Hey there, you gorgeous Wynnum Fringe lovers, arts enthusiasts and everyone who’s ready for their yearly pilgrimage to Brisbane’s bayside.

We’re gearing up for an exciting program for the fifth Wynnum Fringe, running September 26 to 29 in our newly acquired and half-restored Augathella Spiegeltent, where there will be a First Nations opening ceremony, yana marimba.

This year’s festival includes international comedian and host of Channel 10’s The Cheap Seats Melanie Bracewell; Australian wildlife legend Ranger Stacey, who is hosting a family show for young people called Dinosaur Cupcake Pyjama Party; a live audience singalong experience called Massaoke; a comedy gala; and a circus cabaret I’ve written called Taste Cabaret, hosted by Dr Trevor Jones.

There will be a free community choir, in partnership with ABC Radio Brisbane, where the audience and I sing a version of Hot Chocolate tune Every 1’s a Winner. But we’ll change some lyrics to create Everyone’s a Wynnum Baby.

There will be food trucks and a heap of bayside community spirit at local bars and restaurants around the venue on Bay Terrace in Wynnum CBD.

Over the past four years, Wynnum Fringe has transformed from a humble idea to support artists and community through the pandemic into a multi-award-winning event attended by more than 100,000 people, employing thousands and injecting more than $5 million into the local economy. You haven’t been? It’s okay, we’re planning for the future and your time is now!

In the past, Wynnum Fringe has happened in November. It was something to get us through the Queensland border closures in 2020. From next year, 2025, Wynnum Fringe will move to July. Why? Our love affair with Mother Nature has hit a rough patch. November in Queensland is like throwing a party in a sauna – with lightning and gale-force winds! Last year’s weather chaos forced us to cancel a few events and that’s not the kind of party we want to throw.

So, we’ve listened to Mother Nature and from 2025 Wynnum Fringe will be basking in the cooler, calmer vibes of July. Perfect timing, as we’ll be rolling out the red carpet during the 2032 Olympic Games.

But beforehand we’re giving you a taste of what’s to come with this year’s Wynnum Fringe Taster in late September. That’s straight after the wonderful Brisbane Festival, which I’m looking forward to experience. Loving the line up, Louise Bezzina.

Let’s talk about our new home – the Augathella Spiegeltent. This beauty has travelled 800km from the heart of Outback Queensland to Wynnum, thanks to an incredible crowdfunding campaign that raised $100,000 in three weeks to make it possible. What an amazing community effort. The Augathella Spiegeltent isn’t just a venue – it’s a piece of living Queensland history.

Originally designed by the Klessen family from Belgium for the Q150 Celebrations in 2009, this tent is the only one of its kind in the world. While renovations are ongoing, our engineer says it is safe for people to gather, so to kickstart the next phase of renovations we will host its first audience in more than 11 years at the Wynnum Fringe Taster. And it’s going to be something special.

As venues and festivals close across the country, it is truly remarkable to be bringing a live performance venue back to life and connecting world-class artists to audiences in suburban Brisbane at Wynnum. The new cultural capital of Queensland?

Wynnum Fringe has grown beyond my wildest dreams. To finally have our own venue – a spiegeltent at that – is the cherry on top. The Wynnum Fringe Taster is a celebration of our journey – a tribute to the artists, tech teams, audiences, sponsors and everyone who’s believed in this dream.

Of course, it has been and continues to be a highly risky journey for the business and this event needs you to buy a ticket and spread the word to keep it going. So please do.

Tell your neighbour, your cousin, your barista. Help us to continue employing artists, bringing audiences together and helping our cultural identity in Queensland grow. You can’t Wynnum all, but you can Wynnum Fringe.

Everyone’s a Wynnum, Baby (that’s no lie!).

Tom Oliver is the founder and artistic director of Wynnum Fringe Festival. An actor, singer, producer and creative director, he has worked across music, theatre, film, television and cabaret.

Wynnum Fringe Taster,  Augathella Spiegeltent, Wynnum, September 26 to 29.

wynnumfringe.com

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