Shine at Adelaide Fringe with these Top Festival Tips

Adelaide Fringe is the biggest art festival in the southern hemisphere and it’s only fitting that the event is hosted by Australia’s city of festivals. There is only one week left of Adelaide Fringe for 2020, and 2020 is also a milestone year for the festival. Adelaide Fringe celebrates 60 years this year!

There are a never-ending number of acts playing at Adelaide Fringe. Comedians, acrobats, magicians, spoken word, music and dance can all be experienced. There is a plethora of entertainment to whet the appetite of festival goers, all performing in the two major sites: The Garden of Unearthly Delights and Gluttony. Smaller venues dotted around Adelaide CBD host performers, too.

So how does a traveller tackle Adelaide Fringe? Where does a traveller start? It can be overwhelming, but all you need is a little fore planning and a little know-how. Follow these tips and you want be overwhelmed by that fear of missing out.

There are free acts as well as the ones you need to pay for

Some of Adelaide Fringe’s biggest acts all started out in tiny venues in front of small audiences. They probably played for free so they could get the word out about their talents. This is the beauty of Adelaide Fringe. You can experience incredible artists for free. Just download your Adelaide Fringe guide from the website, or pick up a copy at many venues around town. Once you choose the acts you want to see, book your tickets online in advance. ‘Best of Fringe’ shows are also a great way to sample many of Fringe’s top acts before you buy tickets. Just remember, you need a ticket for every event you attend.

Get in quick and arrive early to each show

A lot of the shows at Adelaide Fringe sell out in advance. Be sure to secure your tickets early to avoid disappointed. Start times are strictly adhered to, so be sure to arrive early. Arriving early means you can avoid big queues and have a better choice at seating. This is particularly important if you don’t like to sit in front of a show. I’m not sure about you, but I don’t like being the butt of a comedian’s joke!

Be sure to make some noise!

It’s just as important to support the free acts as well as the ones you need to pay for.  Grace them all with your applause, laughter, hollering and howling. Audience participation is a must at many of the shows, so be sure to show your appreciation for the talent you experience.

There is oh-so-much vegan food to eat

If you’re travelling vegan, you won’t go hungry at Adelaide Fringe. The Garden of Unearthly Delights is the main festival area containing lots of food and drink stalls. Adelaide is also one of the most vegan-friendly cities in Australia, so there is always an ample supply of vegan food at Adelaide Fringe. You can also experience many of the city’s top vegan restaurants and cafes as well as the vegan options at many non-vegan hotspots. Check out the Happy Cow app for options and you can also read over my Aussie Vegan Directory for a list of places I’ve tried personally.

Be sure to book a table, just in case

Adelaide Fringe attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. This means that a lot of restaurants near the festival area book out quickly. Walk-ups are always disappointed if a table isn’t available. If there are one or more restaurants you want to try during your visit, book a table a few days in advance and ensure you mention your vegan requirements.  Don’t forget to check opening hours as some spots aren’t open on weekends or Sundays. Follow these tips and you won’t be left hungry and disappointed.

Getting around Adelaide Fringe is easy

The traffic is relatively light in the Adelaide CBD so it’s an easy city to navigate. Walking is the best mode of transport. By walking around, you can also experience many of the arcade buskers entertaining the crowds during Adelaide Fringe.

Adelaide also has an environmentally-friendly scooter scheme, run by two providers. You can hire a scooter through Ride or Neuron. Simply download their apps to access their scooters or visit their websites to find out more.

Public transport is easy, too. A free tram runs within the Adelaide CBD that runs from the South Terrace tram stop, via the Entertainment Centre, Botanic Gardens and Festival Plaza. The Free city tram can also take you to the west end of North Terrace. A free Jetty Road Glenelg tram runs from Brighton Road tram stop and Moseley Square.

If you want to take a bus outside the CBD, many bus routes run from Currie Street. Just make sure you take lots of coins as tickets can only be purchased by cash. Drivers hold limited change so smaller the coin denominations the better. Trams that run outside the free zones are equipped with credit card machines, but it’s still a good idea to take change with you as a precaution. Also, be patient as some bus routes may be modified or affected due to road closures during Adelaide Fringe.

Adelaide Fringe runs until Sunday, March 15. For a full list of acts, times, and to purchase tickets, visit the Adelaide Fringe website. Follow the #ADLfringe hashtag to keep up to date with all the happenings during the festival.

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this blog post are that of Justine de Jonge of Fire & Tea. No payments or remunerations were received by the companies or events mentioned in this post.  

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