The countdown is on to Fringe Mount Gambier, which is set to spill across the city over three big weekends.


The annual event will kick off on Friday, March 22 and run through to Sunday, April 7 and include the Easter Long Weekend.


This year’s festival will feature more than 25 Fringe events which are set to sprawl across venues and public spaces in the city.


With the full program soon to be released, the festival features comedy, cabaret, burlesque, music, theatre, kids entertainment, visual arts and more, showcasing something for everyone.


Artistic director Louise Adams said the Fringe Mount Gambier team strives to bring the excitement of Fringe to our community in a range of settings each year.


Ms Adams said this year the festival is excited to introduce Fringe Laneways, with a series of Fringe events taking over selected laneways, including a Fringe Laneway Fiesta on Saturday, March 30.


Fringe Laneways will bring Fringe performances, roving artists, street performers, Twilight markets, DJs and music, kids entertainment, interactive art, showcases of local wine, craft beers and street food to the Blue Lake city’s CBD laneways.


Fringe 2024 will also feature a major project with video and light projection artist, Video Architecture (Jim Coad), who will head direct from the Murten Licht Festival in Switzerland to create with the community and deliver his projection art onto key Mount Gambier heritage buildings.


Video Architecture specialises in using digital technology to re-imagine public spaces through drawing, photography, painting, movement, light and sound.


The 2024 festival theme ‘Grow & Glow’ will inspire creativity and imagination linked to the region’s glow mushrooms, rich green landscape and forests, and encourage the city, spaces and artists to grow and glow in their most wonderful way.


Festival art has been provided by the talented Tim Goschnick.


Ms Adams said businesses, organisations, schools and the community were encouraged to participate and Fringe UP!, with the community iinvited to embrace this year’s theme and the festival colour blue, with prizes available for those best efforts.


“Fringe Mount Gambier loves to explore the ways that Fringe can reach our community, activate and energise our city, and in 2024 we are excited to introduce Fringe Laneways,” she said.


“There are so many cool laneways across the city, and bringing Fringe performances, rovers, interactive art sessions, markets, bars and street food into these spaces is really exciting.


“Fringe Laneways will happen alongside a program of more than 25 Fringe events across the CBD and internationally recognised video and light projection artist, Jim Coad (Video Architecture).


“We are excited to include the Easter long weekend in the festival dates in 2024.


“We anticipate people moving into the region with Easter, Victorian school holidays, and the AFL Gather Round, and we want to show what Mount Gambier has to offer.


“We want our community and those visiting the region to enjoy the vibrancy of our city.”


Ms Adams said Fringe Mount Gambier was also an open access arts festival, meaning that anyone with a creative idea can register and present a Fringe event.


“It is the defining feature of any Fringe festival across the world; it encourages artists both professional and emerging to participate, to experiment, and present new work, and this year we have over 25 events doing just that,” she said.


“We love welcoming our visiting Fringe artists, and I am also excited to see a huge increase in locally produced Fringe shows in 2024! These include aerial extravaganza ‘Air Overboard’, drag show “Defibrillator Disco’, visual artists April Hart and BeArtiful, cabaret / jazz shows ‘Ms Sassy’ and ‘Corner Pocket Big Band’, kids event ‘Consult-a-Kid’, classical music event ‘Vibe the walls with Circa 300’ at Suttontown Chapel to name a few.


“One such amazing example of the creative force in our city is the feature Fringe event ‘Hidden Carousel’, a burlesque cabaret written/produced by local company Honey Armour, and includes an all-Mount Gambier cast, a live band made up of Mount Gambier musicians, and a local production team and set design. Amazing!


“It is incredibly important for regionally based artists to have the opportunity to explore and present their art in a format like Fringe, and after six years of Fringe, we are seeing the flow-on effects grow.


“We have more locally produced shows, higher regional artist participation, connections building between regional and visiting artists, and festival pathways with an increasing number confidently venturing to Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne Fringe, Port Fairy and other arts festivals.”


Producer and artist Chloe Fry is looking forward to performing in Mount Gambier.


“Hidden Carousel is a true Fringe gem, journeying into the enchanting world of burlesque, blending local lore with vivacious performances.


“Our unique production, born from the heart of Mount Gambier, promises to captivate audiences and offer a tantalising glimpse into a bygone era with a modern twist,” she said.


“We cannot wait for the show to debut at Fringe Mount Gambier and give audiences a night of allure and embrace the richness of our community’s artistic expression.”


Family favourite artist Mr Snotbottom is also looking forward to returning to the Blue Lake city.


“I’ll try not to ruin it with my silly, slimy, snotty antics!” he said.