Melbourne Fringe

Melbourne Fringe Melbourne's largest celebration of independent art In addition, we run a non-stop year round program of all kinds of independent arts at Fringe Common Rooms.

Melbourne Fringe lives and breathes the independent arts in one of Australia’s most culturally engaged cities. We manage the Melbourne Fringe Festival, and promote the ongoing development of professional skills and new, provocative work.

17/06/2026

"Being accepted tells me that maybe people might be interested in the type of stories I want to tell."

For Joel Te Teira, the Emerging Playwrights' Lab means putting the puzzle pieces together: making industry connections, learning from peers, and exploring craft on a deeper level. Things that enable Joel to keep telling the stories he wants to tell.

Through focused guidance and creative development, the Lab aims to support emerging voices in finding pathways to present their work to the world. See developments from all three playwrights at the Industry Showcase during the 2026 Melbourne Fringe Festival.

The Emerging Playwrights' Lab is supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation.

12/06/2026

“I had to pinch myself.” That’s how Iris Joy Warren describes being selected for Melbourne Fringe’s Emerging Playwrights’ Lab. Days spent in masterclasses with playwrights she’s long admired and developing new work with one-on-one mentorship from industry professionals.

For an artist who has only just left tertiary education, that kind of access to the industry is rare. And that’s exactly the point. We officially kicked off last month, with a showcase set to happen during the Festival this October. Keep an eye out for the other two recipients on our pages very soon.

The Melbourne Fringe Emerging Playwrights’ Lab is supported by the Malcolm Robertson Foundation.

10/06/2026

In 2025 we supported close to 4,000 artists and arts makers to take over Melbourne (and beyond) as part of our Festival. We commissioned 53 new works, and paid nearly $800,000 to artists through the Fringe Fund alone.

None of that happens without donors like you.

You give a damn, we’ve got a plan. Give a buck before June 30.

Melbourne Fringe is a registered not-for-profit. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.

04/06/2026

Independent art has never been a safe bet.

But we keep backing it anyway.

Since 1982, Melbourne Fringe has been a vital place for idea-testing, risk-taking and artistic expression. Through recessions, a pandemic, and everything in between, we've kept this show on the rodeo.

But it’s not enough that we give a buck. We need you to, too.

Ride with us. Donate before 30 June.

Melbourne Fringe is a registered not-for-profit. All donations above $2 are tax-deductible.

https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/support-us/donate

01/06/2026

Accessible art opens doors, to new ways of working, new collaborations, and work that simply wasn't possible before. But work also needs the right environment to grow. The Realising the Potential Lab was built to honour that, deliberately paced to give the artists the space to think bigger, push harder and explore access as a creative engine.

When access is truly centred, the whole sector lifts. This Lab is just the beginning. We can't wait to see the work that comes out of it.

30/05/2026

This month, the Realising the Potential Artist Lab brought six artists from around the country together for a series of workshops on accessible arts practice.

The Lab isn't about ticking boxes. It's about exploring bigger, more ambitious ways to embed access into the artistic process. Not a stipulation. Not an afterthought. A creative force at the heart of the work itself.

The Realising the Potential Artist Lab is part of Radical Access, Melbourne Fringe's ten-year project in partnership with Arts Access Victoria reimagining what genuine accessibility looks like for the independent arts sector.

30/05/2026

This month, the Realising the Potential Artist Lab brought six artists from around the country together for a series of workshops on accessible arts practice.

The Lab isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about exploring bigger, more ambitious ways to embed access into the artistic process. Not a stipulation. Not an afterthought. A creative force at the heart of the work itself.

The Realising the Potential Artist Lab is part of Radical Access, Melbourne Fringe’s ten-year project in partnership with , reimagining what genuine accessibility looks like for the independent arts sector.

Ready to embed access in your creative vision? We can help with that. The Melbourne Fringe Access Fund offers a $500 to ...
29/05/2026

Ready to embed access in your creative vision? We can help with that.

The Melbourne Fringe Access Fund offers a $500 to $3,000 contribution towards access integration in your Festival event. This funding is an invitation to explore access as a creative opportunity, built in from the beginning rather than bolted-on at the end.

All artists with a registered event in the 2026 Festival are welcome to apply. Any genre, any form.

Access Fund applications are open until 11:59pm, Thursday 4 June. Full details on our website.

📸: Wasteworlds: Non-stop Runway Show, created by Fast Fashun in Collaboration with S***f Puppets photo by

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Looking for more than a stage?During the 2026 Melbourne Fringe Festival, the Festival Hubs at Trades Hall and Meat Marke...
01/05/2026

Looking for more than a stage?

During the 2026 Melbourne Fringe Festival, the Festival Hubs at Trades Hall and Meat Market will come alive with artist activations in the corridors, bars and in-between spaces. Think projections, installations, pop-up performances, roaming works. If it's unexpected and brings the Fringe spirit to life, we're into it.

Fringe of the Hub EOIs are open now. Spots fill on a rolling basis, so get your idea in early.

EOIs close 11:59pm, Friday 15 May 2026. Apply here: https://melbournefringeresourcehub.notion.site/Fringe-of-the-Hub-34b25487d8dc80569866c36ebb9ade6f

📸: Festival Hub 2024, photo by DUNCOGRAPHIC
Blak Sovereignty by Off the Plantation, photo by Tom Noble
A Radical Ni**le by Su Pin-Wen, photo by DUNCOGRAPHIC
Fringe Secrets by Aimee Raitman and Olivia Jane, photos by Nick Robertson
Then, they never came back again by Art Echo Foundation, photo by Nick Robertson
What I Know, How I See, photo by William Hamilton-Coates

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It's not too late to score some Fringe funding. Three grant opportunities for the 2026 Festival close this week:👉 Access...
20/04/2026

It's not too late to score some Fringe funding. Three grant opportunities for the 2026 Festival close this week:

👉 Access Fund

👉 Club Fringe Commissions

👉 Ralph Mclean Microgrants

You have until 11:59pm Thursday, 23 April 2026 to apply. Find all the details on our Artist Opportunities page.

📸: Wasteworlds: Non-stop Runway Show, created by Fast Fashun in Collaboration with S***f Puppets, photo by DUNCOGRAPHIC

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https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-forward/artist-opportunities

Address

Lvl 1, Trades Hall, Cnr Lygon And Victoria Sts
Carlton, VIC
3053

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm

Telephone

+61396609666

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