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[title]It’s wacky. It pushes the boundaries. It has you nearly-wet-your-pants laughing in your seat. It’s the Sydney Fringe Festival – and it’s back with more provocative parties, mind-blowing ideas and all-round fun in 2025.
The multiweek event going down across four Sydney precincts – Central, Inner West, Eastern and Greater Sydney – in September has a little something for all culture (and fun) lovers. The fabulous program spans theatre, cabaret, comedy galas, dance shows, live music performances, circus, street festivals, literature and poetry.
The best news is that you can try a bit of everything with free and low-cost ticket events – the average ticket price is $27 and they start as low as $10. How good’s that? With so much to choose from, we’ve rounded up the hotspots and bangin’ events we’re checking out this year below.
Sideshow at The Rocks
If The Rocks wasn’t already a cool enough area, it’s getting even funkier after dark this Fringe Festival. Watch the historic patch come to life with two shows from live music and spoken word duo Wright and Grainger; both Helios and Orpheus are vibrant reinterpretations of age-old myths. If you want to get in on the action, When Night Comes is the immersive theatre event of the season where Broad Encounters will take you and your cocktail across multiple floors (and sets of stairs).
Fool’s Paradise
The Entertainment Quarter becomes a Fool’s Paradise with raunchy comedy acts, all-female circus cabaret and seductive burlesque with Evana De Lune. Short on time? Watch it all blended into one at Elixir Revived where jacked shirtless scientists perform wild acrobatic stunts and post-apocalyptic comedy to find the elixir of life.
Touring Hub
Touring Hub is back at Newtown’s New Theatre for its tenth year to give punters a smorgasbord of the world’s best fringe fest acts. We’re looking forward to Shit Theatre: Or What’s Left of Us after our London team gave it five stars. Think: true crime meets folk music. It’ll make sense later…
Off Broadway Hub
Like your fringe fest with a little musical flair? The Eternity Playhouse in Darlinghurst becomes the Off Broadway Hub for choral displays, contemporary dance numbers and brand spanking new musicals. Poke fun at pop- culture with Definitely Not a Hungry Game: A Parody Musical or watch award-winning Australian choreographer Lewis Major’s work fresh off a world tour in Triptych.
Emerging Artist Share House
This Sydney Fringe hub at Erskineville Town Hall is playing host to more than 40 shows (the most out of any hub in festival's program). Say hello to your new roommates performing everything from theatre and spoken word to live music and comedy like Claire Robin's absurd and highly awarded Nun Slut. Each show is more unpredicatable than the last so do your FOMO a favour and drop in a few nights.
Time Out's pick: Limitless
Be inspired by d/Deaf and disabled artists performing with immense talent to the backdrop of Bondi Beach. Bondi Pavilion transforms into a week-long theatre, dance and comedy hub that *really* is for everyone – look forward to Auslan-interpreted performances, sensory chill-out zones and wheelchair-friendly viewing. We reckon it's going to be a highlight of the festival, so grab yourself a hot little ticket.
Find out more info, check out the full program and book here.