Wynnum Fringe Festival
16 – 21 November 2021
Various locations in Wynnum
After a successful inaugural festival in 2020, Wynnum Fringe returns to the bayside – bigger and bolder than before – with a star-studded lineup of local, national, and international acts across six days. With an expanded programme of free and ticketed events, Wynnum Fringe 2021 will wow audiences with world-class performances, street parties, food trucks and more.
Brisbane’s only annual fringe festival will also debut Rock the Bay – a one-day outdoor concert on Saturday 9 October 2021 on the front hill of Iona College, Lindum – as a musical precursor to the festival, boasting a lineup of homegrown icons alongside up-and-coming local talent. Rock the Bay will be hosted by Wynnum Fringe Founder Tom Oliver and Johnny Balbuziente (Married at First Sight).
Headlined by Aussie music legend Daryl Braithwaite, concert-goers will be able to groove along to Australian rock royalty such as soulful singer Kate Ceberano, ‘90s pop duo Bachelor Girl and singer-songwriter Sarah MacLeod of The Superjesus and solo fame. Northern Territory’s Wildfire Manwurrk will take to the stage for the first time outside Arnhem Land, with the hard-rocking family band performing in their native languages of Kune, Dalabon and Rembarrnga. Rounding out the local lineup are Brisbane-based singer-songwriters Luke Kennedy and Mark Sholtez and folk-pop duo Women in Docs, plus the electronic pop stylings of Ella Fence and reggae-tinged vibes of Lucid Safari.
Wynnum Fringe 2021 programme highlights include the Raine & Horne Spiegeltent, which will showcase global disco phenomenon Velvet Rewired, direct from its Sydney Opera House run, from Wednesday 17 November. Wynnum Fringe Founder Tom Oliver had a lead role in the original Velvet production, touring alongside disco diva Marcia Hines in 2017 and 2019, and is delighted to bring the hit show to his hometown.
“My journey from a lead role in the original production of Velvet to being a co-producer on the new version and bringing the new show with Marcia Hines and an array of acrobats, aerialists, vocalist and circus performers, including my good mate Craig The Incredible Hula Boy, to Wynnum Fringe as part of its national tour is extremely exciting,” Mr Oliver said. “Wynnum has never had a Spiegeltent – let alone hosted a national production of this magnitude and size – and we’ve curated a three-week programme of local music and comedy acts as well. I can’t wait to announce that soon too!”
Wynnum Fringe 2021 will establish the festival as an annual event, expanding its offering and footprint with an extended programme of free and ticketed shows across more local venues to be announced in the coming months. Wynnum CBD will continue to act as the heart of the festival and a pedestrian playground featuring laneway activations, food trucks, outdoor bars and free local performances on Friday 19 November and Saturday 20 November. Mr Oliver said while the inaugural festival was a local affair, conceived as a COVID response, the event attracted visitors from as far as Warwick and Toowoomba and the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, and he expects this year’s numbers to exceed expectations again.
“Attendees at this year’s Wynnum Fringe can expect world-class entertainment from local, national and international artists and creators spanning a variety of performance genres from comedy to dance, music to circus and everything in-between,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for Wynnum to celebrate what it has to offer and for visitors from Brisbane and beyond to experience this beautiful Bayside suburb on the fringe of the city!”
For further information and to view the festival programme, visit the Wynnum Fringe website
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