Sydney Fringe Festival - The 2025 Program Is Here!

New South Wales’ largest independent arts festival, Sydney Fringe has announced It's 2025 program, featuring more than 460 events, 2,900 plus artists and arrival of a new CEO!

Sydney’s independent arts scene is about to come alive like never before. The Sydney Fringe Festival has officially launched its 2025 program, unveiling an electrifying line-up of more than 460 events and over 2,900 artists set to take over the city this September. This year’s festival marks an exciting new chapter under the leadership of recently appointed CEO Patrick Kennedy — a name well-known in the arts world for his fearless, audience-first approach and advocacy for independent theatre.

With events spread across four precincts and 10 bustling festival hubs, this year’s program is Fringe’s most ambitious yet. Highlights include immersive theatre experiences, large-scale street parties, contemporary dance, cabaret, comedy, and a strong spotlight on First Nations and LGBTQIA+ voices. From daring new works to international success stories, it’s a festival that’s all about making space for the bold, the brave and the brilliantly unconventional.

Leading the charge is Patrick Kennedy, whose appointment signals a confident and progressive evolution for the organisation. With over 15 years’ experience in the arts and cultural sector, Kennedy has held senior roles at major Australian productions and co-founded London’s We Are I Am agency, while continuing to build his own acclaimed independent theatre company. His arrival comes after a global recruitment search, with Sydney Fringe Board Chair Maree Taylor declaring him “an accomplished leader and internationally lauded theatre maker… with a rare blend of artistic leadership, sector insight and commercial acumen.”

The festival officially kicks off on Thursday 4 September with a free street party in The Rocks, transforming historic laneways into a vibrant maze of live music, hidden performances and pop-up experiences. The precinct will also host SIDESHOW — a curated program of immersive and interactive works performed in intimate, unexpected spaces. One unmissable offering is When Night Comes, a multi-sensory theatre experience by Broad Encounters that blends live performance and cocktails across multiple rooms of a historic Union Bond Store.

International storytelling duo Wright & Grainger bring three of their acclaimed shows to the program, while the much-loved Eternity Playhouse in Darlinghurst reopens its doors for the first time in over a year as the new Off Broadway Hub. The venue will showcase everything from contemporary dance and music to theatre and cabaret, including Lewis Major’s Triptych and the genre-defying The Ghana Road Show.

Elsewhere, Marrickville Town Hall becomes the new home of the Cabaret Hub, with a month-long program of edgy, heartfelt performances like Upside Down Fantasyland and La Dolce Vita… Down Under. Fringe Kids takes over The Entertainment Quarter during the school holidays, featuring circus shows, interactive adventures, and live appearances from ABC Kids favourites Lah-Lah and Sydney Youth Orchestra.

The Yagali First Nations Hub returns to PACT Centre for Emerging Artists, presenting powerful storytelling from Australia’s Indigenous artists, while the Queer Hub at Qtopia Sydney celebrates LGBTQIA+ voices through comedy, cabaret, and musical theatre.

New additions to the 2025 festival include LIMITLESS at Bondi Pavilion — a dedicated hub for d/Deaf, neurodivergent, and disabled artists — and Parramatta’s inaugural open-access literature festival, Lit!, which will offer workshops, panel discussions, and live readings.

The program also extends its reach into Western Sydney, with new works presented in collaboration with PYT Fairfield and Riverside Theatres, and experimental works showcased at TheLab@UNSW and The Old Fitz Theatre.

For Kennedy, this year’s festival embodies the very essence of what makes Sydney’s arts scene so exciting. “The 2025 program is our most expansive yet, bringing artists and audiences together across more venues and precincts than ever before,” he says. “From the reopening of the Eternity Playhouse to new partnerships and bold new voices, this program invites Sydneysiders to rediscover their city through unforgettable, transformative experiences.”

Tickets for all events are now on sale at www.sydneyfringe.com