Sydney Fringe Festival 2024 program unveiled

The full program for this year’s Sydney Fringe Festival has been unveiled, heralding the return of New South Wales’ biggest independent arts festival. With over 400 events in this year’s festival program, there’s sure to be something for everyone across the extensive program.

This year, the Fringe Festival is creating four distinct precincts that create curated experiences that align with each area’s local history and communities; these are the Inner West Precinct, Central Precinct, Eastern Precinct and Greater Sydney Precinct. 

Alongside the usual selection of theatre, music, comedy, cabaret and much more that Sydneysiders have come to expect from the Fringe Festival, this year’s instalment is introducing a number of new experiences like the Queer Hub at Qtopia Sydney, which aims to amplify the voices of LGBTQI+ storytellers. 

Festival Director and CEO Kerri Glasscock commented on the program launch: “Sydney Fringe Festival is back and better than ever with an incredible program platforming authentic stories, fresh talent, uplifting entertainment and boundary-pushing events. 

“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.”

Select events at Sydney Fringe Festival 2024

South Africa’s triple Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir are delivering two headline performances of their new show Hope at Sydney Fringe Festival. Drawing on the power of African Gospel, the show will include a program of songs from a variety of historical moments, like Nelson Mandela’s Freedom movement in South Africa and the US Civil Rights movement of Martin Luther King, Jr. 

The Soweto Gospel Choir are also collaborating with ARIA-nominated DJ Terminator Groove on History of House, an explosive journey through the history of dance music at the Sydney Spiegeltent that combines the beauty of the choir’s vocals with the pulsating rhythms of music made to get you on the dancefloor. 

At Qtopia’s Queer Hub, you’ll be able to find a number of exciting storytellers from the LGBTQI+ community. Highlights include cabaret star Florian Wild’s MONSTER, a show seamlessly blending drag, singing and stand-up, and trans musician and actor Laser Webber’s one-person musical comedy A Shark Ate My Penis: A History Of Boys Like Me. 

Other places throughout the city will also be transformed into creative hubs: the new Off Broadway Hub will find residence in TAFE Ultimo’s Turner Hall, the Cabaret Hub sets up in Kings Cross Hotel, and the First Nations Hub at the PACT Centre for Emerging Artists will allow visitors to explore First Nations artisans. 

With hundreds of shows and experiences across the month of September, it’s impossible to include everything in the Sydney Fringe Festival here. Take a look at the whole lineup below, and start planning accordingly!

Sydney Fringe Festival, 1-30 September
https://sydneyfringe.com