One of the best parts of any Fringe Festival is being able to walk down the main street of a city, hearing the thrum of crowds in multiple venues as all assortments of shows are performed at the same time. While a lot of Festival events will be held in Queens Gardens and Strand Park, here’s just a small number that you can walk between in the CBD!
Heathers the Musical: 26 June – 6 July
Perched at the top end of the city, the Townsville Choral Society Hall has been transformed into a professional theatre, complete with in-theme alcoholic slushies and croquet in the courtyard for audience members before each performance of Heathers.
Catch Heathers at the Townsville Choral Society Hall from 26 June – 6 July with tickets here.
Gallery Exhibitions: Throughout the Festival
The CBD is home to a growing number of galleries, all of which offer something new this month! From the recently-opened Unfamiliar Theatre/ Unknown Stage at Perc Tucker to the soon-to-open Legacy: Reflections on Mabo at Umbrella Studio, there’s an exhibition to suit you.
Galleries across the city include Umbrella Studio, Aluminium Art Exclusives, Sylvia Ditchburn Fine Art Gallery, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, The Drill Hall Studio, Gallery 48, and the Townsville Art Society.
Neighbourhood Live House: 8-30 July
The Old Courthouse Theatre will become the official Northern Fringe Festival hub this July as it is transformed into Neighbourhood Live House – offering countless nights of original live music in the forms of album and EP launches, secret shows, youth open mic nights and more, backed up by street food, pop up paint and sip nights, and other surprises.
Visit Neighbourhood Live House from 8-30 July, with a program of events on page 41 of the NAFA program.
Tease in the Tropics: 11-12 July
Tucked in behind the Herbert Hotel, Herbert Manor will host the third Tease in the Tropics. The Tease in the Tropics tour exposes North Queensland to a range of the best burlesque performers from down South among some homegrown talent, and should not be missed.
Catch Tease in the Tropics at Herbert Manor on 11-12 July with tickets here.
Pop Up North Queensland (PUNQ) Festival: 2-11 August
Empty shopfronts along Flinders and Sturt Streets will come alive with Umbrella Studio’s second PUNQ Festival, filling the spaces with pop-up stores, workshops, film cafes, and more. Join in anything from mosaic making to sketching, and discover Townsville’s own network of creatives in the process.
Watch the city come alive with Pop Up North Queensland from 2-11 August, with more information here.
Park on the outskirts and walk from venue to venue when the Northern Fringe Festival takes over the city this July. For a full program of events click here, or to discover events in the ‘burbs click here!
