Sydney Fringe Festival 2018

Overview

The Sydney Fringe Festival has unveiled its ambitious 2018 program, promising over 400 shows in more than 60 venues across six hubs — and 21 postcodes.

There are a few major firsts, too, including a takeover of the Oxford Street Precinct, a touring hub sponsored by Archie Rose, a partnership with physical theatre company Legs on The Wall, and three initiatives in Western Sydney: a theatre program at Penrith's Q Theatre, a new hub at Liverpool and a series of live music pop-up events in Parramatta's CBD.

Just a couple of the acts slated to appear at the Archie Rose Touring Hub, which you'll find at the Old 505, Newtown, are Sh!t Theatre's DollyWould, which will be travelling from the UK, having twice sold out at Edinburgh Fringe, and Maggot by New Zealand trio Angela Foughy, Elle Wootton and Freya Finch, who won Outstanding Ensemble at New Zealand Fringe 2018. Meanwhile, the Legs partnership, to take place at Lilyfield's Red Box, will host The Women of Chasing Smoke by Casus Circus, Australia's only Indigenous contemporary circus ensemble, and Letters To An Unborn Child by Brown Paper Circus, from Sydney's Trapeze School.

In Liverpool, the Fringe will invade the former Northumberland Arcade and Macquarie Bistro with a free program curated by Nisrine Amine, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Parramatta Actors Centre, covering pop-up performances, music, art and a laneway cinema dedicated to animation.

Several Fringe classics will be back, including the official opening party Fringe Ignite, happening on 1 September. This year, however, you'll find all the shenanigans in the Oxford Street Precinct, running across 11 venues, from the National Art School and UNSW Art & Design to Ariel Booksellers and Stonewall.

Keep a lookout, too, for the return of the Fringe Club at the Kings Cross Hotel, the Emerging Artist Hub at Erskineville Town Hall, the Dance Hub at the PACT Theatre in Erskineville and Festival Village at Kensington Street, Chippendale. Down Chippendale way, at Broadway Sydney, you'll also find a rooftop roller skating rink and a pop-up store selling Frida Las Vegas and Nicol & Ford wares.