Sydney Fringe Festival's Huge 2025 Program Includes the Reopening of Darlinghurst's Eternity Playhouse and a 'Stranger Things' Parody
September in Sydney means hitting up 460-plus events, including immersive theatre, street parties, a Kate Bush tribute and more.
Big relaunches. Amusing takes on huge pop-culture hits. An interactive — and cocktail-fuelled — theatre experience that spreads across multiple rooms. A nod to Kate Bush, too, because it wouldn't be a fringe festival without it. In Sydney throughout September 2025, all of the above are on the agenda. So is a free street party to get things started, and more than 460 events filling spaces around the Harbour City.
The fest: Sydney Fringe, which is unveiling its first lineup under new CEO Patrick Kennedy across Monday, September 1–Tuesday, September 30. Given his theatre background — including his own Patrick Kennedy Theatre Machine, and working on marketing and publicity for the likes of Mary Poppins, & Juliet and The Phantom of the Opera — it should come as no surprise that reopening a venue is on his inaugural program. Indeed, when Darlinghurst's Eternity Playhouse hosts shows again for the first time in more than a year, it'll do so as part of Sydney Fringe Festival's 2025 Off Broadway Hub.
Bruce Glikas 2021
That's where you'll find the well-timed Stranger Sings! The Musical Parody spoofing the Netflix hit through song, and getting Sydney laughing along with its 80s nods just a few months before the series starts unveiling its final season. Fittingly, Eternity Playhouse will also welcome Kate Bush Unmoored, which hails from the folks behind Radiohead Uncovered.
In total, 2900 artists are involved in the 2025 lineup, which is taking over four precincts and ten festival hubs — the return of the Yagali First Nations Hub at the PACT Centre for Emerging Artists and the Queer Hub at Qtopia Sydney among them, plus the Dance Hub settling into Sydney Dance Company's Neilson Studio again and the Cabaret Hub moving to Marrickville Town Hall. Expect everything from Adam Nobilia reading from Australia's Least Wanted, his memoir about spending ten years working as a Special Education Teacher at Long Bay Jail, then, through to LA-based drag queens Lorelei and Annie Biotixx with their variety show Queen Out (Verb), a mix of drinks and live performance with Dorothy in Oz, and local and international talents unleashing new dance pieces.
If you've been to a multisensory Broad Encounters experience before — so A Midnight Visit, Love Lust Lost or Maho Magic Bar, for example — you'll be excited about When Night Comes. This time, the Union Bond Store at 6–8 Atherden Street is your destination, and you'll be sipping tipples and watching theatre all at once.
That aforementioned free shindig in the streets has a date with The Rocks at the beginning of the fest, complete with live tunes, while Bondi Pavilion is the place to champion contributions from artists living with disability, neurodivergent talents and creatives who are deaf. Wright & Grainger's Orpheus and Helios, circus at The Entertainment Quarter, open access literature festival Parramatta's Lit!, gothic revenge drama Way Back When: they're on the program, too.
Jeff Busby
"I'm thrilled to be stepping into the role of Sydney Fringe's next CEO, and I am dedicated to advancing the festival's vision to be celebrated as one of the world's leading fringe festivals, placing independent artists and cultural creators at the heart of Sydney. I look forward to driving organisational sustainability, fostering a values-driven team culture, and delivering transformative experiences for audiences and artists alike," said Kennedy, announcing the lineup.
"The 2025 program is our most expansive yet and we're thrilled to be bringing artists and audiences together across more venues and precincts than ever before. From the return of major hubs to the highly anticipated reopening of the Eternity Playhouse, this year's program pushes boundaries and spotlights new voices, inviting Sydneysiders to rediscover their city through unforgettable experiences in every corner."
Dream Syndicate
Jason Matz
Sydney Fringe Festival 2025 runs from Monday, September 1–Tuesday, September 30. For further information and tickets, head to the fest's website.
Top image: Daniel Boud.
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