Brisbane’s Wynnum Fringe, taking place this November-December, has raised the curtain on a packed programme of performances, special events, artists, and family firsts.
Australian rock royalty DIESEL will headline the Wynnum Spiegeltent in a one-night-only performance to kick off the Rock The Bay: Pop Up Series.
Then, a bunch of the funniest bring the laughs with the inaugural Wynnum Fringe Comedy Gala featuring Mel Buttle, Damien Power, Luke Heggie and Chris Ryan.
Cabaret queen Dolly Diamond will bring her fabulous, family-friendly ‘Storytime’ to the Fringe which features Wynnum author Dannika Paterson’s best-selling children’s book ‘Beach Kindy’. Dolly also brings her ‘High T’ variety show to the Spiegeltent.
Kids comedy-circus sensation ‘Chores’ is packed with stunts, acrobatics, roller skates, balancing acts and even toilet paper guns.
All of these acts join the previously-announced Dave Hughes, Cal Wilson, and the Marcia Hines-led ‘Velvet Rewired’. . . A glittering, high-energy fusion of disco, dance, burlesque and circus.
Elsewhere throughout the festival will be family-friendly circus show ‘Prehysterical’ at The Vault, while at Bayside Music Hall the sounds of Brisbane-based nine-piece Bullhorn will echo with trumpets, trombones, saxophones, drums, and sousaphone for Rock The Bay.
I am hugely proud of how Wynnum Fringe has grown from a three-day event in 2020 – developed as an economic and artistic response to COVID – to this year, welcoming more than 35,000 people over 19 days and celebrating the best in contemporary, independent and alternative arts and entertainment,” Founder and Director Tom Oliver says.
“This year’s programme celebrates our roots with the free family programming and local artist spotlights our community knows and loves and embraces our incredible growth with a huge line-up of big-name acts, internationally renowned productions and special events to dazzle visitors of all ages.”
“I’m especially excited to welcome people to the Wynnum Fringe Garden, a brand-new festival hub at George Clayton Park on the shores of beautiful Moreton Bay and our homage to the great Fringe Festival hubs of the world.”
Wynnum Fringe will also feature a different theme each week. The first will be yana marumba, meaning ‘walk good’ in Quandamooka language, and the name of the festival’s official opening event.
The theme highlights the Fringe’s strong connection to Country, and the Bayside’s Indigenous community. Plus, First Nations programming like Dane Simpson’s ‘Didgeridoozy’, Ethan Enoch-Barlow and Sachem’s all-ages gig, and Memetica’s giant Elder Puppet Janggaburru.
Next in the themed weeks is Eurotrip and features Head First Acrobats’ ‘Creme de la creme’ and ‘GODZ’, Garry Starr’s ‘Greece Lightning’, and a second week of ‘Velvet Rewired’.
Finally, the last week is devoted to Local Legends. Hometown heroes will take to venues across the Bayside.
Battle Of The Bands will make a triumphant return, the Wynnum Fringe Pooch Parade invites furry friends and their humans to a free and fun fancy dress parade, and in a thrilling change of pace the south east Queensland Pro Wrestling League will even present ‘Bayside Brawl’.
Check out the full programme here.
Wynnum Fringe is on from 16 November-4 December.
