Melbourne Fringe Festival 2022

Overview

From Thursday, October 6–Sunday, October 23, Melbourne Fringe Festival is returning with a bang, celebrating its 40th anniversary with what's set to be its heftiest program yet.

The independent arts festival will this year dish up over 450 events from talent both established and emerging, covering dazzling performances, participatory art, groundbreaking theatre and everything in between. All speaking to the theme: 'It's About Time'.

Fringe even has some brand new goodies in store, including Runaway Festival Park — a new pop-up art park at Queen Victoria Market serving a program of comedy, cabaret, circus and drag performances headlined by Bernie Dieter's Club Kabarett.

Fringe-goers can also look forward to the return of an old favourite, as the Fringe Parade and Lygon Street Block Party descends on Carlton for a big, bold, inclusive shindig, complete with two outdoor stages and roving performers.

The rest of the program is packed with creative delights for all tastes; from a mesmerising contemporary dance installation in Docklands called Pendulum, to an all-night Meatloaf-themed communal karaoke session.

Matthias Schack-Arnott's Groundswell takes the form of a giant percussive rain drum that passersby can 'play' by walking upon its surface. Meanwhile, Prahran Square plays host to a unique live music event, which sees unedited words from three local contemporary writers presented in four-part harmony by a mass choir.

YUMMY Deluxe, Melbourne Fringe Festival 2019, by Theresa Harrison

Food-meets-art creatives Long Prawn will host a live yabby fishing experience; free participatory public artwork Hexadeca will bring an installation of spinning musical bucket seats to Fed Square; and you can join in a four-hour line dance marathon at Coburg RSL.

And of course, gracing stages throughout the festival will be a mega lineup of acts doing what they do best, including Geraldine Quinn, YUMMY, Jude Perl, Kween Kong (Drag Race Down Under), The Chaser's Andrew Hansen, Jordan Barr, Lou Wall and Sarah Ward.

'Multiply', Melbourne Fringe 2020, credit Gregory Lorenzutti

Top Image: Duncan Jacobs.