There's A Riot Going On

As a trio of fringe festivals get ready to unleash edgy seasons upon three main centres, the events’ directors discuss their role in the arts and pick some must-sees.

- Sarah Catherall

When the NZ Fringe began in Wellington almost three decades ago, it was an alternative event set up by local artists feeling overshadowed by the high-profile biennial New Zealand International Arts Festival.

In 1990, the country’s first fringe festival was a one-week event at Bats Theatre. Today, the NZ Fringe runs in the capital for three weeks, with 150 shows, including 30 imports. It has helped spawn seven other events, with the 2019 Auckland Fringe now roughly two-thirds the size of its capital-city forebear, having run annually since 2017.

All share one characteristic: they are open access, which means anyone can stage a performance in any setting. They are places for artists to experiment and debut new work and are an increasingly popular destination for overseas leftfield acts on a global circuit of some 250 festivals, with Edinburgh and Adelaide the largest.