The best events at Melbourne Fringe Festival

Have you ever seen a choir sing hydrating revelations in Melbourne City Baths? Or heard what happens when you mix honky-tonk country with the violence of Grand Theft Auto? Well, with the Melbourne Fringe Festival around the corner, you will have the chance to hear both and so much more. 

From a groove-laden cauldron of soul to a history of electronica and a show with songs inspired by books like Pride and Prejudice, there is a whole bunch of music events to choose from. To save you musos the trouble, we’ve rounded up the best music happening at this year’s Fringe.

Looking for more things to do at Fringe? Check out our list of the best theatre, comedy, weird and free events happening this year.

Melbourne Fringe is swinging into action for another boundary-pushing year of theatre, cabaret, circus, comedy and all-round absurdity. Child-like wonder is the name of the game this year, and with more than 400 shows lined up from October 3-22, you’d be forgiven for wanting some guidance on what to see. Thankfully, we’re here to help you out with a few delightfully debaucherous picks from the Melbourne Fringe 2023 program.

A fictional interview with Harry Potter author JK Rowling. An invitation to a Middle Eastern wedding party featuring pop and techno. A play that unravels from the front seat of a 1985 Beamer. A chance to have a bacchanalian revel with some Greek Gods. A show all about love and dumplings. When it comes to seeing enthralling theatre, you can always count on the Melbourne Fringe Festival to sign, seal and deliver a whole bunch of eclectic productions, and this year is no different. 

With more than 400 events taking place, picking a production can feel laborious. To make things easier, we’ve rounded up the best theatre at this year's Fringe so you don’t have to.

Looking for more things to do at Fringe? Check out our list of the best comedy, weirdest and free events happening this year. 

There’s no need to wait until the Melbourne International Comedy Festival swings back around to get your fix of all things comical. From walking tours to absurdist stand-up and musical comedies, this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival (MFF) program has a whole slate of events that'll send you rolling in the aisles.

But with so many shows playing each night of the festival across the city, it's hard to know where to start – but lucky for you, we've wrapped our favourite MFF comedy shows. Check out our hit list below and get booking.

Looking for more Fringe recommendations? Check out the weirdest events happening at the Melbourne Fringe Festival this year.

From October 3-22, our city will teem with independent artists, theatre-makers, comedians, dancers and risk-takers for the Melbourne Fringe Festival. But times are tough, budgets are tight and sometimes forking out cash for a show just isn't in the budget.

But fret not; this wonderful and gloriously weird celebration of independent art is packed with free events to catch, so you can still partake in Fringe frivolity for zilch. 

No one does ‘weird’ as well as the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Over the decades, the Festival has seen production after production push the limits of straight-laced convention, and this year is no different – it’s as wild, wacky and weird as ever.

From a live gig in a taxi to a satire of The Crown and a show all about soup, the Festival is ready to serve up scoop after scoop of unbridled kookiness. Here are the shows you’d be a fool to miss.