The multi-genre festival amalgamates comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret, visual art, music, interactive and more in a melting pot of artistic expression. Ahead of the official festival dates, Adelaide Fringe will kick things off for 2024 with First Nations Cultural Tours of Adelaide Botanic Garden on Sunday 11 February.
The 2024 program boasts 23% percentage of international shows, a 5% increase on the 2023 season, signalling the global reputation and pull of Adelaide Fringe. There are 703 South Australian shows making up more than half the program and illustrating once again, the strength of South Australian talent in the Adelaide Fringe.
There is a strong program of First Nations shows in Adelaide Fringe 2024 across various genres with headliners including Marlon Motlop, Frank Yamma, Zenadth Kes Meriba Wed, Dupang Pangari (a camping festival and corroboree by Uncle Moogy) and the returning comedy sensation, Aboriginal Comedy Allstars.
This year’s Fringe Ambassadors include Professional Basketballer and Cabaret Singer Isaac Humphries performing at Wonderland Spiegeltent, Adelaide Fringe Icon Prinnie Stevens doing shows in Gluttony, and TV’s favourite Aussie Chef Adam Liaw who will be doing two nights of SBS’s The Cook Up live on stage from the Woodville Town Hall. 2024 Adelaide Fringe Ambassador and TV personality Adam Liaw said.
I’m excited to be an official Fringe Ambassador this year, but I think I’ve been an unofficial ambassador for years already. Fringe brings Adelaide alive like no other festival and I’m so excited to be a part of this year!
2024 Adelaide Fringe Ambassador Isaac Humphries said “I am beyond thrilled to embark on this journey as an Adelaide Fringe Ambassador for 2024, a festival that epitomises the global art and culture scene. I’ve been a fan and attendee of Fringe for years and can’t believe I’ve been given the opportunity to represent this festival that I love so dearly. To see my own show in the program at Australia’s biggest arts festival alongside some of the stars and icons I’ve been looking up to over the years is an absolute dream. A massive thank you to the Fringe team for letting me fly the flag this year as an Ambassador, I can’t wait to champion the festival to every single person I can.”
Fringe program highlights for 2024 include:
- The Dome – an immersive, planetarium-style cinematic experience in Freemasons
Hall, featuring the Dark Side of the Moon – an immersive experience with the full Pink
Floyd album - Natural Wonders – an outdoor art gallery under the stars hosted in Adelaide Botanic
Garden from the second weekend of Fringe, featuring strong installations and
projections by local South Australian artists Alex Frayne and Katrine Penning, Liam
Somerville and Michael Ellingford (who wowed us with Noise Nature in Botanic
Gardens in a previous year), light and installation duo “Harsh Realities” and
Ngarrindjeri woman, Nicole Gollan’s piece called The Spirit Lives On - SAGE 2024 – Adelaide’s most exciting event for video game developers, players and
fans – and everyone in between! Presented by the South Australian Film Corporation - The Inflatable Church on Light Square where you can get married or renew your
vows with some Fringe fun - YOAH Circus – An Australian premiere from Japan’s most talked about contemporary
circus company. - LIMBO – The Return. The debut of the latest work from the creative producers of the
critically acclaimed BLANC de BLANC, THE PARTY and of course, LIMBO. - Beatles Dub Club – the Australian premiere of the Glastonbury smash-hit, opening
weekend only. - Robo Bingo- Presented by Fox Dog Studios arriving fresh from their sellout season in
Edinburgh Fringe - In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats – an interactive VR spectacular that takes you back and puts you in the shoes of rave culture pioneers.
11% of the Fringe program will be activating the regions, with events including Coober Pedy comedy night (Arabana/Kokatha Country), music at William Creek Hotel (Arabana Country), Coonawarra Fringe (Pinchunga Country), Port Augusta Fringe (Barngarla Country), Waikerie Fringe Market (Ngawait Country) Naracoorte Fringe Street Party (Ngarrindjeri Country) Loxton Mardi Gras Family Festival (Meru Country), and Dupang Pangari (Coorong Spirit) Festival (Ngarrindjeri Country) bringing the magic of Fringe right across the State. Suburban metropolitan hubs will also activate across the Festival with dedicated programs, including Marion Cultural Centre and The Parks Theatre amongst many.
Fresh to Adelaide Fringe from the team behind Adelaide’s celebrated LGBTQIA+ venue Mary’s Poppin comes one-day Music Festival ‘Poppin Out’ at the old Adelaide Gaol. The event is expected to attract 3000 attendees and features performances from pop royalty Cece Peniston along with the legendary Sneaky Sound System, Drag Icon Anetra and 2023 Fringe Ambassador Kween Kong. Sidebyside Festival – an Adelaide-based music festival presenting local, national and international artists on the forefront of disco, house and techno will be calling Adelaide Fringe home in 2024 with the event set to take audiences by storm in the Western parklands.
More than 500 venues will be participating in Adelaide Fringe in 2024, including returning favourites The Garden of Unearthly Delights, Gluttony, Wonderland in Hindmarsh Square, Holden Street Theatres, Rhino Room and The Lab, along with last year’s new venue successes, the Yurt at the Migration Museum Courtyard, Fool’s Paradise (Victoria Square), and AC Arts in Light Square, which will feature a world-class dance hub including 4 world premieres and 3 Australian premieres produced by Lewis Major.
With extended activity in the West of the CBD there are over 200 shows and thousands of individual performances including new Venues to 2024 the Pink Flamingo in Festival Plaza, Infamous Circus in Ellis Park (Tampawardli), and The Inflatable Church in Light Square. Other new venue highlights include Enter Closer running a cabaret and comedy hub across multiple venues on Frome and Angas streets in the city (in the Dom Polski Centre, The Majestic Hotel Rooftop and WEA).
In 2024 Adelaide Fringe in partnership with the Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) will present an industry-facing Australian Circus and Physical Theatre event to be held during the upcoming season of Adelaide Fringe. Titled “Leaps and Bounds”, the two-day event will include pitch sessions for visiting festivals and presenters, along with a program of exchange, round-tables, and networking. This event is expected to further invigorate the Adelaide Fringe Honey Pot Program, an arts marketplace that happens alongside Adelaide Fringe and facilitates opportunities for Fringe artists to connect with industry, programmers and curators from around the world.
Registrations to participate in Adelaide Fringe are still open.
Adelaide Fringe is supported by the State Government of South Australia. 2024 marks 19 years of BankSA’s Principal Partnership with Adelaide Fringe.
