Featuring over 400 events spanning theatre, music, comedy, dance, visual art, circus and cabaret, Sydney Fringe Festival, has unveiled an extraordinary 2024 program.
Presented across Sydney from 1 – 30 September 2024, tickets are now on sale including two headline shows by the triple Grammy award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir, an expanded takeover of The Rocks as part of the vibrant Sydney Fringe Sideshow and Fringe’s first-ever Queer Hub at Qtopia Sydney, amplifying the voices of LGBTQIA+ storytellers.
This year, Sydney Fringe Festival taps into the city’s cultural landscape by creating four distinct precincts including the Inner West Precinct, Central Precinct, Eastern Precinct, and Greater Sydney Precinct. From vibrant urban centres to historic suburbs, each precinct offers a tailored experience that resonates with local narratives, fostering a deeper connection between festival-goers and the city’s diverse communities.
“Sydney Fringe Festival is back and better than ever with an incredible program platforming authentic stories, fresh talent, uplifting entertainment and boundary-pushing events,” said CEO and Festival Director, Kerri Glasscock.
“We’re thrilled to be activating new parts of the city, driving connectivity and community in unusual and unused spaces, and taking advantage of Sydney’s unique live performance venues such as Machine Hall and the launch of the festival-first Queer Hub at Qtopia Sydney.”
“Joining a diverse mix of local and international acts taking over the city for the whole month of September, we are especially excited for audiences to experience the inspirational and life-affirming Soweto Gospel Choir across two headline shows,” said Glasscock.
The Spiegeltent Festival Garden is back at the Entertainment Quarter within the Eastern Precinct, featuring a dynamic line-up of live performance, music, circus, drag and more. Headlining the iconic Sydney Spiegeltent throughout September is the smash hit History of House – an exhilarating trip through the history of dance music. A collaboration between ARIA-nominated DJ Groove Terminator and Soweto Gospel Choir, History of House is a dancefloor-exploding celebration of dance music through the decades.
Soweto Gospel Choir also brings their all-new concert Hope, featuring a rousing program of songs and anthems from the Freedom movement of Nelson Mandela’s South Africa, back to the Civil Rights movement of Martin Luther King’s 1950s America. Formed to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African Gospel music, Soweto Gospel Choir draws on the best talent from the many churches in and around Soweto.
Darling Quarter at Darling Harbour becomes home to a newly expanded second Festival Garden. The Village Green Festival Garden features four full weeks of comedy, drag and circus programming including Melbourne-based punk comedy duo Otto & Astrid. During the first week of school holidays, the Garden will host the kids mini-festival Fringe Kids.
Activating The Streets of Barangaroo in the Central Precinct are a number of collaborative events and performances including Two Strangers Walk Into A Bar…, an immersive experience connecting two strangers through an audio guided tour. Conceived by Australian actor Tilda Cobham-Hervey, this intimate audio adventure invites participants to connect through playful and introspective exchanges and activities.
Presented by Maker’s Mark, Sydney’s newest live performance space and former substation Machine Hall will host a dynamic series of events titled A Mark Of Good Taste. Events include Just Desserts, a beautiful, intimate and personal evening of songs with future-soul superstar Ngaiire in collaboration with powerhouse pastry chef Anna Polyviou. For one-night-only, audiences will savour Ngaiire’s signature neo-soul, gospel and pop, while enjoying a delicious dessert bar and Maker’s Mark cocktails surrounded by vibrant floral artistry by ACID FLWRS.
Also at Machine Hall, Voices from the Fringe presents Sydney’s hottest hip-hop voices over two electrifying nights of musical battles and performances. In collaboration with The Ethics Centre, and with soul-nourishing food from social enterprise Plate It Forward, Feed Your Fire is an evening of ground-breaking conversations diving deep into burning topics around what makes Sydney’s cultural scene tick.
The dynamic Sydney Fringe Sideshow returns every Tuesday to Sunday throughout the festival, featuring a program of immersive and experiential shows performed in pop-up spaces throughout The Rocks. The ultimate pop-up musical theatre club Lola’s Piano Bar transforms Bay 43 into a sultry piano bar; and the Multicultural Comedy Hub at 37 George Street shines a spotlight on a diverse array of comedic talents.
This year Sydney Fringe welcomes brand new festival hubs, including the Queer Hub at Qtopia Sydney. Amplifying the work of LGBTQIA+ storytellers with an exciting line-up of international and local artists, highlights include Melbourne cabaret star Florian Wild’s show MONSTER, featuring their signature blend of drag, debauchery, powerhouse vocals and quickfire stand-up; and A Shark Ate My Penis: A History Of Boys Like Me, a one-person musical comedy about the history of trans men presented by trans musician and actor Laser Webber.
The new Off Broadway Hub at Turner Hall at TAFE, Ultimo presents a diverse line-up of theatre, music and dance acts, including Definitely Not a Hungry Game: A Parody Musical inspired by The Hunger Games series and featuring 18 original songs.
The much-loved Cabaret Hub finds a new home at Kings Cross Hotel with a month-long program, including Liv Queer, a one-woman cabaret show celebrating identity and courage through a captivating mix of storytelling, song and dance; and ABBAsolutely Abbey, a nostalgic, heartfelt night with performer Abbey Paige Williams as she explores self-discovery and the pursuit of a vibrant life through the beloved music of ABBA.
Also new for 2024 is the First Nations Hub at PACT Centre for Emerging Artists. Klub Koori is bringing Aboriginal rock royalty Coloured Stone back to the stage on Saturday 31 August presented by Gadigal Information Service and Koori Radio; and visitors can explore local First Nations artisans and makers at the Yalgali Markets on Saturday 31 August along with cultural workshops and live music. Plus check out local Mob as they take to the mic to share their Fringiest song, dance, play, poem, story or comedy bit in 10 minutes or less for Koori-oke Open Mic & Scratch Night on Friday 30 August.
Bringing smash-hit shows from the international Fringe circuit, the Touring Hub makes its home at New Theatre in
Newtown. After winning the hearts of audiences at Adelaide Fringe, the award-winning Clockfire Theatre Co showcases Plenty of Fish in the Sea, a darkly humorous and physically adventurous contemporary fable about finding the perfect catch. Also featured is UK live art company Sh!t Theatre’s award-winning riotous show Drink Rum with Expats and rising star of Australian dance, choreographer-director Lewis Major’s show Triptych.
Now in its second year, the Dance Hub returns to Sydney Dance Company’s Neilson Studio, featuring debut contemporary dance work Love Arena by Sydney-based choreographers Remy Rochester and Jasmin Luna; and Move FM, an eclectic assortment of contemporary dance by Sydney’s most exciting emerging artists and makers.
Made in Sydney in the Inner West Precinct, presents an incredible program of locally made works by Sydney’s most
exciting independent theatre-makers and artists at PACT. Fresh from her Edinburgh Fringe debut, Anna Dooley is back with the acclaimed one-woman show ENDHOE, an inspiring and hysterical story that uncovers her journey of living with endometriosis.
Joining the program is Hillsong Boy, a new production chronicling the weird and wonderful experiences of ex-Hillsonger Scott Parker during his twenty years with the megachurch; and Voices of Joan, a radical retelling of the story of Joan of Arc through a tour de force solo performance by actor and theatre-maker Janie Gibson.
The pioneering LIMITLESS micro-festival returns to Sydney Fringe with a dedicated hub at 107 Redfern from 10 – 21 September, celebrating the work of d/Deaf artists and artists living with a disability while offering an inclusive and accessible space for everyone to enjoy.
Highlights include Not Dead Yet! by Crones in Cabaret, a poignant and funny show that tackles the myths and realities of ageing through songs, sketches, poems and puppetry. The acclaimed Crips & Creeps Comedy is also back from 10 – 13 September, an inclusive comedy night that celebrates comedians who are marginalised due to sexuality, race, gender or disability.
Joining the program includes the much-anticipated return of FEAST at Hurstville Entertainment Centre in the Greater Sydney Precinct, presented by Chinese-Australian writer, comedian and food enthusiast Jennifer Wong; and Fringe Comedy takes over The Factory Theatre with an incredible line-up of local and international comedic talent.
The 2024 Sydney Fringe Festival runs 1 – 30 September. For more information and full program, visit: www.sydneyfringe.com for details.
Images: Sydney Fringe Festival – photo by Cassandra Hannagan | History of House – photo by Helen Page | Club Atherden (supplied) | Triptych – photo by Alessandro Botticelli