New Zealand Fringe Festival Launches Its 2024 Programme, With More Than 800 Artists Presenting Over 160 Diverse Events!

Back for its 34th year, NZ’s leading open-access arts festival, The Birthplace of Brilliance, New Zealand Fringe launches its programme for the 2024 season tonight. From 16 February – 9 March, creators hailing from overseas as well as Aotearoa will be gracing stages around the capital city. In the three-week season, there will be 800+ artists presenting a huge 160+ creative, boundary-pushing and diverse events.

Festival tickets will go live on the NZ Fringe website (fringe.co.nz) tonight and will be available to purchase from the box office from the 7th of February. Just in time for a thoughtful Christmas gift or a summer treat to yourself!

Director of NZ Fringe Festival, Vanessa Stacey, says: “After a record-breaking 2023 NZ Fringe season, we’re soooo excited to share 2024’s programme, hosting an incredible lineup of local legends and exciting international artists, and featuring 26 different genres and art forms. NZ Fringe will dazzle and delight you with an array of award-winners such as Mark Pleases You from San Diego Fringe, Endhoe from Sydney Fringe, The Hilary Duff Film Re-Enactment Festival from Adelaide Fringe, the debut of award-winning play Icky, the sell-out touring party of The Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadowcast, the homecoming of The New Blue - A Portrait of Pixie William, album release Cinematic Light Orchestra, featuring an 18-piece jazz band and 20 string players, and the audio-visual splendour of Māreikura Lumina – to name but a few – while also welcoming our new Fringe Late Lounge Hubbub featuring lush, lyrical and late-night lunacy throughout our 23-day season!”

NZ Fringe events will be hosted at 50 performance spaces across the Wellington Region in 2024. Events will return to some of the top theatre venues in Pōneke such as the Hannah Playhouse, BATS Theatre, Te Auaha, Circa, The Gryphon Theatre (FATG), and the Fringe Bar. NZ Fringe will also take over innovative locales for whānau-friendly events, such as Martin Luckie Park, Awhi Yoga and Wellbeing, the Wellington Waterfront and Campbell Park, Paekākāriki.

Thanks to Public Trust, one stellar production has also received the honour of presenting their show at the newly renovated Public Trust Hall. Māreikura Lumina: A Celestial Symphony of Sound, Light, and Culture by #19 Productions will play for one night only (8 February) – utilising the large space and elegant decor through a fusion of music, projections, and Māori creativity. An evening not to be missed!

Backed by its small, but passionate team, NZ Fringe could not be the festival that it is today without the mahi from the artists who registered to be involved, as well as the key festival partners: Wellington City Council, Creative New Zealand, NV Interactive, Inject Design, NZME, the Lion Foundation, and Manatū Taonga: Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

New Zealand Fringe Festival’s 2024 programme will be live on their website this evening (14 December) or via printed copies available throughout Pōneke. The festival opens 16 February and runs until 9 March across venues in Wellington. See the myriad of remarkable shows on offer at the Birthplace of Brilliance by booking your tickets at fringe.co.nz.

NZ Fringe would like to thank all festival sponsors and partners: Wellington Airport, Bluestar, Garage Project, KPMG, Public Trust Hall, Phantom Billstickers, Radio Active, Silk Event Design, Aro Digital, Good Fortune Coffee Co., Go Media, Resene, Naumi Hotels, Four Winds Foundation, Pub Charity, Australian High Commission, Brennan Wines, Wellington City Council, Creative New Zealand, NV Interactive, Inject Design, NZME, the Lion Foundation, and Manatū Taonga: Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Thank you also to the NZ Fringe award sponsors: Wellington Airport, Inject Design, NZME, Te Auaha, Sydney Fringe Festival, Melbourne Fringe Festival, The Adelaide Fringe, Dunedin Fringe Festival, Auckland Fringe Festival, BATS Theatre, Phantom Billstickers, Chris and Kathy Parkin, Victoria University of Wellington, and the Wellington City Council Mayor’s Office.

NZ Fringe will take place at the following performance spaces: Awhi Yoga & Wellbeing, BATS Theatre, Campbell Park, Cavern Club, Circa Theatre, Circus Bar, The Circus Hub, Cuba Street, Erskine Chapel, Fat G (Fringe at the Gryphon), The Fringe Bar, Hannah Playhouse, Hashigo Zake, Innermost Gardens, Inverlochy Art School, Ivy Bar and Cabaret, Leroy’s, Martin Luckie Park, Meanwhile, Moon, Newlands Community Centre, Newtown Community Centre, Newtown Streets, The Pow Wow Room, Public Trust Hall, Pyramid Club, Rogue and Vagabond, The Salvation Army Hall, San Fran, Siglo, Southern Cross Bar, Te Auaha, Thistle Hall, Two Todman, two/fiftyseven, Vogelmorn Bowling Club, Waterfront – Te Papa Parade, Wellington Museum The Welsh Dragon Bar, Te Whaea National Dance & Drama Centre, Whisky & Wood, and online.

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