Where can you watch humans fly, sing with stars, laugh with clowns, dance with queens and mingle with mermaids – all in one day?
Feature by Julie Hosking
Step into Fringe World, the funny, freaky and fabulous festival that lights up Perth (Boorloo) and surrounds every summer. It’s a world awash with all the colours of the rainbow, where music, mayhem and more than a little mischief await. Discover the joys of a month-long cultural fiesta where everyone is welcome and the only limit is your imagination. Here are a few tips to get the most out of this wonderful world.
Get the inside running
Need to get your bearings before you book? Take a guided walking tour of Perth (Boorloo) with Two Feet and a Heartbeat. Explore our cultural and entertainment hotspots and get a taste for where to go for food and drinks before or after a show. Oh Hey WA also guides you in and around Perth and Fremantle (Walyalup), where a little local knowledge goes a long way to planning the best Fringe binge.
Two Feet and Heartbeat, Yagan Square
Expect the unexpected
The beauty of Fringe lies in the sheer variety of experiences. By all means, book your favourite gigs before they sell out but don’t be afraid to just head on down to The Pleasure Garden, the vibrant Fringe hub, and take a chance on something new. One minute you’ll be busting dance moves at the silent disco, the next catching kisses from mermaids in The Splash Zone. Marvel at a magician’s sleight of hand, hold your breath as acrobats build human towers, and relive your glory days with all manner of musical tributes. There are always unexpected delights around the corner.
Step into the big tent
To earn your Fringe stripes, you need to see a show at the Lotterywest De Parel Spiegeltent. If the walls – or should that be vents? - of this century-old venue could talk, the stories would burn your ears, make you double over with laughter and fill your heart with joy-filled memories. Situated in The Pleasure Garden, what happens beneath the big tent is mysterious and magical. Take a rickshaw ride around the city with Peddle Perth beforehand and if you time it right, you might just be able to make your own grand entrance.
Peddle Perth, Perth city
Hit the road
From a theatre on the banks of the Swan River (Derberl Yerrigan) to a microbrewery in Western Australia’s oldest wine region, an old courthouse in Fremantle (Walyalup) to a 19th century beauty in historic Guildford, an art gallery in Ellenbrook to an arts hub in Midland, the venues for Fringe World are as varied as the artists performing within and spread well beyond the city limits. Hire a car and discover the sensations in the suburbs.
Fuel up for Fringe
Whether you want to eat like royalty after the show or grab a drink beforehand, you don’t have to stroll too far for sustenance. The Pleasure Garden is in the heart of Northbridge, where restaurants and bars – many doubling as festival venues – abound, and just a short walk into the city where you’re similarly spoilt for choice. If you’re heading south to Fremantle or Mandurah or north to Joondalup or Wanneroo for a gig, don’t despair. There are culinary delights in every direction. Check out the ‘Fringey offers’ for discounts, too.
Pleasure Garden Fringe World, Northbridge
Turn up the heat
As one of the most inclusive cultural experiences around, Fringe World caters for all tastes, but if you want an idea of just how saucy things might get, check out the show’s Sizzle Factor. Each show is given one of four ratings – mild (family friendly), medium (not too naughty but perhaps not for little ones), hot (think a night on the town with your mates), and very hot (pushing the risqué meter all the way up). Determine your sizzle factor and enjoy with abandon!
Complete the card
For those who like to turn their cultural sessions into a competition, play Fringe Bingo and cancel all other plans. The challenge is to see an event from every genre over the course of a weekend and tick them off as you go. From cabaret to kids, community to dance, musicals to visual arts, you’re going to be blissfully busy! Download the Fringe app and find out all the ways to make this festival your most memorable yet.
Fringe World Silent Disco, Northbridge
Published January 2024.