future in genuine partnership with First Nations communities," Professor Phillips said.

"Kaurna Day reminds us that Adelaide University - Tirkangkaku - exists on lands where knowledge and culture have been exchanged for more than 65,000 years.

"We are proud to begin our journey by listening, acknowledging Country, and preserving and creating spaces and practices that advance First Nations leadership."

Throughout the day Adelaide University's City Campus East is set to come alive with music, dance, storytelling, workshops and community connection, celebrating the diversity and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures across Australia.

Program events include Performances by First Nations artists from the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music, community stalls showcasing First Nations artists and vendors, student and researcher presentations highlighting First Nations-led research and learning, workshops welcoming walk-ins for silk painting, beading, and weaving, a kangaroo tail cooking demonstration, and cultural activities, native animal displays and interactive experiences across the Barr Smith Lawns.

A free community event, Kaurna Day will be held at Adelaide University's City Campus East on North Terrace.

The Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony will be held from 7:00am at the Kaurna Learning Circle at the base of the Barr Smith Lawns, with activities held on the Lawns throughout the day until 2:30pm.

The University said everyone is invited and welcome to join Kaurna Day.

Event registrations are now being taken online.