Sydney Fringe Sideshow
This September, prepare to be captivated by an electrifying atmosphere that promises a truly one-of-a-kind experience. Traverse the cobbled streets of The Rocks and spend the evening discovering new genres, and new artists.
Highlights include the return of smash hit Lola’s Piano Bar for a night out in a musical theatre club like no other, as well as the festival’s free, official opening night party, Fringe Ignite on Saturday 2 September.
Join Sydney Fringe this September for an artsy hangout of music, performance, art, unique venues, big laughs, bars, and the best new talent in Sydney.
Interested in finding out about other Sydney Fringe events? See what's happening in Darling Harbour.
Image: Lola’s Piano Bar, Photography credit: Clare Hawle
Saturday 2 September
The Fringe Festival Official Opening Night. This is the Festival’s free street party and celebration, showcasing tasters from the Fringe program in historic laneways and sandstone buildings. Fringe Ignite will feature some of Sydney’s best voices on the mainstage in The Argyle.
Friday 1 September - Sunday 3 September
Experience a mashup of fervent adaptation, installation, and live performance in a beautiful heritage setting in The Rocks. This novel iteration of the SOL. series continues to ask what it means to be human through ritual and creative spontaneity. Audiences will be complicit in the process of discovery and even become part of the action – no performance, hour, or minute will be the same!
Wednesday 6 September - Sunday 1 October
Mnemosyne invites you to close your eyes and journey to the court of that benevolent Greek god-creature of Slumber. But beware, in this Underworld the River of Oblivion is spilling over her shores and threatens the Waking.
Discover the vast environs of collective unconsciousness in this award winning immersive underworld audio adventure.
Friday 8 September - Sunday 1 October
“Lilies and Dust” is an intimate pop-up puzzle room, an interactive game that teams of 2-5 players must work together to solve. The room features original themed puzzles and incorporates an interactive costumed character, with portions of gameplay built around actor/player interaction. The game is priced per session, running for 75 minutes with 60 minutes of gameplay, and suited for both new and experienced players.
Wednesday 6 September - Sunday 1 October
Meet::Cute is an experimental, digital interactive experience about relationships, in which pairs of people are guided through a series of playful challenges and create the story themselves. Bring a friend, a stranger, a lover, or a loved one, and have an adventure!
Wednesday 6 September - Sunday 1 October
With the mysterious Storyteller as your guide, draw tarot cards, discover your destiny, and make decisions that will determine how your story unfolds.
Improvised every show, no two stories will be the same.
Thursday 31 August - Sunday 3 September
What is this smug, camp dust apparition that only speaks in verse and keeps interrupting? Is escapism really a sustainable way of coping? Why is the problematic dust figure so damn alluring? Memoir in a fantasy vehicle, Theoretica is a collection of notes on the experience of untangling half-addressed trauma. But the clock is ticking, so we're gonna do it under the tremendous pressure created by the sense that one is stagnating. Fun!
Friday 1 September - Sunday 1 October
Live, intimate and a little sexy. With raucous sing-alongs and glasses flowing, you’ll walk in a stranger and leave a friend. Sydney's smash hit pop-up piano bar is returning to the heart of the Rocks this September for 5 weekends only! Loosen up, lose yourself, you’ll never be the same again.
And remember... whatever Lola wants, Lola gets.
Friday 1 September - Sunday 1 October
Sam unknowingly documented his mental states over a 5 month manic episode via the creation of 300 large paintings. An epic story combining comedy and visual art to explore the Bipolar mind.
Friday 1 September - Sunday 10 September
The haunting music of Radiohead reimagined through 24 original choral and instrumental arrangements, 12 sublime voices, stunning computer generated visuals and live camera projections, and 13 short films made specially for this unique production by local and international film makers.
Saturday 9 September
Join Wiradjuri Yinaa (woman), Peta-Joy as she shares her language skills by speaking and teaching Wiradjuri words, and gain insights into the social and cultural knowledge embedded in the traditional Indigenous coil weaving technique.
Tuesday 19 September - Sunday 23 September
Sydney Fringe Festival presents renowned Australian storyteller Jon Bennett tells the amazingly sordid and bizarre story of his brother’s life. A sometimes shocking and chaotic tale, Bennett recounts his brother’s experiences with both charismatic hilarity and heart-warming, poignant reflection.
Tuesday 19 September - Sunday 23 September
Not a love story but a story of love, loss, sex and hugging as told to an airport security guard while detained as a suspected terrorist in the Montreal Airport.
Thursday 7 September - Sunday 1 October
With the fairy realm descending into chaos, join forces with your fellow participants to solve problems, meddle with mortals, and navigate the escalating chaos to save the day before the end of Midsummer Night.
Will you help restore the natural order or revel in the delightful mayhem?
Part theatre, part game, mostly nonsense, you can decide who ends up on top.
Tuesday 26 September - Saturday 30 September
The multi-award winning Edinburgh Fringe hit comes to Australia. A masturbation celebration sticking two fingers up to Northern Irish Sex Education and shame once and for all.