The largest independent arts festival in New South Wales, Sydney Fringe Festival, is announcing its most ambitious programme yet.
The programme includes a take-over of the Oxford Street precinct and areas of greater Sydney. Fringe aims to highlight the city's vibrant culture with an events calendar filled with theatre, music, a veritable glut of comedy, visual art, film, musical theatre, dance, circus, literature and poetry.
More than 400 shows will be available to see including 120 world premieres, 142 Australian premieres and 170 Sydney premieres!
Six hubs across the city (including brand new additions) come alive to take over streets, shopfronts and pre-existing venues.
“We are thrilled for Sydney Fringe to infiltrate the Oxford Street Precinct and revitalise Sydney’s creative sector as it takes over more than 60 venues across the city,” Sydney Fringe CEO and Festival Director Kerri Glasscock says.
“The 2018 programme is testament to Sydney Fringe’s place within the international Fringe Festival family and we are excited to welcome award-winning artists from around the globe to Sydney. With programs spreading across 21 postcodes and celebrating local talent the festival will ignite Sydney with a creative buzz like never before.”
Fringe Ignite will launch the event on 1 September... An opening night party curated by musician and Fringe ambassador Thelma Plum. It's being held in 13 venues across the Oxford Street precinct including the National Art School, UNSW Art & Design, Oxford Art Factory and Eternity Playhouse.
For the first time, Sydney Fringe will present the Archie Rose Touring Hub with a programme of award-winning performances touring from Fringe festivals around the world at the Old 505 Theatre, Newtown. The 2018 Touring Hub will feature seven touring theatre works, hand-picked by the Festival Director, including U.K. based Sh!t Theatre’s sell-out Edinburgh Festival Fringe show 'DollyWould' and 'Maggot' by New Zealand trio Angela Foughy, Elle Wootton and Freya Finch.
Image © Sydney Fringe Festival
Sydney Fringe's footprint moves into Western Sydney with Liverpool Hub and an independent theatre programme at Q Theatre at The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith.
The inaugural Legs Hub, in partnership with physical theatre company Legs On The Wall, presents a programme of circus curated by Artistic Director and Fringe Ambassador Joshua Thomson, complete with a pop-up bar, workshops and more. Highlights include 'The Women Of Chasing Smoke' by Casus Circus and 'Letters To An Unborn Child' by Brown Paper Circus.
Other highlights include the Fringe Club which will activate all four floors of the Kings Cross Hotel in a programme of comedy, theatre, music and performances from physical performer and Fringe Ambassador Andy Dexterity.
The Emerging Artist Hub also returns with five shows a night over three venues.
There's plenty for the kids too. Fringe Kids is on over the first week of the school holidays and final week of the festival. There's Lucy Peach's 'How To Period Like A Unicorn', a mini music festival, craft activities and more!
EATS – BEATS – STREET explodes on Kensington Street with street artists creating work, food stalls, a festival bar, an art auction, live music and performances. Every Friday of September in collaboration with Parramatta City Council will be a series of pop-up live music events as well as a roller rink on Broadway Sydney's rooftop!
To bring Sydney Fringe Festival to a close, The Last Supper will immerse punters one last time across a range of performances, food and drink before the Heaps Gay party in the Oxford Street hub.
