Sydney commuters set for colourful takeover by Australia’s biggest arts festival 

On the morning of the 24th of January 2023 Sydney commuters across the CBD should brace themselves for an onslaught of camp, colour and chaos as Australia’s BIGGEST arts festival, Adelaide Fringe takes over Martin Place.

In partnership with the South Australian Tourism Commission and Virgin Australia, Adelaide Fringe’s hostess with the most-ess, 2023 Ambassador Kween Kong, will give Sydneysiders a taste of the biggest and the best when it comes to what the Australian arts scene has to offer.

Riding shotgun to Kween will be Drag Race Down Under alumni, the revered Spanky Jackzon and Hannah Conda who will be charmingly accosting passersby with the word of Adelaide Fringe.

Through taking over the heart of Sydney, Adelaide Fringe aims to share a glimpse of what Australia’s unofficial food and wine capital has to offer during one of the most electric times of year in February and March at Adelaide Fringe.

And in a further bid to expand national interest in Australia’s biggest arts festival, while driving visitation to South Australia, Virgin Australia have officially partnered with Adelaide Fringe for an initial two year term. The partnership will see the airline fly entertainers, artists and supporting crew, from all four corners of the country to South Australia for Adelaide Fringe [making it one of the largest airline partnerships for a cultural event in Australia].

To celebrate, three lucky winners who experience the Adelaide Fringe disruption in Martin Place, will be flown with a friend to Adelaide by Virgin Australia for a tailored South Australian experience that includes dining and wine tasting in the iconic McLaren Vale wine region, accommodation at Adelaide’s perfectly located Crowne Hotel and access to a plethora of Adelaide Fringe shows. 

The disruption will shine a light on one of the country’s best destinations for food, wine culture and arts, the vibrant city of Adelaide.

“Mad March is such an exciting time to be in Adelaide. The atmosphere is unbeatable and the whole city comes alive. The creativity and inclusiveness of the Adelaide Fringe is welcoming and open, and that is at the heart of South Australia’s personality,” said Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison.

Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said “South Australia is an incredibly important market to Virgin Australia, and we are delighted to come on board as a Major Partner of Adelaide Fringe.

“Adelaide Fringe is the state’s hallmark arts and cultural event, and we are excited to expand the festival’s footprint nationally through our wonderful network of flights connecting Adelaide to major cities around the country. Our new partnership is a great thing for South Australians, the incredibly talented performers, and the tourism and hospitality operators who will greatly benefit from increased tourism over the festival dates,” she said.

Having just taken out Best Festival in the People’s Choice Uniquely Aussie Awards presented by Wotif, Adelaide Fringe was commended for bringing the city “to life for a month” and was praised for having something for everyone.

Director and CEO of Adelaide Fringe Heather Croall said, “We are the biggest and the best arts festival in Australia and we are marching on Sydney to make sure Australia’s biggest city knows all about us. We can’t wait to burst into the morning commute of Sydneysiders with our 1200-plus show program jam-packed with comedy, circus, theatre and more, Adelaide Fringe has something for everyone.

Prospective tourists across the country can fly with ease to South Australia via Virgin Australia. Explore the full Fringe program online via adelaidefringe.com.au and enter the competition to win a trip to South Australia and Adelaide Fringe HERE.

Virgin Australia has a long-standing history supporting the arts and have introduced complimentary baggage for registered Adelaide Fringe artists* in 2023, creating a seamless and greater value travel experience for the individuals intrinsic to the success of the festival. 

The 2023 Adelaide Fringe will run from 17 February to 19 March 2023 with tickets on sale from early December.