ADELAIDE4WARD 2026

Date: 29 OCTOBER 2026 

SONY FOUNDATION’S ADELAIDE4WARD RAISES $450,000 TOWARDS SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S FIRST YOUTH CANCER CENTRE

On Thursday, 29 October, Sony Foundation, the charitable arm of the Sony Group of Companies in Australia, united leading figures from South Australia's media, entertainment, business and government sectors this afternoon, raising $450,000 to support the build of South Australia's first dedicated Youth Cancer Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Held at the iconic Adelaide Oval, in partnership with The Advertiser Foundation Kids’ Appeal, Sony Foundation’s third annual Adelaide4Ward event combined music, entertainment and philanthropy to support access to specialised, age-appropriate care in South Australia.

Funds raised through Adelaide4Ward today will directly support the development of Sony Foundation’s Adelaide ‘You Can’ Youth Cancer Centre, helping address a longstanding gap in cancer care for young South Australians.

The Hon. Peter Malinauskas MP, Premier of South Australia, attended Adelaide4Ward to reaffirm the South Australian Government’s support for the Centre, pledging a further $50,000 towards its development. This builds on the combined $100,000 committed at Adelaide4Ward in 2024 and 2025.

The Hon. Blair Boyer MP, Minister for Health and Wellbeing, also attended the event, reflecting a shared commitment across government, business and the community to bringing South Australia’s first dedicated Youth Cancer Centre to life.

Headlining this year's event was multi-ARIA Award-winning Sony Music artist Amy Shark alongside a special performance from rising Australian singer-songwriter and Sony Music Group artist Fletcher Kent.

Hosting duties were shared by NOVA Entertainment's Jodie Oddy and Andrew 'Hayesy' Hayes and Seven Media Group’s Rosanna Mangiarelli. Guests also heard from leading voices in the community during a Fireside Chat, moderated by The Advertiser’s Rebecca Morse and featuring Grant Kelley (Chair, The Holdfast Group & Adelaide 36ers), Melanie Cooper AM (Chair, Coopers Brewery) and Suzi Evans (Founder, Workbench For The Mind).

To be built at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the Centre will become the sixth in Sony Foundation’s national ‘You Can’ Youth Cancer Centre network, bringing together specialised healthcare, allied health services, survivorship programs and social support under one roof.

Like other ‘You Can’ Youth Cancer Centres, the Adelaide facility will feature state-of-the-art technology and entertainment from Sony Group Companies, including dedicated spaces for gaming, music and theatre.

These spaces will give young people opportunities to connect with others their age, express themselves and take a break from the challenges of cancer.

To date, Sony Foundation’s Adelaide4Ward has raised $1,390,000 towards the development of the Adelaide ‘You Can’ Youth Cancer Centre, including $150,000 in contributions from the South Australian Government.

At 25, youth cancer survivor and advocate Liana Galic has experienced firsthand the need for age-appropriate cancer care. Diagnosed at 22 with a rare Stage 4 head and neck cancer following months of chronic pain, Liana underwent intensive treatment and experienced the isolation of navigating cancer in a predominantly adult clinical environment.

Now in remission, Liana is Chair of the South Australian Youth Advisory Group and has played an important role in shaping the development of Sony Foundation’s Adelaide ‘You Can’ Youth Cancer Centre.

Addressing guests at Adelaide4Ward, Liana shared her experience of treatment and why dedicated spaces for young people with cancer matter:

“During treatment, I’d sit for hours in waiting rooms surrounded by people decades older than me. Only once did I see another young girl remotely close to my age. This often made me feel isolated, alone and out of place.

“Through the Youth Advisory Group, I’ve helped shape the future of youth cancer care in South Australia, including through the planning of Sony Foundation’s ‘You Can’ Youth Cancer Centre. As young people, we deserve more than just medical treatment. We need connection, somewhere to laugh, to cry, to make friends or just sit beside someone who understands.

“That is what the Youth Cancer Centre represents to us: the things we needed but didn’t always have, and the community we had to find ourselves. I hope they find warmth, friendship and moments of normality in an otherwise extraordinary experience. And hopefully, can find a way to feel the sunlight even on their darkest days.

“You can’t promise a young person that cancer won’t turn their life upside down. But we can help make sure they don’t have to navigate it alone,” said Liana.

Sophie Ryan-McPhee, CEO of Sony Foundation, said: “Adelaide4Ward has once again demonstrated the generosity of the South Australian community and what can be achieved when business, government and healthcare come together for a shared purpose. Every dollar raised today brings us one step closer to creating South Australia’s first dedicated Youth Cancer Centre, giving young people access to specialised care and a space to connect with others their age.”

Each year, around 1,200 young Australians are diagnosed with cancer. For many, the impact extends well beyond treatment, affecting mental health, education, employment, relationships and long-term wellbeing.

For the one in three young people with cancer who live in regional areas, these challenges can be compounded by the need to travel significant distances for specialised care, often leaving behind family, friends, study and work commitments.

Funds raised at this year’s Adelaide4Ward will support the development of South Australia’s first dedicated Youth Cancer Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, helping improve access to specialised care, connection and support for young South Australians with cancer, including those travelling from regional areas and interstate for treatment.

Adelaide4Ward 2026 Event Partners:

Adelaide Oval, Ambra Spirits Distillery, Creative Printing & Apparel, DHL, G.H.Mumm, Little National Hotel, Mazi Wines, Morris Whisky, NPW Productions, Peter Lehmann Wines, Pirate Life Brewing, San Pellegrino, Scene Change, Skillogalee, Southern Ocean Lodge, The Advertiser Foundation, The Cliffs Kangaroo Island, The Vantage and Topbunk.

Adelaide4Ward 2026 Media Partners:

ACM, Are Media, ARN, Gumtree Group, IGN Entertainment, JCDecaux, JOLT, News Corp Australia, Nine Entertainment, NOVA Entertainment, oOh!media, Paramount, QMS, Scentre Group BrandSpace, Seven Media Group