Spring has sprung early this year in Melbourne, and as arts and culture lovers emerge from hibernation, they may find themselves facing economic headwinds as well as the city’s marvellously moody weather. Luckily, it’s just the season when our independent arts scene blossoms, the fringe takes centre stage, and the richness and diversity of Melbourne’s arts calendar leaves us no shortage of choice when it comes to free, inexpensive, and underground events. Here’s a guide for cost-conscious connoisseurs, with a few big-ticket items should you have the chance to splash out.
It doesn’t get more grassroots than the Melbourne Fringe Festival (October 1–20), which started in 1982 with a motley group of artists called the Fringe Network staging an alternative mini-festival. (And at the risk of making you hate inflation more than you already do, back then, they charged patrons two bucks for access to the full program.) Prices are still very affordable at Melbourne Fringe, even though its post-pandemic incarnation is bigger than ever.
The main hub at Trades Hall in Carlton hosts the lion’s share of more than 300 shows. Its pop-up bars become a lively annual stomping ground for bohemians of every stripe, but the festival has long since expanded into a carnival of venues dotted across the CBD and inner suburbs, supercharging the city with the spirit of artistic adventure. You’ll find a much greater range of performances from the experimental edges of theatre, dance, cabar.