2 days ago
Organisers of Adelaide's Cabaret Fringe Festival, Beer and BBQ Festival plead for help
South Australia's major events headlined by the Fringe Festival, LIV Golf and the AFL's Gather Round are on fire, but the next level down is on life support.
"This actually might be the last year for the Adelaide Cabaret Fringe Festival as we know it," festival director Paul Boylon admitted.
It's a similar story for the 10-year-old Beer and BBQ Festival, which has said farewell this year due to skyrocketing costs.
"It's just become kind of untenable to pass on the costs of the increases, we just can't keep passing on the cost to our punters in the ticket prices," co-founder Gareth Lewis said.
Both events play a vital role in helping fill the winter months, long after last drinks have been called for Adelaide's bumper summer events calendar.
"You can't just have your artists hibernate for nine months of the year and then just pop back up in the summer," Cabaret Fringe producer Simone DiSisto said.
The Cabaret Fringe Festival began as part of the government backed Cabaret Festival more than two decades ago, the brainchild of legendary arts figure Frank Ford.
"His vision back then was we would be the younger sibling of the Cabaret Festival, the terrible younger sibling that would be a little bit looser, but definitely more accessible and very much highlighting the local voices," DiSisto said.
Over the years it's been funded by city venue owners, before securing money through the Adelaide Economic Development Agency three years ago.
But that funding ends with the recently concluded 2025 Festival and this time there's no coming back without major help.
"We've squeezed every cent, applied for every grant and passed the hat more times than a burlesque glove," DiSisto revealed.
"We're really looking for big sponsors, big thinkers, game changers, we need the new Frank Ford."
The Adelaide Beer and BBQ Festival is also set to turn out the lights in 2026, falling on tough times just like music festivals including Splendour in the Grass and Groovin' the Moo.
The festival had 30 artists performing in this year's farewell festival and has fostered the careers of hundreds of others over the journey.
Gareth Lewis is sad it's come to this.
"I think there's a conversation to be had around how independent festivals are supported, there is a lot of big ticket government funded events going around," he said.
"They're great, but there's a role for independent events, you know independent producers like us who make our living selling tickets.
"We put bands on stages and we put beers in people's hands and we create these cultural experiences the same as the big arts festival."
A spokesperson for the SA Arts Minister Andrea Michaels said the government has committed an additional $8 million to supporting artists and arts organisations with grants for new works.
"Further as part of the new $80 million state cultural policy, we are investing an additional $1.5 million from which independent festivals are welcome to apply for funding."
Simone DiSisto remains optimistic and is still holding out hope the Cabaret Fringe can be saved.
"We've weathered venue closures, global pandemics and like a great phoenix, it has risen from the ashes many, many times," she said.
While 2026 looks a bridge too far, there is a glimmer of hope, with the state government holding a meeting with the Cabaret Fringe organisers, while the Adelaide City Council has also reached out to see what assistance it can provide.
