Celebrate your community
The Santos Best Dressed Town is more than a competition – it’s a chance to showcase creativity, pride, and the spirit that makes each South Australian town unique.
As the Santos Tour Down Under passes through, communities transform their streets and spaces into vibrant displays of colour, art, and storytelling. It’s not just about decorations – it’s about connection. Local businesses, schools, sporting clubs, artists, and residents come together to create something unforgettable.
From painting and planting to building and making, each effort tells a town’s story, welcoming the race and sharing South Australia’s character with visitors and viewers across the globe.
Getting involved is easy – complete a nomination form to enter your town, business, or home. Then, decorate ahead of the race and show your community spirit.
Nominations now open
Past Entries
Competition Details
- Santos Best Dressed Town
- Santos Best Dressed Private Property
- Santos Best Dressed Commercial or Community Property
Each year, our riders pass through towns and regions across South Australia that turn on an unforgettable welcome. The Santos Best Dressed Town competition recognises the effort and flair of those who go above and beyond to celebrate the race.
Independent judges travel the route during race week, looking for colour, innovation, and community involvement. Judging takes place the day prior to each nominated stage, ensuring every effort is recognised before the race arrives.
Daily winners are announced on the day of the nominated stage and presented on stage at the race finish, ahead of the podium presentation. Overall winners are revealed after the event.
- 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 – Is the whole community pitching in? Are residents, schools, clubs, and businesses contributing to an atmosphere that makes visitors feel welcome and excited?
- Appearance – Has real effort gone into creating eye-catching displays, activities, and celebrations? Is there strong visual impact and plenty of colour along the route?
- Innovation – Have clever, creative, or unexpected ideas been used to bring the town to life?
- Connection to the Santos Tour Down Under – How well is the race acknowledged in the design and decorations?
- Sustainability – Are environmentally friendly practices incorporated? Judges value displays that minimise waste and use recycled or repurposed materials such as old bike parts, jars, fabrics, timber, and cans (while single-use plastics and balloons won’t score points).
2025 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
Gumeracha
The overall Gold winner of the Santos Best Dressed Town is Gumeracha! Gumeracha became a frog-filled spectacle this year, showcasing the town’s creativity and community spirit. The frog theme holds deep significance to the town of Gumeracha. Businesses, schools, and residents collaborate to create vibrant frog displays, with some frogs climbing buildings or riding bikes. As cyclists pass through, they’re greeted by this colorful celebration, reflecting the town’s unique blend of art, hospitality, and a shared love for nature. It’s an expression of pride and creativity that brings the whole community together.
SILVER: Uraidla
The overall Silver winner of the Santos Best Dressed Town is Uraidla! Bunting lined the streets of Uraidla, adding a festive touch while symbolizing the strong bonds that tie this Adelaide Hills town together. Crafted from a mix of different materials, the bunting transformed the town into a vibrant canvas, with each colorful piece contributing to a sense of unity and pride. The cheerful display not only brightened the streets but also captured the essence of the community: diverse, creative, and tightly connected. It was a visual celebration of what makes Uraidla special, wrapping the whole town in a colorful thread of togetherness.
BRONZE: Willunga
The overall Bronze winner of the Santos Best Dressed Town is Willunga! Willunga was shining bright! The streets were lined with crowns and sunflowers made from recycled materials, creating a burst of color and creativity everywhere. Fresh local flowers added to the vibrant display, giving the town a cheerful, winning atmosphere. It was a fun; eco-friendly celebration that made the whole place feel alive and full of energy!
