How festivals are coming out of COVID

After 2020’s postponements, festivals are back with a renewed focus on the local, exciting audiences across the nation.

In February 2021, the Adelaide Fringe Festival opened to an exhalation of breath, nationally and worldwide.

With COVID-19 ricocheting round the globe, Adelaide Fringe was the only large-scale arts festival running. Adelaide’s performing arts scene had been dark or severely impacted for a year, and everyone was on tenterhooks. That reignited Fringe – COVID-compliant and seating restricted, despite shutdowns, outbreaks, rolling border closures, Australian artists having to self-isolate and internationals locked out – felt like a miracle.

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Fiona Scott Norman
About the Author
Fiona Scott-Norman is a Melbourne-based comedian, writer and broadcaster. She writes for The Big Issue and is a regular on ABC Radio.