The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is one of the standout cultural events of the year, both in the UK and globally. As the world’s largest arts festival, it transforms the city each August, hosting thousands of performances across countless venues over three jam-packed weeks.

There aren’t many other places where you can start your morning with a stand-up comedy set, move on to a one-woman play, drop by a Drag show and finish with a silent disco on the streets (yes, I’ve actually experienced this).

As someone who considers the Edinburgh Fringe to be one of the world’s greatest festivals, I was eager to discover Sydney’s own Fringe and how it compares to its Edinburgh counterpart.

My Edinburgh Fringe experience

I’m a longtime fan of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival — not only have I attended numerous shows, but I’ve also performed as an actor in a beautiful space in the city’s Old Town.

I was part of the cast of Rattigan’s Nijinsky, a play written by Terrence Rattigan about the Ballet Russes, specifically famed ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, exploring the historical stigma surrounding his homosexuality. I played Nijinsky’s naive young wife, Romola, an early 20th-century Hungarian aristocrat (pictured below in the lampshade hat).

We performed once a day, spending a few hours before and after each show on the bustling streets, handing out flyers and promoting the performance — an essential part of the Edinburgh Fringe experience for any performer.

Granted, it was a very amateur production, and I’m sure a lot of our audience wished they’d gone to the stand-up comedy improv next door, but it was incredible to be fully immersed in the action of the Fringe. Staying at the iconic Cowgate Hostel (see above right), carrying our props to the venue through the steep, cobbled streets, and attending shows before and after our performances was what made it so special.

One of the beauties of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is that you don’t know what you’re in for. It could be a completely amateur performance by a group of actors performing a piece about Russian ballet dancers. Or, you could be watching Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s one-woman show Fleabag, which evolved to become one of the most iconic British TV shows to exist.

Sydney Fringe vs Edinburgh Fringe

While the Sydney iteration is in its 16th year, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival dates back to 1947, starting as the ‘Edinburgh International Festival’, an initiative to celebrate and showcase European culture post-Second World War.

This year, the SFF will see 490 productions, with 2900 artists performing across more than 80 venues.

In comparison, in 2024, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival hosted over 52,000 performances across the city across over 260 venues, with 3352 shows expected to be performed in 2025.

There’s clearly a big difference in scale and level of establishment between the two Fringe Festivals, so it’s not fair to directly compare the two. However, the Sydney Fringe Festival is a growing phenomenon, and, as CEO Patrick Kennedy claims, this year is “bigger, broader and louder than ever.”

We’re stretching into new territory north of the bridge, deepening our roots in Western Sydney, and forging terrific new partnerships across the east and inner city.

So, what does the Sydney Fringe Festival need to do to replicate Edinburgh’s success?

Sydney Fringe Festival Artists — Some of the artists who will perform at this year’s Sydney Fringe Festival. (Credit: Daniel Boud).

What Sydney needs to do

To replicate Edinburgh’s success, the Sydney Fringe Festival needs to spread the word. To cultivate an incredible street culture, the whole city needs to know about the Fringe, and they need to want to get involved.

From restaurants, bars and venues, to the performers themselves, the word that the Sydney Fringe Festival is on needs to be everywhere. Maybe we should bring over Edinburgh Fringe leafleting culture.

Another incentive to get people to embrace the Sydney Fringe is to include free events and shows. With the high prices of theatre and concert tickets, cheap or free performances in Sydney might give a whole new group of people the chance to be entertained — those who can’t afford to pay $500 to see Lady Gaga or upwards of $100 to see The Book of Mormon.

Edinburgh Fringe has initiatives such as the Free Edinburgh Fringe Festival and PBH’s Free Fringe. These programs offer hundreds of free performances in a range of genres, from comedy, theatre, cabaret, music and children’s shows. The free shows are therefore an integral part of the Fringe experience.

George Square Edinburgh — George Square acts as a bustling beer garden at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. (Image: Shutterstock).

Why Sydney Fringe is on the right track

Free events and cheap tickets

Opening night will feature a huge free street party in the Rocks, called Fringe Ignite. It will showcase tasters from the Fringe program in the Rocks’ laneways and sandstone buildings. There will be performances at First Fleet Park, headlined by Australian electronic rock band Rogue Traders. Pop-up stages will host comedy, cabaret, music and dance, giving Sydneysiders a taste of what’s to come.

A huge free event in the Rocks is the best way to launch this year’s Fringe, especially hosting it in one of Sydney’s most popular precincts.

There’s also a handful of free shows, mimicking the Edinburgh Fringe’s efforts to make the festival inclusive. Fringeville at Hurstville Plaza will feature live performances of music and dance, and is completely free to attend. Other free shows include Who Killed Edgar Allen Poe? at Story Factory and improvised jazz by Mike Kenny at Pottery Lane Performance Space.

Another positive feature of the Sydney Fringe is that many of the tickets are around $25, with some shows costing only $6 or $9 to attend. This means those who are unable to attend expensive theatre productions or concerts won’t be priced out of the Fringe.

The diversity of the programme

The diversity of Sydney Fringe’s programme is something to be proud of. Fringe festivals thrive on the weird and the wonderful— shows that push boundaries, embrace the unexpected and captivate audiences with their bold originality. We know that Sydney is full of incredible creatives, and the Fringe programme reflects this.

On my radar already is Scientology the Musical (the subheading on their page is “see it before we get sued”), A Succulent Chinese Musical!? In which the “viral arrest becomes a wildly theatrical musical” and I Watched Someone Die On TikTok, a headfirst dive into our digital doomscroll.

Storytime Cabaret with the Fabulous Wonder Mama is also guaranteed to be brilliant. The Fabulous Wonder Mama is one of Sydney’s favourite Drag Queens and is known for hosting Drink and Draw classes as well as Sydney Walking Tours.

Growing in size

In another exciting addition to this year’s Fringe, the festival is moving north of the bridge, with performances in Manly, Lane Cove and North Sydney. As the Fringe venues expand beyond the city, so will their reach, and more people will be able to attend. This marks a step toward the Fringe becoming a dominant cultural force in the city, much like its Edinburgh counterpart.

Edinburgh Fringe Fest Crowd — Edinburgh Fringe Festival brings crowds from all over to the city. (Image: Shutterstock).

How is the Sydney Fringe Festival carving its own identity?

Although we’re hoping that the Sydney Fringe Festival manages to replicate the success of the Edinburgh Fringe, it’s also important to highlight that the Sydney Fringe continues to carve its own Australian identity.

Embracing Aussie pop culture

In the Fringe’s programme, shows like A Succulent Chinese Musical!? and Bogans Without Borders, reflect the very Australian nature of this Fringe. Shows that revolve around niche Aussie pop culture moments are sure to be a hit with audiences, as well as giving the Fringe a distinctly Australian personality.

First Nations representation

First Nations voices are being amplified this Fringe Festival, with an impressive lineup of performers and shows. There are free events, including the Yalgali Open Mic and Open Stage, as well as incredibly poignant storytelling at Australia’s Least Wanted and physical theatre with “Faboriginal superstar” Dale Woodbridge Brown in Camp Culture. You can explore the full list of First Nations acts here.

As the Sydney Fringe Festival continues to expand and attract a wider audience, it will be exciting to see how it evolves and promotes Australian talent, inclusivity and unihibited creativity.

Queer representation

The Fringe also spotlights the incredible queer talent that is present in Sydney, which is known for its thriving LGBTQIA+ scene. The Loading Dock Theatre at Qtopia will be this year’s Queer Hub, hosting a month-long celebration of diverse queer performances, from both local and international artists.

Catch cabaret performances, storytime sharing and theatre here, including Drive Thru Dreams, Late Night Regrets, a “deep-fried cabaret” by Drag Queen Burger Queen and Transcendant Love, a one-woman play by Skye Paez.

Despite Qtopia being named the ‘Queer Hub’, LGBTQIA+ talents wil be showcased all over the city. Māori trailblazer Daley Rangi’s performance of Takatāpui will be at the PACT Centre for Emerging Artists. The show will examine queer joy, violence, love and rage through spoken word, theatre and storytelling.

Sydney Fringe Festival 2025

When: Monday, September 1 until Tuesday, September 30.
Where: Citywide, now including Central Sydney, Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, North Sydney and Greater Sydney.
Price: Varies per event. Please check sydneyfringe.com for full details.

I’ve performed at the Edinburgh Fringe – here’s how I think Sydney Fringe Festival compares

My Edinburgh Fringe experience

Sydney Fringe vs Edinburgh Fringe

What Sydney needs to do