The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) will launch the 23rd Macao City Fringe Festival from September 5 to 28, featuring 18 dynamic programmes and 13 outreach activities across 28 venues, according to an IC statement on Friday.
The statement said that this year’s edition invites the public to take a citywide stroll where theatre, music, and interactive arts unfold in unexpected corners, echoing the theme “Art Around Every Corner”.
This year’s Fringe’s Festival continues to redefine boundaries with two “Crème de la Fringe” series – “TOMATO” Interactive Theatre Showcase and “Clowns for Complicité Festival”, the statement noted.
Directed by Erik Kuong, TOMATO will feature immersive works such as “The Monster” and “Drifting Dairies”, integrating digital storytelling with personal exploration. Meanwhile, Clowns for Complicité, curated by Chan Lai Nei, will introduce playful and reflective performances like “Kung Food: Vegetarian Martial Art” and “Menu of the Day”, encouraging emotional resonance through physical theatre, the statement said.
According to the statement, the festival will span various locations such as Praça dos Lótus in Bairro da Ilha Verde in the northern district, the Inner Harbour Ferry Terminal, and the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards in Coloane, aiming to attract the audience to more districts in Macao though culture and art, connecting it with the communities through visits’ experiences, in order to reinforce the synergy between culture and other sectors and support Macau’s current development direction.
The statement also said that as Macau celebrates its designation as the Culture City of East Asia 2025, the festival aims to amplify cross-cultural dialogue by featuring “Survival in the City!” by Japan’s art troupe Co.SCOoPP and other experimental works, as well as featuring highlights that will include Swinging Deck’s augmented reality (AR)-infused storytelling of the Inner Harbour by Ao Ieong Pui San and Zhang Hui, and “Congregation”, an immersive sonic journey by UK sound artist Ray Lee.
The Fringe Festival bridges art and daily life by animating tea houses, alleys, shipyards, and more across Macau. The statement added that tickets for the festival will be on sale this coming Sunday starting at 10 a.m., for two days, via the “Enjoy Macao Ticketing” network, ticket outlets, online booking, or by phone, while registration for the outreach activities will be open this coming Monday at 10 a.m. through the “Activity Applications” of the Macao One Account. The festival not only aims to deepen community engagement, but to also reinforce Macau’s creative pulse as a platform for artistic exchange.
This handout photo provided by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) features guests and representatives posing at the Conference Room of the Macao Cultural Centre (CCM) for the presentation of the 23rd Macao City Fringe Festival on Friday.
