The best free events at the Melbourne Fringe Festival 2024

This one does what it says on the tin, but we’re confident it will also surprise you. Rock up to Footscray’s Maddern Square on October 13 for an uplifting experience, and yes, some free fairy floss.

This large-scale participatory event invites ordinary citizens en masse, both LGBTQIA+ and allies, to enter the realm of competitive sports. But this time it’s different, and it’s made for anyone who has ever felt excluded from sport, for reasons of sexuality, gender, culture, disability or background. Dress as a sporting star, an umpire or a ball runner. Prefer to stay on the sidelines? The call out also extends to orange slice attendants and over-eager spectators. You’ll be directed in a high camp photo shoot with the Huxleys, featuring DJs and special half-time performances. You’ll even get a photo to keep.

Think you know tea party etiquette? That won’t help you here. The Rollercoaster Theatre ensemble, made up of 16 neurodivergent performers and actors with intellectual disabilities, will serve piping hot tea with a side of rejecting social expectations. Expect immersive comedy, absurdity and clowning, creating a tea ritual like you’ve never experienced.

Ever wanted to race a billy cart through the streets of North Melbourne? This is your chance. However, the Queensberry Cup is also a community festival where the streets are closed and creativity thrives.

Bring the little ones in your life along to this interactive installation at ArtPlay. Connect with each other, relax and immerse yourself in the ever-changing patterns of the rain.

A smouldering public barbecue is popping up in Fed Square and it’s sure to have you speaking in tongs! Come along for hourly drops of free food, bring your own food to cook any time, and chat with whichever artist (aka grill attendant) is on shift that day.

Inkrewsive is a hip-hop collective of artists with disabilities, neurodiversity and complex mental health. In this high-energy dance show, you’ll witness live beat creation, original tracks and more, all working to tear down stereotypes.