One of the best things about arts festivals, be they local or international, is the opportunity such events provide for taking the collective cultural pulse of a city, a community or an artform.
Summer is peak festival season for many Australian states, beginning with Sydney Festival and rolling on into Fringe World, Midsumma, Adelaide’s beloved ‘Mad March’ and so much more. And while March may not technically be considered summer, given the quirky Australian habit of marking the start of each season by the calendar rather than by the arrival of each successive equinox and solstice, it too is a hectic and exhilarating time, culturally speaking – with the nights still hot enough to enjoy a post-show debrief outdoors after catching a performance at the Garden of Unearthly Delights or the Hobart Festival of Comedy.
