UP TO 150,000 people are expected to attend the Absolut Fringe Festival in Dublin in September, according to organisers.
Almost 100 events including music, dance, theatre and visual art will take place in 40 venues around the capital. Some are free, with ticketed shows ranging from €3 to €20.
Macnas opens the festival with a free outdoor show at Collins Barracks. Theatre highlights include award-winning actor Maeve Fitzgerald in The Yellow Wallpaperand actor Paul Reid in Man of Valour.
Artist Paul McCarthy will build and live on an island near the International Financial Services Centre for 10 days.
Comedian Abie Philman Bowman plays at The Lir, while collaborative project Twenty Ten takes a look at last year in the Project Arts Centre.
The theme of Brave New World is reflected in the international line-up. Four Australian shows including Intimacy from Ranters Theatre line-up, with the first appearance from Poland Theatre Ireland and Irish-Armenian Nyree Yergainharsian. Music acts will perform at a “pop-up” club on Parnell Square, where Icelandic electro-pop group FM Belfast and DJ Kormac will appear.
Described as the largest festival of its type in Ireland, director Róise Goan said: “The fringe is not a place where you see hackneyed historical drama. The great thing is that it’s a really exciting meeting place between artists and audiences.”
Speaking at the launch, Minister for Arts Jimmy Deenihan praised the contribution of the festival and Temple Bar to life in Dublin. “Temple Bar is a cultural oasis, it is very successful.”
The festival runs from September 10th to 25th.
Tickets are available online from www.fringefest.com or 1850-374643 from August 17th.