To the Fringe: All roads lead to Wynnum … no, really, they do!

Brisbane-born performer and producer Tom Oliver is a visionary arts leader and founder of Wynnum Fringe. He tells us more about the groundbreaking festival – now in full swing.

Jul 07, 2025, updated Jul 07, 2025
Wynnum Fringe founder Tom Oliver at the Wynnum jetty with Wynnum Fringe festival ambassador Rhonda Burchmore: Photo: Steve Pohlner
Wynnum Fringe founder Tom Oliver at the Wynnum jetty with Wynnum Fringe festival ambassador Rhonda Burchmore: Photo: Steve Pohlner

Wynnum Fringe is back for its sixth year! What can audiences expect from the 2025 program?

Tom Oliver: Wynnum Fringe 2025 is unafraid! We’re bringing back the sold-out hit of Wynnum Fringe 2023, Rhonda’s After Party, with some new tricks and fresh performers. Rhonda Burchmore is a dear friend and I’m absolutely thrilled she’s decided to come back to Wynnum for a second soiree. An exciting new headline act this year is Theo Katzman. He’s an American multi-instrumentalist and founding member of the band Vulfpeck. Theo is playing his only Queensland show in The Augathella Spiegeltent. This is his first time in Australia, and it’s a huge honour for Wynnum Fringe to be chosen as the Brisbane stop on his tour. He’s truly remarkable and absolutely not to be missed.

From world-class acts to free family entertainment, how important is it to you to keep Wynnum Fringe accessible and community-focused?

Art should be accessible because it has the power to change lives for the better. Coming together as a community shouldn’t be about how much is in your bank account. It should be about connection. This year, we’ve introduced an initiative called the Mateship Ticket, which encourages patrons to buy a ticket for someone who otherwise couldn’t afford one. So far, we’ve sold over 200 Mateship Tickets and are working with local charities to make sure they go to people who might not have the means to attend Wynnum Fringe. It’s incredibly moving and beautiful to be part of something that creates that kind of opportunity.

You’ve got everything from international circus acts to homegrown talent. How do you curate a program that appeals to such a wide range of audiences?

The job of a festival curator is first to understand the audience you’re programming for. Over the years, I’ve worked hard to get to know the Bayside community and the broader international arts scene. The exciting part is connecting the dots between those worlds. Our line-up is designed for the entire community, from kids and families during the school holidays, to audiences who love big names like Tex Perkins, Rhonda Burchmore, Wil Anderson, Mirusia, Wesley Dean, Dave Thornton, and many others.

At the same time, we’re always working to attract new visitors to Wynnum by taking some creative risks and booking acts that will bring fresh faces to the area. Theo Katzman, for example, is drawing people not just from across Queensland, but also from places as far afield as Singapore, Adelaide, Victoria and NSW.

Another important part of programming is ensuring local artists get the chance to share the stage, and audiences, that bigger names attract. We also work closely with local businesses so they can benefit from the thousands of people arriving in Bay Terrace for the festival.

We love to sprinkle in a sense of community spirit, whether through a community choir, an opening ceremony tradition or special partnerships like our new sister suburb relationship between the bush and the bay. This year, Wynnum and Augathella became sister suburbs through the restoration of The Augathella Spiegeltent, and it’s just beautiful to witness the connection.

There are so many characters that make up a festival and I like to think of Wynnum Fringe as having its own character. How does it speak? What are its values? Who are its people? Once you define that character, you can start to have real fun and build a team who believe in it just as much as you do.

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Can you talk us through some of the standout shows. What are your ‘don’t miss’ picks?

We’ve got 110 performances across three weeks, and they’re all top-shelf quality. Railed and Rhonda’s After Party are both absolute must-sees! I’m a little biased because I’m one of the creators and producers of Rhonda’s After Party.

Western-themed circus spectacular Railed.

Millennial by Lisa Woodbrook is another show I’m especially excited about. It’s packed with music from the ’90s and 2000s, which I absolutely love. Wil Anderson is always hilarious and clever, and Kaboom is a spectacular science show running both weeks of the school holidays – perfect for families.

How does it feel to see Wynnum transform into a creative playground each year? What’s been the most surprising or rewarding part of growing this festival?

It feels very real now. I’ve been on this journey for six years, and the way the community has jumped on board has been incredible. The people out here are just amazing. We’re all so proud of our own backyard, and Wynnum Fringe has shown that the arts can drive cultural change and bring thousands of people together. One of the most rewarding parts is seeing artists on stage doing what they love (and getting paid to do it) because a festival in suburban Brisbane has created that opportunity. That’s something I’m incredibly proud of.

As my late grandmother would always say, “We are thankful.” And I truly am.

Wynnum Fringe continues until July 20.

wynnumfringe.com

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