While it’s not necessarily the first thing you think of in relation to the continent of Australia, the theatre scene across the country is absolutely thriving. From expansive, bustling fringe celebrations and arts festivals that are known worldwide to more intimate local and regional events, entire cities are transformed into stages, “and all the men and women merely players”. If theater is important enough in your life to warrant a theater festival-centric getaway, you’ve come to the right place. These are the unmissable Australian theatre experiences that you should consider not only adding to your calendar, but planning around to create a theatre travel experience that’s totally Tony-worthy.

Adelaide Fringe in Adelaide, South Australia

If you choose only one of the following theater festivals, this is undoubtedly the one to top them all. Charter a plane,pack those bags and ready yourself for a festival that is widely regarded as the largest and one of the best arts festivals in the Southern Hemisphere. Visitors will experience thousands of performances across traditional theatre, comedy, circus, cabaret, spoken word, musical theatre and experimental performances. Indie artists share the Adelaide spotlight with world-renowned performers over several weeks and the eclectic atmosphere never fails to draw every kind of theatre lover into the embrace of an existing community.

Adelaide Festival in Adelaide, South Australia

Intended to run alongside the Fringe Festival, the Adelaide Festival offers a more traditional, curated theatre program that features world-class performances across opera, classic theatre, music and dance. The event is known for commissioning truly ambitious and exciting performances and productions and working with world-leading production companies to present one of the premier cultural events in the Australian calendar. Find yourself some boutique accommodation and book in advance, because you won’t want to miss this.

 

Sydney Festival in Sydney, South Wales

Each January, Sydney’s parks, warehouses, theatres and public spaces are filled to bursting with a riot of colours, shapes and sounds as the immersive Sydney Festival takes over the city. A program that bends contemporary theatre, dance, large-scale outdoor events and immersive experiences welcomes the whole city into the arts.

Melbourne Fringe in Melbourne, Victoria

Melbourne’s Fringe festival cultivates an atmosphere that celebrates creativity without boundaries. Visitors come to this event each and every year to interact with experimental theatre, listen to new and innovative voices in the theatre space, and enjoy unconventional storytelling. This is not what many theatregoers may consider a “polished” theatre festival but rather a place for bold ideas and artistic risk-taking that will expand your understanding of the craft.

Brisbane Festival in Brisbane, Queensland

The outdoor events at the Brisbane Festival are particularly impressive and give visitors a chance to not only enjoy the theatre performances and interactive experience that they came from, but also to enjoy the city and all its magical outdoor events at the same time.  The theatre lineup is no less impressive: original Australian productions, Australian premieres and a carefully curated mix of music, literature and dance come together for an unmissable experience.

Perth Festival in Perth, Western Australia

Perth Festival’s claim to fame is that it is Australia’s longest-running international arts festival, but that’s not why it has such huge crowds every year. It’s the festival’s commitment to excellence in all it presents (dance, music, literature, theater, visual arts) and its inclusion of companies that rarely tour in other parts of the world that makes it a must-see. The outdoor performances as the last of the summer weaves its way through the city are just too good to not experience.

Darwin Festival in Darwin, Northern Territory

The Darwin Festival makes the most of its setting in a way that few other events on the list manage to do. Set during the dry season in the Northern Territory (be aware and pack accordingly), the performances unfold beneath startlingly blue tropical skies in mostly outdoor spaces. Indigenous voices are amplified during the festival, inviting the visitor into Indigenous experiences and storytelling. There are also contemporary dramas and a wide range of multicultural performances.

Ten Days on the Island in Tasmania

Last, but never least, is Ten Days on the Island. This is Tasmania’s flagship festival, and it takes over, transforming historical buildings, whole towns, coastlines and public spaces into performance-friendly venues. The performances here embrace or work the pace into the experiences, which creates an intimate experience that really can’t be recreated anywhere else. Visitors will enjoy site-specific theater and regional storytelling par excellence.

A Year In Festivals

This pre-made itinerary takes you across the country over the course of a year!

• January: Sydney Festival. Early to late January (around 3 weeks) in Sydney for 5 to 7 days.
• February to March: Perth Festival. Mid-February to early March in Perth for 4 to 5 days
• February to March: Adelaide Festival in late February to Mid-March in Adelaide for 4 to 5 days.
• February to March: Adelaide Fringe. Mid-February to mid-March in Adelaide for 7to 10 days.
• July to August: Darwin Festival. Early to Late August in Darwin for 4 to 5 days.
• September: Brisbane Festival. Early to Late September in Brisbane for 4 to 5 days.
• October: Melbourne Fringe. Early–Mid October in Melbourne for 4 to 5 days.
• October: Ten Days on the Island. Dates vary, in Tasmania for around 5 to 7 days.

Investing in Entertainment: But It’s More Than That

Theater in Australia is more than just entertainment. It’s an outlet for free-flowing creativity, for historical and cultural stories to be told, for taking chances and risks and expanding not only your own horizons but also those of the performers. Whatever you’re looking for, Australia’s theatre calendar will provide it for you.