Introducing the dynamic epicentre of the Sydney Fringe Festival.
There may not be a yellow brick road, a scarecrow, or even a cowardly lion, but for the duration of the Sydney Fringe Festival there will most certainly be an Emerald City. The Seymour Centre courtyard, at the corner of City Road and Cleveland Street in Chippendale, is currently undergoing a transformation to become the perfect Fringe Festival hub complete with music, theatre, visual art and more.
With a geographical centre close to Broadway, the Seymour Centre is in prime festival position. ‘No matter where you’re heading to in the festival it’s easy to stop off at Emerald City, grab some info before a show, or drop in for a post show drink and some free entertainment,’ said Sydney Fringe Festival spokesperson Kerri Glasscock.
Live music, comedy and cabaret will descend upon the Emerald City every Thursday to Saturday for the duration of the festival.
Radio station 2SER will present their History of … series on Thursday nights as well as celebrating their Back to Funk radio show’s 33rd birthday on Friday 27 September. The long running show will be selecting musical gems that will be sure to have punters time-travelling back into Sydney’s historical music scene.
Friday Fringe Tease will feature surprise artists from the Fringe, who will be dropping in to perform snippets from their shows. This confirms the Emerald City as a great space to get a feel for what’s happening in the wider festival and is the perfect event for punters who can’t choose what to go to.
Saturdays will have a southern flavour with the special event Cowboys in Emerald City throwing some folk, alt-country and bluegrass into the mix. Punters can look forward to musical acts such as Fanny Lumsden and the Thrillseekers, Boy Outside, The Green Mohair Suits and more, accompanying a southern buckaroo by the name of Cowboy Jack on a four-part theatrical adventure.
Despite the heavy line-up of entertainment the hub will remain a free venue.
‘We wanted to offer a place where festival audiences could experience all that’s happening at the festival regardless of their budgets. There is a strong community focus to this year’s festival and Emerald City is a great opportunity to bring the community together and sample all the Sydney fringe scene has to offer,’ said Glasscock.
The Sydney Fringe Festival runs from 6-29 September. Most tickets are under $30 and are on sale now through the official Sydney Fringe Festival website or by calling (02) 9020 69 80.
A comprehensive guide to programmed events is also available on the website. Events can be searched for through genre, location, venue or date.
(Pictured: The Seymour Centre courtyard, home of the Emerald City Garden Bar)
