We just got back from our weekend at Adelaide Fringe – it runs from 18 February to 20 March 2022 – and it was absolutely incredible and easy to do for a weekend. We flew Virgin Australia from Sydney to Adelaide and it was such a quick flight – two hours at the most and only 20 minutes from the airport to the city.
You can definitely do it for a weekend getaway and stuff your days with shows – check out Virgin’s direct flights from the East Coast – a longer break, or if you’re lucky enough to live in Adelaide you can go every day!
Where is the Fringe?
There are activities, free shows and performances all over the city, but the main focus is Rundle St – which is turned into a pedestrian area with pop up bars, restaurants and shows, and the two main performance hubs – The Garden of Unearthly Delights and Gluttony. During the day you can walk through these two areas and eat and enjoy the vibe and the rides. When it gets crowded later in the day you can only enter if you have tickets to a show.
There’s so much food and drink here and people wander aroud with wines and beers, enjoying shows and the amazing atmosphere.
How do I book tickets?
Just go to the Adelaide Fringe website and book online – you’ll get ticket confirmation and QR codes, or book on the day but shows do sell out.
Where to stay?
We stayed at the AWESOME Crowne Plaza Adelaide which is on Frome St and literally steps away from Rundle St and a few minutes from the hubs. You can even see it from the grounds.
The hotel is lovely, with a rooftop pool and fabulous rooms – super comfy beds and pillows! There’s an inhouse restaurant and it’s in such a central spot for the rest of the city too. You can find out more here and book here.
Shows we saw and loved:
Maho Magic Bar
Japanese magicians, cocktails, a beautiful bar with cascading sakura blossoms and lanterns. The vibe here is energetic and fun as magicians come to your table to perform, get people up to be part of the act (like Emmie) and book end each change of performer with a balancing act from MC Johnny Balance. SUPER FUN! It’s a PG rating and Emmie was the perfect age so it’s def a go with older kids.
Basketball Man Can Fly
Funny, fun, amazing to watch – Basketball Man Can Fly is theatre with incredible freestyling basketball tricks that everyone will love. We had so many laughs. You can get pics afterwards with Basketball Man, he’s a really nice superhero. Venue is just down Rundle Mall to Adelaide Town Hall.
360 All Stars
Wow this is a full show with music and rap and audience participation. You walk out on a high cause there’s so much energy with the world’s best performing break dancing, drumming, BMX freestyling, the giant hoop and basketball performers plus amazing vocals and drumming. Everyone will LOVE this. Venue is at Gluttony.
Lucy and Me
A FABULOUS one man show about Sphen and his love for Lucy who is (not a) bike, and their adventures getting back to Germany. It is so funny and entertaining and Sphen is just so lovable and earnest and silly. Definitely book this! It’s at the Bally Tent at Gluttony. Book tix here.
I want to touch you.
Just get tickets to this immediately. At first, because Emmie and I are unused to seeing dance performances like this, we didn’t now what to make of it. And then. OMG the emotion and understanding of the performance through such powerful dance had us in tears. It’s incredible acro and story telling set to a small live orchestra – both groups are Adelaide based and they’re just amazing. I was truly sad when it was over.
Splash Test Dummies
This is so much fun, probs best for younger kids (just by the number of fart jokes lol) but fun for all the family. It’s silly theatre, acro, and so many laughs. We had such a fun time being silly and just enjoying the laughs here. This show is at The Garden.
Mermaids of Rymill Park
Definitely book this in! It’s a must! These fabulous mermaids are unique, fun and up for a chat. Do the scavenger hunt and learn mermaid facts as you wander around Rymill Lake at Gluttony. More info and tix here.
Borealis at Rymill Lake
It’s so beautiful to watch the green lights move across the sky over Rymill Lake. Grab a wine, some food and sit on the hill and watch it all unfold above. More info and book here.
Dusty Feet Mob
If you ever have a chance to see Dusty Feet Mob perform then grab it. We were so fortunate to see them at their one Fringe show and it was a very emotional experience. This talented group of boys and girls share their Indigenous culture with us through dance and in effort to bring us all closer together. Find out more here.
Electric Dreams VR swings
Grab tix and head to the Adelaide Museum for this fun activity. As you swing you see VR imagery as you fly through the sky. There are four options to choose from. We took scooters from Fringe down to the museum. So much fun. More info and tix here.
Have a great time at Fringe!