Register for 2025
Held each year in January during the Santos Tour Down Under since its inception in 1999, the Santos Best Dressed Town competition is back once again for the 25th year in 2025!
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2025 Daily Winners
Friday 17
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Aldinga
Aldinga’s private residents welcomed the peloton to the seaside town, showcasing its friendly nature with a sea of bright colors and creative designs. This was an ode to celebrating the start of our wonderful 25th year of the Santos Tour Down Under!
Karl Horn
With a gold crown largely on display, highlighting the incredible 25 years of the Santos Best Dressed Town, Karl was the king of Aldinga, showcasing his creative flair.
Saturday 18
McLaren Vale
Santos Best Dressed Town is McLaren Vale! Bikes and buntings of all shapes and colours lined the main street of McLaren Vale. Each bike was unique with the riders ranging from skeletons to woolly sheep to welcome the peloton to the wonderful vineyards of McLaren Vale!
Hardy's and Fleurieu Arthouse McLaren Vale
Santos Best Dressed Commercial or Community Property is Hardy's and Fleurieu Arthouse McLaren Vale. Showing off their creative flare using bursts of bright oranges and blues, incorporating them into old bike wheels to create eye-catching displays.
Sunday 19
Stirling
Santos' Best Dressed Town is Stirling. The local hillside town was full of color and display as the peloton made its way through. The locals came out into the sunshine to show their support on the last stage of the women's race.
Miss Perez Kitchen and Bar
Santos' Best Dressed Commercial or Community Property is Miss Perez Kitchen and Bar. Orange and blue bikes were among the crowd of local cyclists getting their early coffee fix from Miss Perez.
Barry and Sues Cummins
Santos' Best Dressed private property belongs to Barry and Sue Cummins. A large '25' was the centerpiece of the colorful display at the Cummins' local home, with bikes and bunting covering the hedges.
Competition Details
- Santos Best Dressed Town
- Santos Best Dressed Private Property
- Santos Best Dressed Commercial or Community Property
- Santos Best Dressed Town - Community involvement, innovation, appearance, sustainable initiatives and the use of Santos Tour Down Under in your display.
- Santos Best Dressed Private, Commercial or Community Property - Innovation, appearance, sustainable initiatives and the use of Santos Tour Down Under in your display.
- Community Involvement: How involved are local residents? Is the whole community contributing to the event? Do visitors and judges feel welcomed? Is energy and excitement on show?
- Appearance: How much effort went into preparing decorations, festivities and activities? Does the nominated site feature plenty of colour and visual impact?
- Innovation: Have any creative measures been used in the planning, preparation and installation of decorations and local activities?
- Santos Tour Down Under and 25-Year Inclusion: How well has the nominee included Santos Tour Down Under event name in their design? How well has the nominee referenced the Santos Tour Down Under’s 25-year milestone? (e.g., showcasing key moments of the last 25 years, past winners, jersey evolutions, iconic riders, memorabilia, and creative milestone-themed displays incorporating the number ‘25’.
- Sustainable Initiatives: How well has the nominee incorporated sustainable practices in their design? What initiatives are in place to minimise environmental impact? Designs that use materials with a high environmental impact (including balloons, single use plastics etc.) will not score points. We love to see household materials such as old bicycle parts, glass jars and bottles, cardboard boxes, old fabric or clothing, tin cans, wooden pallets etc.
The Santos Best Dressed Town Competition will award gold, silver and bronze winners for each category. There will also be a daily winner for each category on every stage.
DAILY WINNERS
Santos Best Dressed Town:
Framed certificate and $500.
Santos Best Dressed Private Property:
Framed certificate and gift pack.
Santos Best Dressed Commercial or Community Property:
Framed certificate and gift pack.
OVERALL WINNERS
Santos Best Dressed Town - Gold:
A signed framed jersey, two metal signs signifying the win, $3000 to be spent on a community improvement project or resources of the nominee’s choice, and the town added to the perpetual winner’s trophy with display rights for 11 months.
Santos Best Dressed Town - Silver:
A signed framed jersey, $1500 to be spent on a community improvement project or resources of the nominee’s choice.
Santos Best Dressed Town - Bronze:
A signed framed jersey, $750 to be spent on a community improvement project or resources of the nominee’s choice.
Santos Best Dressed Private Property:
Framed certificate, gift pack and $1000.
Santos Best Dressed Commercial or Community Property:
Framed certificate, gift pack and $1000.
Best of the Best Dressed
This year marks an incredible 25 years of the Santos Best Dressed Town Competition, and we’re celebrating!
For this special milestone, we’re inviting you to relive the excitement by voting for your favourite Best Dressed Town from the past 25 years selection of winners. These towns have showcased unforgettable creativity, spirit, and flair, leaving a lasting impression on the competition’s history.
See the entrants below. Voting is now open!
VOTE NOW
Middletown: 2024
Middletown transformed with vibrant blue, orange, and yellow decorations, hosting lively events like live music and a sausage sizzle. Creative touches, including surfboard-shaped bikes and festive bunting, highlighted the community’s unity and enthusiasm for the Santos Tour Down Under.
Uraidla: 2023, 2019
Uraidla’s pride shines through every decorated street, fence, and paddock. The Santos Best Dressed Town competition unites the community, showcasing deep connections and sparking exciting local initiatives. Winning has strengthened community spirit and funded projects that continue to benefit the town.
Woodside: 2022,2020
Woodside’s creative decorations, made with recycled materials, lift community spirits and inspire sustainability. The competition has helped the town recover from recent challenges, including Covid and bushfires, with prize money supporting initiatives like upgrades to the Woody Trails BMX Park.
Lobethal: 2021, 2012
Lobethal’s community comes together across generations to celebrate the Santos Tour Down Under with large-scale decorations and vibrant local participation. The event boosts the town’s economy, showcases its rich culture, and inspires lasting pride and sustainable tourism efforts.
Port Adelaide: 2018
Port Adelaide embraced its history and vibrant community spirit, putting on a colourful display for the Santos Tour Down Under. The town’s participation highlighted its strong sense of identity and pride.
Lyndoch: 2017, 2016
Lyndoch repeatedly rolled out a warm Barossa welcome, blending wine, food, and culture with its signature hospitality. The competition fosters pride and strengthens the region’s deep sense of community.
Williamstown: 2015
Williamstown came alive in 2015 with vibrant decorations and community spirit, transforming the quiet riverside town into a lively hub that showcased its creative flair and strong sense of togetherness.
McLaren Vale: 2014, 1999
McLaren Vale embraced the opportunity to showcase its wineries, vibrant community, and local businesses in 2014 as well as the inaugural year of 1999. The event fosters pride and promotes tourism, encouraging return visits and economic growth.
Prospect: 2013
Prospect’s streets burst with colour and style, as businesses created a unique, multicoloured experience that delighted locals and highlighted the suburb’s lively character in 2013.
Tailem Bend: 2011
Tailem Bend showcased its unique offerings and created a vibrant atmosphere that promoted the town and inspired visitors to return.
Aldinga Bay: 2010, 2002
Aldinga Bay highlighted its stunning coastal charm, uniting the community to showcase hidden gems, seaside cafés and restaurants, fostering tourism and return visitation to a place unlike anywhere else.
One Tree Hill: 2009
One Tree Hill filled its streets with colour and warmth, showcasing its rich history, unique character, and welcoming locals while sharing its story with visitors to the community.
Mannum: 2008, 2007
Mannum’s community spirit shone brightly as the town embraced the event with colourful displays throughout town, attracting visitors to experience its riverfront beauty, charm and friendly atmosphere.
Stirling: 2006
Stirling transformed into a vibrant, bustling Adelaide Hills town during the competition, showcasing its historic buildings, lush greenery, and community pride to a global audience.
Willunga: 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 and 2001
Willunga embraced its rich history and community pride year on year, setting a standard for quality involvement and promoting the Historical Township of Willunga and local attractions.
City of Unley & King Willliam Road Progress Association: 2000
City of Unley & King William Road Progress Association transformed their streets with vibrant colour and decorations. Their efforts set a benchmark early on in the competition for creativity and community pride, setting themselves apart.
2024 OVERALL WINNERS
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Santos Best Dressed Town
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Santos Best Dressed Private Property
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Santos Best Dressed Commercial or Community Property
MIDDLETON
The overall Gold winner of the Santos Best Dressed Town is Middleton! Middleton went all out to get the community engaged to watch the TDU go through their town. The town had a blue, orange and yellow theme that was visually effective and created an exciting atmosphere. They organised a free community event, allowing locals to enjoy the race, with live music and sausage sizzle. The town showcased creatively painted bikes shaped like surfboards with TDU signage, and lampposts were adorned with custom TDU signs. Bunting was displayed throughout the streets, adding to the inclusive community effort.
SILVER: Lobethal
The overall Silver winner of the Santos Best Dressed Town is Lobethal! The main street of Lobethal was bursting with colour and excitement with the whole community getting involved to decorate businesses and properties. The town got creative and lined the streets with flowers made of foam, tassels, pom-poms and bunting. With a blue and white theme, matching the Santos branding, there were re-purposed old bikes and bike wheels painted along the streets.
BRONZE: Christies Beach
The overall Bronze winner of the Santos Best Dressed Town is Christies Beach! The Christies Beach Business & Tourism Association orchestrated a community art project, crafting 80 surfboards from MDF and engaging multiple residents and businesses to paint them. These vibrant boards adorned lamp posts throughout the town, accompanied by 31 flags representing the countries of the riders. Bunting enhanced the town, and local apartment residents were given start flags to contribute to the lively atmosphere. In a commitment to sustainability, the town avoided balloon use, offering a recycling collection point for balloons and cable ties used by residents and businesses. This collective effort, set against the picturesque coastline, created a truly enchanting atmosphere.
