Fringe Festival 2015, Wellington byHertz NZ

During the annual NZ Fringe Festival Wellington comes alive with experimental shows. It’s a great time to visit, and to book a Wellington Airport car hire to make the most of your trip.

From February 20 to March 14, 2015, the city gets a three week boost of artistic creativity. The Wellington Fringe Festival 2015 has been going for more than 20 years, is held every year at the end of summer and is a grassroots community effort designed to foster new, emerging homegrown talent across art fields. It is open to anyone and has launched talent such as Flight of the Conchords to Footnote Dance. All shows are self produced and self promoted – many are held at the legendary BATS theatre and others at various venues around the city. The Bay Plaza Hotel on Oriental Parade is central and handy to the theatre, as is the luxury 5 star boutique Ohtel a few doors down. For a more modest option, try the Apollo Lodge Motel on Majoribanks St.

This year, the Wellington Fringe Festival 2015 boasts an unprecedented 14 international acts and another 25 bringing their work from around the country. Look out for acts from the acclaimed Wellington Improvisation Troupe, Jerome Chandrahasen, Neil Thornton, even Xian’s most famous Qingqiang performing artists. From comedy and musicals to theatre and dance there are all kinds of performances to look forward to. Check out the full schedule for yourself and start planning your itinerary.

As part of the Wellington Fringe Festival 2015 there are many events that are interactive. You can get involved and hands on at Wellistack (Feb 28 – March 1) at the Newtown Community & Cultural Centre all day (free or with donation). Dubbed as a “construction jam”, people compete to build the best structure out of plastic crates.

Other notable community events include The Fair – New Zealand’s largest annual free outdoor street concert – on the corner of Rintoul and Colombo St, from March 5-8. The Wainuiomata Water Festival on February 28 at Queens St Green and the Memorial Hall is a day of aquatic madness, with performances, fountains, games, music and food. Or follow the Art Trail, a 4 day temporary exhibition, showcasing various interpretations of the theme of ‘Shelter’.

Avid Fringe fans can buy an ‘addict’ card from some of the main venues to get discounts on tickets – to attend a show costs just $10 on average with the card. The card also allows free entry to Wellington Fringe Festival 2015 events like the opening night party and other special deals throughout the festival.