Interview with Lea McBride of Vegan Festival Adelaide

Published 10 October 2024

Star events manager, Lea McBride, has been instrumental in shaping Adelaide’s lively arts and festival scene, crafting unique and memorable experiences.

Left to right: Shay, Emilie, Lea, Poppy (all Lea’s dogs are vegan and thriving)

Born and raised in Adelaide, Lea McBride has had the fortune of living and traveling around the globe, but nowhere quite compares to home. Living just three minutes from the beach and a short drive away from the city gives her the ultimate balance of sun-soaked relaxation and city buzz.

As a long-time event coordinator, Lea has played a pivotal role in Adelaide’s vibrant arts and festival scene, curating fun and memorable experiences. She is currently the director and festival coordinator of Vegan Festival Adelaide, an annual event that brings together people from all walks of life in an atmosphere of celebration and education. Her partner plays a vital role in supporting Vegan Festival Adelaide, turning it into a full-on family affair. Together, they have built their events business with a commitment to being on the right side of history.

Aside from being a star event manager, Lea is a grateful dog mum to three gorgeous vegan golden retrievers and admits she’s terrible at saying no to rescue dogs! She is also a proud mum to her 19-year-old son, who’s diving into animal rights and environmental law. When she’s not juggling event plans, you’ll probably find her at local festivals (purely for “research,” of course!) or exploring Adelaide’s amazing vegan food scene. While she may not be the loudest advocate for animals, Lea has the skills and connections to bring together passionate voices to make sure their message is heard.

In this interview, we discover Lea’s passion for creating impactful and unforgettable events. As a dedicated event manager, she seamlessly combines her skills with her commitment to promoting veganism through her leadership of the Vegan Festival Adelaide.

1 Please share your vegan story and whether you encountered any challenges along the way.

My vegan journey began on New Year’s Day 2013, when I resolved to never be the reason someone else suffered. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made, and like many vegans, I wish I had done it sooner. After being vegetarian since the early 90’s, I mistakenly thought that was enough for the animals. But once I learned about the cruelty in the egg and dairy industries, I had no choice but to align my actions with my beliefs and fully embrace veganism. The more I learned, the less I could justify using or consuming animal products.

Being the festival director of the Vegan Festival Adelaide has placed my journey and actions in the public eye more than I anticipated. As a recognisable figure in the community, I’ve become a target for online and media backlash against veganism. One of the most surprising experiences was the international hatred I received simply for raising my dogs vegan. It’s shocking to be vilified for living a compassionate life toward all beings. Another challenge came when I stood up against a major music festival for using duck feathers in a performance. The fallout was uncomfortable, but it’s nothing compared to the suffering animals endure.

No matter the backlash, I’m determined to keep speaking up. Whether through articles, street protests, or my biggest act of activism, the Vegan Festival Adelaide, I’ll continue to stand up for what’s right. Educating others, whether through new foods, workshops, or demonstrations, is at the heart of what I do. While the world is moving towards more plant-based options and ethical practices, I know it’s not happening fast enough for the animals. Still, there’s hope like never before, and I’m proud to be part of that change.

2 How long have you been an event manager and what do you love most about it?

I’ve been an event manager for over two decades, during which I’ve had the privilege of working on a variety of remarkable events, both in Adelaide and interstate. What I love most about this role is the dynamic nature of the work—no two days are ever the same. The thrill of creating memorable experiences for people is incredibly rewarding. I love looking out over a crowd and seeing the happy faces of those who have come along. Organising the Vegan Festival is a perfect blend of my passion and expertise, allowing me to positively impact lives, one plant-based party at a time!

It has been a massive undertaking over the years, but this has, without a doubt, been one of the best things I have ever done. It is exhausting, the expectations, commitment, and responsibility are enormous, but we do it all with love and one goal in mind. TOTAL ANIMAL LIBERATION.

3 How did you become involved with the Vegan Festival Adelaide and how long have you been its director?

I became involved with the Vegan Festival Adelaide after attending a Nup to the Cup event, where a fellow attendee suggested I join the festival committee as a volunteer. I had attended the festival a few times over the years, and in 2015, I jumped at the chance to put my event management skills and passion for veganism together. In 2017, I took over as the festival director and began expanding the range of events we host throughout the year.

It’s been an absolute privilege to facilitate such a wonderful event, meeting incredible businesses and individuals who are making a real impact on our planet.

Vegan Festival Adelaide crowd celebrating in Rundle Park

4 Could you tell us a little more about Vegan Festival Adelaide?

The Vegan Festival Adelaide has flourished remarkably, growing from just 1,000 attendees in 2007 to an incredible 15,000 to 18,000 over its two-day event. Originally founded in 2007, the festival ran a few times over the period until 2015, when it became an annual tradition. What’s especially exciting is that it’s not just vegans who attend—many “v-curious” individuals from the general public come along to explore and learn about veganism.

In 2022, I was honoured with the Citizen of the Year Award for Community Events, recognizing our lasting impact on Adelaide. It’s been incredible to see our work supporting local businesses and promoting sustainability acknowledged in such a prestigious way. In 2017, we were listed as the #1 event in ChooseVeg.com’s “12 Vegan Festivals You Won’t Want to Miss,” and in 2018, we received a sustainable festival title from the City of Adelaide. We’re immensely proud of our achievements and remain committed to further growth.

South Australia has always been at the forefront of social change, so it’s no surprise that veganism thrives here. Adelaide, with its vibrant food culture, market gardens, and innovative chefs, has embraced the challenge of crafting outstanding plant-based dishes. These days, it’s rare to find a restaurant that doesn’t offer vegan options.

As vegan businesses grow and environmental awareness rises, our festival serves as a beacon of how we can reduce our impact on the planet. The support from the Adelaide community has been heartwarming, though there’s still much work to be done to achieve full acceptance of compassionate living. Change is happening, though, with more options, conversations, and a stronger movement each year. We’re here to educate, celebrate, and keep the vegan message alive in our city and beyond.

5 What other vegan events or projects are you involved with?

With the growing popularity of Vegan Festival Adelaide, we’ve been able to create some exciting spin-off events to keep the community engaged throughout the year. One of the highlights is our live cooking demonstrations at the renowned Adelaide Central Market, where we introduce plant-based cooking to a wider audience and promote the upcoming festival.

Every second year, we host Vegan Palooza, a winter event for compassionate foodies, complete with fun themes like our best vegan mac ‘n’ cheeze competition! In 2021, we launched Australia’s first-ever Vegan Film Festival, which brought in inspiring submissions from around the world. The event even had a ‘green carpet’—our eco-friendly twist on the red carpet, showcasing sustainable fashion!

In recent years, we scaled down to a more relaxed one-day Vegan Picnic, where festival-goers brought rugs, chairs, and enjoyed some Christmas shopping while catching up with friends. Another fan favourite is our Vegustation Series, where Adelaide’s top chefs create incredible vegan dining experiences that sell out in record time.

I’m always looking for creative ways to connect people with veganism and raise awareness about protecting animals and the planet. From flash mobs in animal onesies to 2024’s exciting return of our full two-day festival, we’re always finding new ways to celebrate and inspire!

6 We’d like to learn more about Vegan Festival Adelaide’s environmental sustainability focus. Could you please elaborate on this?

Vegan Festival Adelaide has been committed to environmental sustainability since 2015, when we introduced a 3-bin system and became one of the first events to ban plastic straws. Since then, we’ve required all stalls to use fully compostable service ware, and we conduct checks before trading to ensure everyone is on board. We’re incredibly proud to have met our zero-waste targets for the past three years, and you can find our detailed waste reports on our website.

What makes this all possible is our amazing community. Our attendees genuinely care about the planet—not just by avoiding the environmental destruction caused by animal agriculture, but by adopting sustainable habits like bringing keep cups, cleaning up after themselves, and even bringing containers to get their food served in! We have this great photo from 2018, where the festival grounds were spotless after the event, and just a few days later, the Melbourne Cup site was littered with trash. The contrast speaks volumes about the values of the vegan community, who show up with a deep commitment to caring for the planet.

above: Some of the stalls at the Vegan Festival Adelaide

7 Is there a Vegan Festival Adelaide that stands out in your mind? If so, when was it and why?

There have been so many “pinch me” moments over the years, but 2018 really stands out. I’ll never forget seeing the massive line of people waiting to get into the festival—it was like nothing we’d ever seen before! The buzz around veganism was taking off in a big way all around the world, and you could feel the energy and excitement in the air.

A personal moment that stands out is the 2019 Vegan Festival where we had a live tattoo artist on site and I decided to get ‘inked’ whilst still wearing my headset and directing the festival. The thought of this still makes me giggle. I am such a hardcore event director!

What makes Vegan Festival Adelaide so special are the emotional moments, where everyone shares in both the pain and the joy of being part of a movement. It’s like stepping into a safe, supportive vegan bubble, if only for a weekend.

8 When is the next Vegan Festival Adelaide and what can we expect?

The Vegan Festival Adelaide is back on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December, from 11am to 5pm each day held in the beautiful, tree filled Rundle Park/Kadlitpina right in the heart of the CBD.

Expect a weekend filled with around 60 stalls including fabulous food, like-minded people, adorable dogs to pat, and cruelty-free products to purchase. There will be live local vegan musicians, a huge range of workshops from yoga to activism panels, and a special focus on female empowerment—we’re thrilled to see so many women taking the lead in the movement!

There are countless reasons to adopt a vegan lifestyle, from improving your health and helping fight the climate crisis to saving the lives of animals. The Vegan Festival aims to show you just how easy and fun being vegan can be. With more than 20,000 edible plants available, the possibilities for delicious vegan meals are endless and more accessible every day.

This year’s food line-up includes renowned vendors like Staazi & Co. (ranked in the top 10 vegan food trucks globally), OMG! Donuts, and more, serving up everything from plant-based burgers and dairy-free cheese to gluten-free donuts and refreshing alcohol-free mocktails. Whether it’s chocolate, ice cream, or dumplings, if it’s made from plants, you’ll find it among the 50+ vendors at Vegan Festival.

This year we are holding our very own sausage sizzle, run by one of Adelaide’s favourite’s Chef Greggory. No one needs to die for us to enjoy the simple pleasure of a snag on bread!

Since it’s the Christmas season, the Vegan Festival is a great opportunity to pick up cruelty free Christmas gifts for family and friends. There’s plenty for the kids too including craft sessions, kids disco and giant chess.

To kick off the weekend, vegan favourite Zacchary Bird will host Animal Rights Aerobics—if you follow him online, you know he’s just as famous for his dance moves as his cookbooks! He’ll also lead a cooking demo in the Plant-Powered Tent, along with experts like Rebecca Stonor & Dr. Heleene Haitjema from Doctors for Nutrition, Nadia Fragnito from The Italian Vegan Kitchen, and Cherie Hausler from All The Things in the Barossa Valley.

On the main stage, hear Kristy Alger speak passionately about the horrors of greyhound racing, and listen to Farm Transparency Project team led by Chris Delforce share their latest campaigns exposing animal cruelty in Australia.

We’ve all seen the meme: “What if you’re vegan and stranded on a deserted island?” Well, our guests literally were! Meet Sav from Love Island and Yasmine from Million Dollar Island, who stayed true to their ethics even on reality TV. Talk about living every cliché and rocking it for the animals!

AND we are honoured to have the incredible Jason Gillespie as the face of our festival! The cricket legend and committed vegan isn’t just a patron—he’s an enthusiastic advocate for our cause, blending athleticism, environmental care, and compassion for animals. His support isn’t just an endorsement; it’s a powerful celebration of values and advocacy.

We would love interstate vegans to join us and experience Adelaide’s beauty while celebrating all things plant-based.

Peace begins on your plate this Christmas!