Sydney Fringe Festival 2026: 10 Must-See Shows (With Dates, Venues & Prices)

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The picks below are just a taste of the more than 350 performances packed into this year's bumper program.

Each September, the Sydney Fringe Festival invites you to wander to the (sometimes literal) edges of the city's theatre world and uncover the weird, the offbeat and the very best of Australian arts. You may have already noticed the streets turning pink with banners — that's the signal that New South Wales' biggest independent arts festival is back, with artists gearing up to take over venues right across the city.

This year's program brings together over 350 events and more than 2,000 artists across 64 venues, running the gamut from theatre, comedy and dance to cabaret, family shows and brand-new initiatives. The festival officially kicks off on Saturday, August 29 with Fringe Ignite! on Darlinghurst's Stanley Street.

With so much on offer, it pays to browse the full program and find your own Fringe flavour. Sure, the flashy mainstage productions are always a safe bet — but have you ever wandered to the true fringes of the festival? To get you started, here are our 10 top picks for Sydney Fringe 2026.

Forget Me, Please

Staged in partnership with the Old Fitz Theatre, this new drama pairs two of Australian theatre's most exciting rising stars, Kala Gare (My Brilliant Career) and Shannen Alyce Quan (Doubt). Penned by emerging playwright Sophie Davis, Forget Me, Please is a contemporary story about love, memory and the way trauma reshapes human connection. If you want to discover fresh Australian writing this Fringe, this production at Sydney's only live-theatre pub is the perfect place to start.

Where: Old Fitz Theatre

When: Sept 1-11

Price: $25-$30

Cold War 2.0

Brought to you by Doppelgängster — the troupe famous for leaving audiences asking "what the f*ck was that?" — Cold War 2.0 is a living-wake remake of 2020's Cold War. Known for their punk-inflected take on entertainment set against global crises, Doppelgängster have been handed an extended run at Fringe on The Rocks this year, making Cold War 2.0 the cult-Fringe gem to catch.

*Some audience members will be offered a snow cone.

Where: Fringe on The Rocks – 6-8 Atherden St, Level 1

When: Sept 9-20

Price: $39-$49

Anna Dooley - Flobber

Award-winning comedian Anna Dooley returns with her gloriously outlandish brand of comedy. The concept alone is enough to hook you — especially if you grew up on Robin Williams films. Flobber is Dooley's latest theatrical comedy, in which she plays Flobber, the twin sister of Flubber from the 1998 movie of the same name, now staging a comeback to dish on the ups and downs of her Hollywood career. In a word: silly!

Where: Factory Theatre

When: Sept 3-6

Price: $22-$25

Frumpus - Landed

Joyfully fearless, occasionally filthy and always hilarious, the legendary Frumpus return to the Fringe. Landed conjures an epic landscape of swiftly shifting characters, seasons, props, costumes, projections and soundscapes in their boldest work yet. Armed with fanged sock puppets — wordless but full of meaning — Landed is your gateway to the Fringe's underground scene and Australia's alternative performance world, where chaos sparkles and failure shines.

Where: PACT Centre for Emerging Artists

When: Sept 2-12

Price: $35

The Last Single Girl in Sydney

Nikita Waldron (Amber) brings her razor-sharp new show to the Fringe, diving headfirst into the world of dating — or, more precisely, the joys of being single. The Last Single Girl in Sydney follows Poppy as she throws herself into singledom and a responsibility-free lifestyle. But is it costing her more than she'd like to admit? A story about finding yourself when everyone else has already found their person — stop swiping and catch this hilarious, heartfelt one-woman show.

Where: Erskineville Town Hall – Emerging Artist Share House

When: Sept 8-12

Price: $30

Jeromaia Detto: Giuseppe's Love Quest

Having glimpsed Giuseppe's quest for love in a yurt at this year's Adelaide Fringe (it's a long story), this humble Italian beach boy deserves a spot on your Fringe list. What is love? How does it feel? When does it strike? Award-winning comedian Jeromaia Detto explores it all through his hapless Italian romantic. Maybe tonight is the night Giuseppe finally discovers what love is — could you be that special connection?

Where: Erskineville Town Hall – Emerging Artist Share House

When: Sept 15-19

Price: $31

Limitless

What began as a single Hub has grown into a curated program running throughout the Fringe, bringing work by d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists to audiences all month long. Limitless exists to champion access and creativity. From zesty burlesque like FRÜÜT to new theatrical works such as Colossus, plus free events like Bursting Into Life, there's plenty to choose from this Fringe.

Where: Multiple venues across the Sydney Fringe Festival — check the website for details.

Strike a Chord

Get ready to ignite your inner dancer with this interplay of flamenco guitar and dance. Strike a Chord explores rhythm, movement and visceral emotion in an electrifying performance. Virtuosic guitarist Marco Van Doornum joins the trailblazing ensemble Las Flamenkas, under Pepa Molina's choreography, to forge a bold new work that blends tradition with innovation — an intimate yet electric Fringe experience.

Where: Eternity Playhouse – Off Broadway Hub

When: Sept 16-19

Price: $44.95

I Couldn't Find a Babysitter

Parents and bubs, this one's for you! What happens when a single mum can't find a babysitter but still has a show to run? She brings the kid — and the jokes. Fresh from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Mae Da takes you through the hilarious chaos of motherhood, turning the hour-long show into a playground where everyone's invited to play — whether you're one month old or 1,200 months old.

*At least 10 per cent of net profits will be donated to organisations supporting survivors of domestic and family violence.

Where: Pottery Lane Performance Space

When: Oct 1-3

Price: $29

Inheritance by Toni Janke

Acclaimed First Nations artist Toni Janke brings a bold and deeply moving theatrical experience to the Fringe, inviting you on a poetic and musical journey. Framed around the metaphor of a "precious jewel" passed down through generations, Inheritance explores ancestry through ballads, soul-infused lyricism and vibrant acoustic landscapes. What do we truly inherit — and what will we choose to pass on?

Where: Eternity Playhouse – Off Broadway Hub

When: Sept 23-26

Price: $50.00