The Full Lineup for 2022's Wellington Fringe Festival Has Just Dropped

After a year of multiple lockdowns, cancelled shows and a whole lot of staring at our living room walls, Wellington's favourite comedy and arts festival is set to return to breathe some new life into the 2022.

The full programme for next year's Wellington Fringe Festival dropped on Friday, December 17, and as usual it's a heady mix of theatre, circus, comedy, cabaret and various forms of performance art hard to put in a box.

Taking place from Friday, March 18 until Saturday, March 12, the 32nd Fringe is set to be the festival's largest yet. More than 200 events will take place at 37 different venues over three weeks, ranging from sword-swallowing "daredevil" Rachel Atlas' Gag Reflex, to music from hip hop duo Wet Dreamz, a spoken word show from Ana Chaya Scotney of Breaker Upperers fame, and a cabaret spectacle from award-winning drag artist Hugo Grrl.

This year a new addition to the festival is Ticket Plus: a tip of sorts, which gives audiences the the option to add $5 or more to their ticket purchase, which is then donated directly to the artist.

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Of course it's an uncertain time to plan a festival, but organisers said in a statement they're confident they have plans in place to navigate any COVID-19 alert level changes, as was the case with both the 2020 and 2021 festivals.

The 2022 festival should be able to proceed in some form under any of the levels of the country's current 'traffic light' protection framework, they said.

Newly appointed Fringe Festival Director Vanessa Stacey (Ngati Kuia / Te Āti Awa), called it an "exciting new time" for the festival.

"This year's programme is absolutely brimming with fresh new exciting shows and exceptional talents, with another record registration. Firmly cementing the festival, once again, as Aotearoa's Birthplace of Brilliance'," she said.

The Wellington Fringe Festival runs from Friday, March 18 until Saturday, March 12 at various venues across Wellington. You can find out more information, explore the program and buy tickets on the official website.