We champion the independent cultural sector, placing it at the heart of Sydney. Sydney Fringe Festival has a bold vision to be one of the best fringe festivals in the world.
Being the best to us isn’t just about being the biggest (although we are absolutely the largest independent arts festival in NSW, and the single largest revenue generation opportunity for local independent artists annually), it’s about how we support our local artists, how we advocate for the local sector and the impact we have on our city.
We believe that Sydney is the best city in the world and that we have the BEST artists in the world. So, we want to provide the best platform for you to do the work you want, in the way you want.
We want you to have the high-profile moment you deserve, a platform for you to share your stories with not just Sydneysiders but the rest of Australia and the world!
Last year felt like the first time the city beyond our immediate community fell in love with the Sydney Fringe Festival. Our new festival gardens and other large-scale activations caught people’s imaginations and encouraged them to have their first fringe experiences, introducing whole new audiences to the festival. The good news is, we know they are coming back this year with over 94% of audiences saying they will return in 2024. That’s over 100,000 people who are keen to see what you have on offer. There’s never been a better time to show your work to a new audience at Sydney Fringe.
Our artists and producers have always been the heart of our festival and as we grow, we will do everything we can to make sure you feel our love and the benefit of taking part in the festival, after all this is your festival. It’s time for our local Indi artists to take over the city and we are going to provide the best place for you to do just that. So come join the party and help us make this year’s Sydney Fringe our loudest most wonderful yet. A true celebration of everything we love about our community and our city.
Kerri Glasscock CEO & Festival Director Sydney Fringe
The Sydney Fringe (TSF) is an open access arts festival, the largest independent arts festival in NSW. Open access means that anyone can put on a show as part of the festival in September. There is no selection process, and the main festival program is not programmed or curated.
We do not produce any shows that register through our system. We are here to provide you with the resources, support and exposure necessary to make your show a success.
We do produce large scale public events, as well as increasingly commissioning work, providing paid performance opportunities and working with our partners to create vibrant festival hubs, that bring the city to life throughout September. (Keep your eyes peeled for EOI’s for performance opportunities and commissions!) All of our events must register with the festival through our artist and venue registration platform (AVR) – Eventotron. Read on to find out how to register your event.
We also use our status as NSW’s largest independent arts festival to advocate for the needs of artists in Sydney. Over the past eleven years, under the directorship of Kerri Glasscock, the Sydney Fringe have become the leading advocacy voice for the independent arts sector of Sydney. Contributing to major regulation and policy reform including the Australian Government’s cultural policy REVIVE and the NSW Governments cultural policy CREATIVE COMMUNITIES. We’ve also created new open access spaces for artists year-round and modelled pilot programmes including partnerships with retail, business and government (which keep your costs down)..
With tailored programs to further remove barriers for priority areas such as First Nations, d/Deaf and disabled artists, emerging artists, and CALD artists we strive to provide equitable access for all to participate.
Beverly Kills, Darling Quarter 2023, photography: Carol Muller
Fringe Ignite, The Rocks, 2023, Photography: Scott Rennie
In 2023, Sydney Fringe Festival worked to strengthen the support provided to participating artists, and to increase the audience experience in festival managed venues, hubs and events. 391 events/ productions were featured as part of the 2023 program.
These events were housed in 80 venues which included 9 festival hubs managed by Sydney Fringe. In 2023, 125 productions and 746 individual performance sessions were housed in the festival hubs. Additionally, 41 Fringe partner venues housed 253 events, and 896 performance sessions. The Festival Hub program continues to expand, providing local and visiting artists subsidised support to present their work in a low-cost environment.
2,181
47%
Artists engaged across the Festival
Artists new to Sydney Fringe
Reasons why artists participated in The Sydney Fringe
51% Expose work to a new audience
28% To develop new work
8% Just for the fun of it
7% Make money
3% Testing ground before taking work to other festivals
3% To gain access to new artistic networks
219 Average hours each team invested into a project (collectively)
Artist origin
● 76% NSW ● 14% Interstate
● 10% International
Performance experience
A
C B
Performance experience of majority of artists in each event
A 33% Emerging Artists (1—5 years)
B 30% Mid-Career Artists (5—10 years)
C 37% Established Artists (10+ years)
98,345
47%
76,429 2022
69,427 2019
65,209 2018
94% Audiences that attended the 2022 Festival
Every year we engage a diverse mix of audience demographics, from culturally engaged arts enthusiasts to business professionals who, typically, have little involvement in the arts. With a continuous rise in new audience members and shifting demographics, we continues to embrace diversity and expand its audience profiles, whilst welcoming back swathes of happy customers every year.
2023 Ticketed data by age
18—25
6%
26—35
24%
36—45
28%
46—55
19%
56—65
15%
Over 66 8%
Audiences that plan to attend Sydney Fringe in 2024
How did audiences hear about the Sydney Fringe Festival?
42.8% Word of Mouth
35.7% Social Media
16% Print Media
22.7% The internet
Why did you go to the Sydney Fringe Festival?*
51.1% To have unique experiences
50.6% To support emerging artists
49% Just for fun
44.3% To see work you wouldn’t see otherwise
How did audiences get to Fringe venues?
47% Car
74% Public Transport
23.6% Walk and Cycle
2023 Ticketed audiences
63.3% Female
Male 1.5% Gender alternative identity 1.5% Rather not say
Total marketing reach
66,322,858
The festival’s digital and social influence grows annually through new channels and fresh content . Our content showcases remarkable shows, diversity and inclusion, artist development resources, and vibrant Fringe stories. Our channels spotlight key events and connect our artist community with new audiences. We will continue to expand our digital footprint to boost the online presence and enrich Sydney’s arts scene.
40k Guides distributed
431 Digital Guide reads
1,277 App downloads
Page views
1,600,000 +31.25%
Facebook followers
20,189 +8.40%
Instagram followers
11,200 +29.2%
Video views
69,164 +1019%
Twitter followers
10,600 Tik Tok followers
864 +595%
Email subscribers
42,842 +28%
The festival is a platform for all art forms. We support the needs of specific genres and event requirements by creating hubs and experiences for audiences. Our 2024 Hubs and programs include; Dance Hub, Emerging Artist Sharehouse, Fringe Kids program, Cabaret Club, Limitless, Queer Hub, Touring Hub and Made in Sydney program, with more to be confirmed.
We activate new, under-used, and unused space throughout our city – from traditional, to site specific. In 2023, a total of 80 venues across Greater Sydney were used to deliver the festival. Our venues span various spaces, from outdoor tents, terrace houses, black box theatres, and studios presenting a variety of genres.
We provide a great platform for experimental work or work in development. 44% of our audience say the main reason they come to the TSF is to see new work, and 51% say their main reason is to have unique experiences.
Event Presenters can use the festival as an opportunity to set goals, and get in front of local, interstate, and international industry professionals. We always attract new artists from a variety of backgrounds, mediums, and skills. The Sydney Fringe Festival can be a launch pad for the next big step in your artistic journey.
Our festival is a great way to increase your creative network and make new connections with artists and industry professionals. Our Artist Masterclasses with industry experts offer an opportunity to hone your craft and learn from the best in the industry. Networking opportunities with fellow artists create a sense of community, where ideas can be shared, and collaborations can begin.
Our growing festival awards can bring you prestige! Every year Fringe directors from around the world visit Sydney specifically to see shows in the Sydney Fringe Festival program. In 2024, Fringe Award Winners will travel to Adelaide Fringe, NZ Fringe, Melbourne Fringe, San Diego International Fringe, and Hollywood Fringe.
We saved the best for last - free tickets! If there’s an empty seat at a Sydney Fringe show, you will be able to fill it for FREE as a Fringe registered artist. This is our way of helping our Event Presenters support each other and experience the work the Fringe artistic community is making. With your Artist Pass, you will also have access to a range of discounts on food and drinks at Fringe Managed Venues and Partner Venues around the city. More details will be provided to artists closer to the start of the festival.
The Sydney Fringe offers emerging artists like ourselves a support system that helps with exposure, financial aid, networking, knowledge expansion, and encouragement. This festival is not merely an event; it is a catalyst for growth and innovation in the artistic community.”
-
SarahBergman and Kris Cetnic (2023 SFF)
“The Fringe Festival has changed the trajectory of my play and set me on a path of incredible promise and possibility as a writer and theatre maker. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and all the doors it has opened for me. It is a true testament to the magic that can happen when creativity and opportunity converge.
- Karolina Ristevski, Cate Fucking Blanchett (2023 SFF)
The Sydney Fringe joyfully recognises that our festival takes place on the beautiful Gadigal Country (and can sprawl out across Wangal, Bedgigal, Burramattagal and sometimes all the way out to Darug.) We want to see all our Event Presenters take the opportunity to honour the land, water, and sky (scrapers) that allow us to make work and tell stories on a land with over 60,000 years of storytelling history.
During your registration process you will be asked if you identify as First Nations (Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori, Pasifika and/or First Nations people from other countries), including or are working with First Nations Material. If you answer yes to either of these questions you will be connected with our First Nations Coordinator to have a longer yarn. Your First Nations identity is personal to you; you will not be asked to provide proofduring your registration.
Contact: First Nations Coordinator Erica Brennan erica@sydneyfringe.com or call 0405096642.
Open Office Hours: 2- 5 pm every Thursday
Level 1 Marrickville Town Hall, 303 Marrivckville Rd,
TSF is committed to championing our First Nations artists. In 2024, we will be working with our First Nations Event Presenters to build a First Nations Program of work that is by mob and for mob. Our festival staff are here to ensure First Nations work is supported and nurtured. Your first point of contact is Gamilaroi girl and First Nations Coordinator Erica (erica@sydneyfringe.com).
We aim to continue fostering good relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous people and are here to help all Event Presenters navigate cultural risks and opportunities.
We can provide guidance in acquiring permission for the use of culturally sensitive materials.
Timberlina and Friends, Darling Harbour, 2023, Photography: Sarah Findlay
DEADLY TIX = discounted tickets for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and other First Nations people.
We are creating more opportunities and accessibility for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and other First Nations communities to have a fringing good time! All Event Presenters are required to have a Deadly Tix Price providing at least a 20% discount on the full price ticket. The Deadly Tix Program plays a key role in achieving our vision for a festival that celebrates and respects First Nations People.
By offering discounted tickets, we warmly invite First Nations communities to participate in the Fringe festivities.
Crips and Creeps, 107 Projects, 2023, photography: Clare Hawley
We believe Sydney Fringe Festival belongs to everyone and therefore, should be inclusive of everyone.
We are committed to creating safe, accessible and inclusive experiences for all members of our community.
We believe in the Social Model of Disability, acknowledging that our society and environment creates physical, communication and social ‘barriers’ that are disabling factors. It is all of our responsibility to make events, programs and platforms as barrier-free as possible.
With support and additional resources,
previously our events have provided the following access provisions:
• Auslan Interpreted Performances
• Relaxed Performances
• Touch Tours
• Chill Out Spaces
• Support Workers
• Captioned Events
• Audio Described Events
If you are interested in discussing access provisions for your event, please get in touch with our Access Coordinator and Programs team. To upskill and explore how to make your event more accessible please refer to our Producer Guide to Access.
Limitless is a unique 2-week festival program that celebrates d/Deaf and Disabled artists, while offering an inclusive and accessible space for audiences and artists to enjoy. Partnering with 107 Redfern, Limitless draws on registered events led by those who identify as d/Deaf and/or artists who are disabled to create and curate a space for everyone to enjoy.
If you would like to be considered for the Limitless program, please check the box when prompted during registration.
Sydney Fringe venues are encouraged to provide access details to aid the matching process ensuring you can find a venue that supports your work, your audiences and your access requirements.
If you would like to discuss how we can accommodate your access requirements during festival season, please get in touch with our Access Coordinator: Email: access@sydneyfringe.com or call our office: 0278134527.
“Incredible support from Limitless, connections to other artists, networking opportunities, and a chance to bring my fresh ideas to an audience. Each year the Fringe experience gets better. It’s my favourite testing ground for new work”
— Jason Zamora, JD Zamora: FOMOsexual
Your registration fee is contingent on the number of performances/sessions in your season. At the initial point of registration, this amount is unconfirmed, so a deposit is charged to secure your registration.
For 2024 the registration fee will be charged in two stages:
1. A non-refundable $150 deposit at the time of registration.
2. The remainder of your registration will be calculated once your venue and season is confirmed. The deadline for this payment is 31 May 2024.
All payments will be made through our AVR platform - Eventotron.
Performances/ Sessions
Registration
Total Deposit on registration.
Full payment on session finalisation by 31 May.
1
The process of registering your event with Sydney Fringe Festival happens via our artist and venue registration platform - Eventotron, a custom-built online environment designed specifically for our Event Presenters and venues.
Within Eventotron you will be asked to provide all the information on your event so we can best help in programming you within the festival. The information provided will also be used to populate the festival guide and website.
The Eventotron portal makes it much easier to connect with other national and international festivals when you’re thinking about taking your show on the road. Most importantly, it’s easy to use!
To join the festival, go to sydneyfringe.com/forartists-producers/ and register on the Sydney Fringe Festival 2024 Eventotron platform.
Are you a New Event Presenter? If you are new to Eventotron, please create an account. Enter your email address in the ‘New Users’ box then click ‘Register’. You will receive a password by email. Use that password to login to Eventotron.
Returning Event Presenter? If you’ve already set up an account just fill in the left hand ‘Existing Users’ box with your email address and the password you were sent in your welcome email.
Once you are logged into Eventotron search in the Festival/Seasons section for Sydney Fringe Festival 2024 and start the registration process. You can always pause the process and come back to it. Deadline for registrations is midnight, March 31, 2024.
Start the process in Eventotron form and if you get stuck on a question, give the Programs team a call on 0402 371 004 or email artists@sydneyfringe.com
Circus the Show, Darling Quarter, 2023
Photography: Clare Hawley
So, you have an event that you want to present at Sydney Fringe Festival, now you need somewhere to host it. We have two processes for Event Presenters to find their Sydney Fringe venue.
If you know the venue that you want to perform in, you can contact them directly and book your event. If the venue you want to perform in isn’t registered with Sydney Fringe, you can still perform there. However, the venue manager will need to register the venue in the Eventotron system and connect it with Sydney Fringe Festival 2024.
When you BYO a venue, your main point of contact for anything venue related is the venue manager. Of course, we will support you where needed, but your event will be subject to a direct agreement between the Event Presenter and the venue regarding venue hire.
Venue matching is where TSF assists you with finding a venue. So if you are not sure what venue is best for your event, or you want assistance contacting a specific venue, or you would like your event to be considered for one of our Fringe Managed Venues, then this option is for you.
Once you’ve registered your event, a member of our Sydney Fringe Programs team will be in touch to discuss your venue needs in more detail and start the process to match your show to a venue.
There are two options when it comes to venue matching - Fringe Managed Venues (FMV) or Fringe Partner Venues (FPV).
The Sydney Fringe manages several existing and temporary spaces during the festival, these are sometimes colloquially called our Hubs or Programs. These venues give artists access to spaces that are not accessible at any other time of the year. The venue hire is partially subsidised by TSF and the agreement is between the Event Presenter and TSF.
Some of our Fringe Managed Venues for 2024 include:
• Emerging Artists Sharehouse
• Cabaret Club
• Dance Hub
• Touring Hub
• Made in Sydney program
• Fringe Kids program
• Festival Gardens
• Limitless program
Fringeville, Hurstville 2024
Photography: Zoe Hyland
The best place for your event might not be in a Fringe Managed Venues. We partner with many existing performance spaces and we will introduce and help guide the conversation with these venues on your behalf.
These spaces are established venues throughout Sydney. Again, once confirmed, your main point of contact for anything venue related is with the venue manager. We will support you where needed, but your event will be subject to a direct agreement between the Event Presenter and the venue regarding venue hire.
Sydney Fringe Festival has a full-service ticketing department, managing the build and administration of all festival events through our provider Ferve Tickets and hosted on our website and Sydney Fringe App. We will work with Event Presenters to set your ticket pricing and advertise this on your dedicated Sydney Fringe Event page ready for your event to go on sale at our festival launch on the 22 July 2024.
It is a requirement that all ticketing is managed by The Sydney Fringe. We cannot facilitate external ticketing services.
We have a friendly ticketing team that will be on hand to build your tickets for on sale and answer questions from your ticketholders; including info on dates and times, how to get to a venue, refunds, exchanges and any cancellations. Our ticketing team will also take care of any changes in the lead up to your season at your request.
We provide Event Presenters with a producer portal log in to access door lists and summary reports for each performance. Each event is provided with one login. At the end of your season we will provide a final sales settlement and door list to the Event Presenter.
We strongly recommend the use of the Ferve
Tickets scanning app, which will be linked to your producer log in. This allows Event Presenters to easily scan tickets, check numbers and use a digital door list. If you are in a Fringe Managed Venueenue, we have volunteers and teams to do this for you.
We require two ticket prices from Event Presenters – full price and Deadly Tix. We have the capability to build out additional concessions in our ticketing platform at your request.
This is your standard ticket price which in some cases will also be the adult ticket price.
Deadly Tix are discounted tickets for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and other First Nations People. We are creating more opportunities and accessibility for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and other First Nations communities to have a fringeing good time!
All Event Presenters are required to have a Deadly Tix price of at least a 20% discount on the full price ticket.
The Sydney Fringe will charge a ticketing fee ranging from $2.50-$5.50 (inc. GST) to the purchaser on each ticket sold through the Sydney Fringe Festival box office and website including managed venue door sales, and phone sales. The Sydney Fringe ticketing fee will be included in the ticket price and will not show to the customer as a separate fee. The Event Presenter will set their net ticket price(s) in the registration system (Eventotron) of the Sydney Fringe ticketing fee but acknowledges that the ticketing fee will be incorporated into the advertised price(s).
The ticketing fee is dependent upon the total advertised price of the ticket as follows:
With your ticketing fee in mind, the example below is a guide to setting your own ticket price. This should be considered in the context of your event budget.
International Producers must be aware of the taxation requirements and laws for performing and earning income in countries where they are not citizens. The Sydney Fringe reserves the right to withhold or deduct tax from the settlement of international producers, in accordance with Australian taxation legislation and international tax agreements.
During the Registration process, you will be required to answer questions relating to your Country of Residence and whether you are carrying on a business in Australia – this will impact the manner in which The Sydney Fringe applies tax to your settlement. We strongly advise that you seek advice on this as early as possible, so that there are no delays in settlement. Sydney Fringe will charge a fee of $30.00 per transaction to transfer/make payments into a foreign bank account.
ARTIST TESTIMONIALS TESTIMONIALS“The workshops and networking opportunities offered were invaluable for artists like myself. The chance to connect with fellow creatives, exchange ideas, and gain insights from industry professionals was an enriching experience that I will carry with me long after the festival’s conclusion.
If you wish to speak to our Programs and Operations Team about your event and how to register your event please reach out via:
Monday - Friday, 9 - 5 PM
Artists@sydneyfringe.com
0402 371 004
02 7813 4527
Rowan Brunt, Acting Programs Manager
If you would like to discuss how we can accommodate access requirements during festival season please contact:
Monday - Friday, 9 - 5 PM
Access@sydneyfringe.com, 0278134527
For questions, queries or just to have a yarn please email First Nations Coordinator Erica Brennan. She works part time but is contactable between 9- 5, Tues & Thurs.
Erica also has open office hours between 10am – 2pm on Thursday for anyone to come and have a yarn.
9- 5, Tuesday & Thursday
Erica@sydneyfringe.com
0278134527
Level 1 of the Marrickville Town Hall 303 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville.
