Melbourne Fringe Festival is back for 2025, and this year the city’s most fearless independent art is spilling out of theatres and into every imaginable corner of Melbourne. From cars to beaches, from intimate one-on-one encounters to large-scale outdoor spectacles, the Festival’s open program promises experiences that can only happen at Fringe.
Running from 30 September to 19 October, the Festival is brimming with over 500 events. Highlights include new musicals by Sammy J and Hamilton’s Vidya Makan, a bold new play from controversial comedian Tom Ballard, and adventurous works activating unusual spaces across the city.
Audiences can expect musicians from the West Village to West Java, immersive performances in carparks, and one-off experiences that transform familiar spaces into unforgettable stages.
Fiasco: A Burke and Wills Musical by Sammy J is a satirical retelling of the ill-fated expedition, performed as a raucous live concert with a five-piece band. Meanwhile, The Lucky Country from Sonya Suares and Vidya Makan explores what it means to be Australian through soaring storytelling and a powerful score.
Overseas highlights include New York’s Marie’s Crisis pop-up piano bar, and Lung Swara, a ritual-infused concert by Javanese singer Cahwati Sugiarto with Australian experimental musicians.
Returning Australian favourites include Mzaza’s The Birth and Death of Stars, a spellbinding mix of Balkan-French melodies, theatre and animated imagery, and regroup’s Auto-Tune, a gig theatre work written entirely using Silverchair lyrics.
Fringe also features deeply personal storytelling, from Lilikoi Kaos’ cabaret Too Much exploring her Pasifika heritage, to Oliver Ayres’ No Seasons a work on transgender and disability experiences.
Site-specific performances highlight the Festival’s daring spirit.I’m Not Mad, I’m Just Disappointed takes place inside a car for one audience member at a time, while The Break by Zoë Bastin Dance transforms Williamstown Beach into a mesmerising sunset stage. Strange Chaos from Oozing Future lights up a Northcote carpark with punk-clown circus, and Yalinguth Live Music Tour celebrates First Nations musical heritage across Fitzroy.
Melbourne Fringe Creative Director Simon Abrahams says: “Melbourne Fringe Festival is the city’s creative playground…This is Melbourne’s independent arts scene in all its bold, brilliant, messy glory.”
For 43 years, Melbourne Fringe has championed daring voices, from First Nations artists to international risk-takers. This year’s Festival is a reminder that in Melbourne, the city itself becomes the stage, and anything can happen.
The full program is available now at melbournefringe.com.au
