Sydney Fringe Festival will expand to North Sydney, as well as the inner west, central, eastern and Greater Sydney.
An estimated 490 events will take place at more than 80 venues across the city, reviving some disused favourites.
The 2025 program includes cabaret and musical theatre, circus, comedy, dance, film, workshops and kids’ events.

Sydney Fringe Festival may be a way off yet, but we’ve got our first glimpse at this year’s program. Returning for its 16th year, the festival will expand north of the bridge for the first time and Western Sydney is even more present across the program.

With an estimated 490 events taking place at more than 80 venues citywide, this year’s Fringe is set to be the biggest yet, reviving forgotten spaces, spotlighting emerging talent and turning the entire city into a stage. From pop-ups in laneways to immersive theatre, circus, cabaret and comedy, here’s what to expect across Sydney’s many corners.

Opening night

For one-night-only, The Rocks will be taken over for the festival Opening Night. Roving performances will bring the laneways to life, and visitors will be granted a sneak peek of some of the festival highlights. Pop-ups and surprises around every corner await in one of Sydney’s most vibrant central locations.

Theatre for Opening Night includes Doomers by Matthew Gasda (Two80 Cabaret in Surry Hills), the American playwright known for his squirm-inducing living room plays, and Partying with Manson, a 60-minute, one-woman theatrical tour-de-force delving into the twisted mind and world of Susan Atkins, a young hippie who fell under the spell of Charles Manson and his notorious “Family” (Flight Path Theatre in Marrickville).

There’s comedy too: the Improv Comedy Night will see quick-witted talents take to the stage for a high-stakes competition of creativity and laughs, while the Sydney Stand Up Comedy Championship invites the audience to crown the city’s best comedians in Sydney’s longest-running stand-up battle. Both take place at Waywards at the Bank in Newtown.

Sydney Fringe Festival kids program — Lah-Lah meets Sydney Youth Orchestra at this year’s Sydney Fringe Festival. (Image supplied).

Central

The heart of the festival, and the easiest to explore given its proximity, you’ll find immersive experiences, world-class performance, hidden laneways and iconic venues across the Central Precinct.

When Night Comes In is a sultry, immersive, multi-sensory experience spread across multiple rooms and levels at Union Bond Store in The Rocks. Blending theatre with cocktails, it’s described as ‘a hedonistic night out’. It’s part of Sideshow, a series of unexpected after-dark performances that will transform The Rocks into a veritable playground. When Night Comes In starts early, on Friday, August 22, so you can get a taste of the Fringe before it officially begins.

In Paddington, Grandpa Poseidon is a family-friendly theatrical performance that makes its Sydney premiere during the Fringe Festival. The 65-minute performance is about feeling lost and finding your way again, set in a seaside town with a child and a retired god as the stars. Another highlight for kids is Lah-Lah Meets Sydney Youth Orchestra, which will play on September 27 at Turner Hall in Ultimo. Designed for children aged two to seven years, Lah-Lah and her Big Live Band (those stars of ABC Kids TV) join forces with the Sydney Youth Orchestra for a musical extravaganza that’ll introduce youngsters to the world of music and instruments.

At Sydney Dance Company in Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, an award-winning dance-theatre solo work from Liv Tennet will play for the first time in Australia. Described as a “masterclass in expressive movement and humour,” Liv draws on her experience of maintaining her artistic identity while grappling with motherhood in For You to Know and Me to Find Out (September 24–27).

In the latter half of the month, Dead Mum will play at Chippen St Theatre (September 18–21). A darkly funny, gut-punch cabaret about grief, survival and the chaos of losing everything at 19, writer and performer Jack Francis West draws on his own experiences of losing his mum, and the other spiralling events he experienced during his 19th year. Disarming with comedy, its a performance intended to make space for grief and to open up the conversation. This one’s for fans of Fleabag and Baby Reindeer.

North Sydney

After playing at Sideshow in The Rocks, Helios will transfer to Pottery Lane Performance Space in Lane Cove, as the festival goes north of the bridge for the first time (September 25–28). An international award-winning theatrical show, it is a modern re-telling of an Ancient Greek myth, now set in rural England. Catch the final four performances in Lane Cove, if you want to explore what North Sydney; it’s a short 15-minute bus ride from Martin Place.

Dear Stranger, meanwhile, will begin its performances in Lane Cove, at The Canopy (September 5–7). The audience — or participants — are invited to write a letter to someone they’ve never met, and will receive one in return, turning the simple act of letter writing into a powerful tool for connection. It’s a rare opportunity to slow down and connect with others.

On September 12, The Judy Bailey Band will be entirely at the audience’s disposal. Iconic jazz pianist and Lane Cove local, Judy Bailey, shares her band for a special night of music. When guests arrive, they’ll be given the chance to request a song and the talented trio may just play it during the night (At Your Request, Lane Cove Civic Centre, September 12 at 5:30pm; from $16).

In Manly, gather around a campfire to hear spooky stories and roast marshmallows at A Campfire Story (September 5–27). For ages 15+ this is a night of theatre at Manly Dam that you’ll never forget.

Inner West

Our top recommendation for this year’s festival is to step out of Sydney CBD and head west to discover some gems, whether that’s performances or the venues themselves.

Best Comedy of the Festival does exactly what it says on the tin. If you’re looking for big laughs and the best comedians from around the world, you’ll find them here. Hosted at Newtown Hotel six nights a week, from September 2 until 28, these one-hour shows will have you laughing out loud.

If Wicked still lives in your head rent free, check out Dorothy in Oz, an immersive cocktail adventure that’ll transport you to the whimsy world of L Frank Baum’s beloved book series — and you’re a part of the action. You’ll be invited to craft your own cocktail as you explore the magical land of Oz and its characters (Marrickville Town Hall, September 3–28).

Daley Rangi is a Māori shapeshifter, armed with a microphone and a killer pair of heels. Shining a light on the complexities of identity, queer joy, violence, love and rage, Takatāpui is an electrifying example of storytelling (PACT Centre for Emerging Artists, Erskineville, September 3–13).

One of the many events showcasing Indigenous talents, Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative in Leichhardt will host 11 First Nations emerging artists connected to Bundjalung Country throughout August and September. They will exhibit works for NYAA from as early as August 7 until September 13. Elsewhere, Australia’s Least Wanted will play three performances at two different Erskineville venues (August 30, September 3 & 5). Dharug man, Adam Nobilia, shares the harrowing story of Kamilaroi man, Jacky Boi, inspired by his tenure as a prison teacher.

Triptych Sydney Fringe Festival — Triptych will play at the Off Broadway Hub at Eternity Theatre in Darlinghurst. (Image: Lewis Major).

Eastern Sydney

Perhaps one of the biggest announcements so far was that the Eternity Playhouse in Darlinghurst will reopen, more than a year since it closed. It will host the Off Broadway Hub, where a celebratory program of all things theatrical, from original musicals to genre-bending variety shows and contemporary dance will play each night until September 27.

The Ghana Road Show — a fusion of circus, dance, music and visual arts, celebrating West African culture (September 2–6) — and Triptych (September 2–6) open proceedings. The latter is a unique collaborative dance performance created by Lewis Major, a rising star of Australian dance, and his mentor, the legendary Russell Maliphant OBE. Other highlights at Eternity Playhouse include Kate Bush Unmoored and Fairies Anonymous, two cabaret and musical theatre picks; Karate Man and Karate Man For Kids, which picked up Best Interactive Award at Adelaide Fringe.

In Bondi, the Pavilion will welcome the ‘Limitless’ Comedy Gala, hosted by Sydney Comedy Festival regular Imaan Hadchiti; Criptonite, a variety show with performances from disabled artists across comedy, pole, live music and beyond; and theatre shows The Six-Sided Stage, Dean Don’t Dance and Trumpurlaine the Great, a satirical take on the Renaissance tragedy Tamburlaine the Great, only with a certain orange-tinged character you’ll undoubtedly recognise.

The Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park and QTopia and St Paul’s Sydney Lutheran Church in Darlinghurst are among the other eastern venues hosting the Fringe Festival.

Greater Sydney

Looking to go further afield? Parramatta will host Lit!, a bold new addition to the lineup and Western Sydney’s first community-led literary festival, bringing a varied celebration of writing, ideas and works in development to the spotlight. Indigenous creators will be celebrated, Parramatta’s colonial heritage acknowledged, and narratives from a variety of storytelling traditions will be shared. On Opening Night at Parramatta Town Hall, Lit festival will begin with a one-hour performance that celebrates writers and readers of Parramatta and wider Western Sydney.

PYT Fairfield will host several events, including an intimate one-woman show about a music-obsessed 20-something on the cusp of something big, titled Will She? (September 11–14), and That’s Me In the Corner, with sing-alongs and a look at life as an artist (September 4–7).

In southwest Sydney, the Hurstville Entertainment Centre is where comedian Jennifer Wong will present a pun-filled, jam-packed morning chat show — complete with cake. FEAST: Morning Tea Edition will also feature comedian Tommy Dean, master pastry chef Christopher Thé and a third, soon-to-be-revealed guest (September 7).

As the first announcement for Sydney Fringe Festival 2025, it shows that the festival is expanding in size as well as ambition, offering a richly diverse program that speaks to every taste and age group. Whether you’re into daring cabaret, laugh-out-loud comedy, experimental theatre, immersive adventures or cultural showcases, there’s something for you across more than 80 venues.

From Manly to Marrickville, Lane Cove to Leichhardt, and Parramatta to Paddington, it’s your invitation to rediscover Sydney and step outside your comfort zone into to new areas (both geographically and artistically).