Must-see family-friendly Fringe shows

A man in a suit and tie stands amidst a collection of diverse items, showcasing a professional yet eclectic environment.
This year's line-up of Adelaide Fringe shows and activities promises to captivate with interactive workshops, world-class magic, comedy, circus, music and so much more. Here's what's in store for families!

Get ready for a world of fun at the Garden of Unearthly Delights in Rundle Park (Kadlitpina) this year, as it transforms into a magical playground from 14 February to 23 March!

This year’s 2025 program is packed with exciting shows and activities for everyone in the family. Whether you’re a fan of mind-blowing magic, hilarious comedy, thrilling circus acts, or toe-tapping music, there’s something for all ages.

Here are just a few must-see shows:

1. Mario the Maker Magician

A global star and winner of the 2024 Adelaide Fringe Best Kids and Family award, Mario (pictured at top) brings a show full of magic, robots, science, and laughter in a fun-filled theatre experience for all ages.

2. Bunktopia

A man wearing a formal suit and tie, standing confidently with a neutral expression.
Image: Andrew Wuttke

Get ready for an imaginative adventure with quirky puppetry and funny clowns, perfect for young and old alike.

3. SHAPE UP!

Two acrobats performing impressive moves against a vibrant blue wall.

Premiering at Gluttony, Adelaide Fringe 2025, this high-energy spectacle features precision group acrobatics, gravity-defying aerials, breathtaking teeterboard tricks, and plenty more.

Featuring the rising stars of the SA Circus Centre’s Performance Troupe (ages 12–18), Shape Up transforms raw strength and skill into breathtaking human shapes before your eyes. Triangles teeter on the edge of falling, circles spin with hypnotic rhythm, and arrows cut through the air with fearless speed.

This isn’t your regular circus show, it’s also an exploration of how the forms around us influence our emotions, challenge our perceptions, and shape the way we move through the world.

4. Level Up

Two individuals standing on a ring, posing in front of a vibrant pink wall.

Prepare for mayhem as the claw machine moves, spins, and tilts, picking up the acrobats in a spectacular and totally unique show, Level Up.

Watch in awe as they pull off daring stunts, getting tossed into the air by 250kg of steel in this action-packed performance.

The Gravity Dolls, known for their thought-provoking circus-theatre, have been creating unforgettable experiences since 2014.

After years of serious shows, they’re now bringing you a hilarious and wild adventure where they’ll share a laugh with the audience.

5. Monski Mouse

A woman in a polka dot dress joyfully holds two record players, showcasing her love for vintage music equipment.

Join Monski Mouse for two epic shows, Baby Disco which will get everyone up and moving to catchy tunes, as well as a Baby Cabaret featuring a live sing-along cabaret of nursery classics. With puppets, music, and plenty of laughs, it’s sure to be a fun-filled show for little ones!

6. The Revolting Children of Tomorrow

Meet Annabelle (Kimora Njoroge) and Tildie (Zoe Burns) – two brave girls dreaming of escaping their tough, revolting lives to become stars! This lively show features songs and characters from some of your favourite musicals, including CATSGREASE, and more!

The Revolting Children of Tomorrow is perfect for the whole family. With 25 talented performers, there’s plenty of chances for you to sing, dance, and join in with the fun.

7. Signor Baffo

Adelaide Fringe 2024: Signor Baffoo, Gluttony

After a sell-out tour in 2024, this super silly, interactive children’s comedy is back, and it’s going to have kids laughing out loud. It’s perfect for children aged three plus and their families!

When Signor Baffo is left in charge of the kitchen, chaos is bound to happen! In this delightful, funny show, Signor Baffo answers all the big questions like: How do you mix meatballs with spaghetti? How can you make a chicken lay an egg? And what exactly makes a sausage roll? This show is packed with fun, mischief, and adventure – and lots of laughs!

8. All Star Circus

Colorful logo featuring a circus theme with stars, representing the All Star Circus brand.

All Star Circus brings you some of the world’s best circus performers, including amazing acrobats, daring aerialists, and funny clowns.

It’s a fun-filled, family-friendly show that everyone will love, brought to you by the talented team at Head First Acrobats – the same creators of the hit circus show GODZ.

Watch in awe as the performers do incredible tricks like backflips, one-arm handstands, giant human pyramids, and spinning in huge wheels.

9. Mr Snotbottom

Come aboard a talking space craft and actually experience what it would be like to shrink down and explore the gnarly nasal passage in this hilariously slimy sci-fi perfect for kids aged six plus.

All the important questions will be answered by Mr Snotbottom: what is mucus? Why do we sneeze? What happens when you eat your boogers?!

Discover the science of snot, excite in ewwy experiments and actually battle beastly boogers in a highly interactive show where YOU get to be the hero!

10. BAM WOW Amazing Show

Two men in suits leap into the air, surrounded by striking lightning bolts, showcasing energy and excitement.

Bamboozled Productions’ BAM WOW Amazing Show is back and it’s perfect for children of all ages. Packed with laughs, amazing circus tricks, and tons of excitement, it’s a fun-filled event you don’t want to miss at the Garden of Unearthly Delights.

Starring one of Australia’s best jugglers, Mr Spin (also known as Nigel Martin), this action-packed show brings impressive circus skills, silly humour, and funny moments every weekend from February 16 to March 23 at Le Cascadeur.

11. The Farmy Farm

Two people joyfully jumping in the air above a vibrant green field under a clear blue sky.

Join dead set legends Kenny and Jenny for a day on their farm, getting jobs done with a tractor-load of comedy, farming tomfoolery and an acreage of acrobatics. This tribute to the great outdoors blends jaw-dropping circus skills with LOLS for the whole family. Expect tworld class trapeze skills, high-flying vegetables, awe-inspiring balancing acts, toe tapping soundtrack and three-metre-high bales of hay! Perfect for kids 3-10.

12. KABOOM!

KABOOM!

The maddest of mad scientists, Magnus Danger Magnus, heads back to Adelaide with the crowd-favourite – KABOOM! He’s exploded his way across the country, lighting fires on stage and setting kids’ curiosity ablaze; now he’s built a fascinating new set of gizmos and gadgets guaranteed to electrify!

13. Fringe for Kids

The best in family friendly entertainment this Fringe! ‘Fringe For Kids’ returns with the finest acts for kids, performed by the most talented artists in town. With a fresh new line up every day, the show promises fits of giggles and awe-inspiring stunts. Featuring Circus, Music, Comedy, Drag and Magic! Reach into the lucky dip that is Fringe for Kids and be delighted by what you’ll find.

14. Fool’s Paradise

fools paradise adelaide fringe

Located in the heart of Adelaide in Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga, Fool’s Paradise promises to be an epicentre of activity, offering a unique blend of circus, cabaret, comedy, music, and magic for Fringe 2025. The precinct will feature two unique venues, The Vault and The Lab, each with a stacked program of world-class performances.

Highlights include the award-winning shows “All-Star Circus” and “Elixir Revived” by HeadFirst Acrobats, known for their extraordinary feats and hilarious slapstick comedy. Plus, “Nightrunner” – a world premiere that combines futuristic cyberpunk with circus, a futuristic lighting design of neon, lasers and leather aesthetics – from After Dark Theatre, a company which has won circus awards at previous fringes. And the spectacular flying bubble show in its first ever Fringe appearance!

15. The Little Mermaid

The Adelaide Fringe brings to life the Spirit of the Sea, which tells us the story of Ariel, a Little Mermaid who dreams of living in the human world. She collects human things which have fallen into the sea and swims up to a rock to watch the ships.

There is a fierce storm and Ariel rescues a handsome Prince from drowning. Ursula the evil Sea Witch was watching in her Crystal Ball.

Ursula agrees to change Ariel’s mermaid tail into legs but takes away her beautiful voice, which she puts in a shell on her neck. Prince Eric meets Ariel – she cannot speak but tries to persuade the Prince to kiss her to free her from Ursula’s spell.

16. Press Play

Image: Megan Spencer

Premiering at Adelaide Fringe 2025, ‘Press Play’ is an autistic led, sensory-friendly interactive live music concert for kids aged 0-7 years.

Featuring all original music, this super-fun brand new show is designed to offer “a sensory playground for kids of all abilities”, says the show’s creator Adelaide musician and Music Therapist, Alice Orchard.

The concert includes curated activities such as playing musical instruments, movement and paper craft, with accompanying songs to appeal to the imagination as well as the tactile, visual and auditory senses.

17. The Greatest Magic Show

A magician performs an enchanting trick, captivating an audience with wonder and excitement.

After a year hiatus, this sell-out sensation is set to return with more whimsical wonders than ever before! Having garnered international acclaim performing at the biggest arts festivals across the globe, stars Sam, Justin and the enchanting Ringmaster are returning to Adelaide with brand-new illusions direct from a Las Vegas stage!

Joining them will be the enchanting Ringmaster, who after searching far & wide, has finally found The Greatest Magic Show – and will do everything he can to keep it on track!

18. Circus The Show

A vibrant circus scene featuring acrobats and clowns, heralding the circus's arrival in the town. Joy and wonder await.

Roll up! Roll up! Prepare to enter a world of whimsy, wonder and amazement where your imagination will soar like never before, in this completely re-imagined family circus spectacular featuring world-class performers from across the globe! Having garnered countless 5-star reviews, this internationally award-winning, sell-out sensation is once again flipping into town this Fringe with Gluttony!

DON’T MISS OUT – 6 SHOWS ONLY!

19. Alice in Wonderland

A brand-new musical version of this timeless classic by Vogt & Freidman, proudly presented by Ink Pot Arts Inc, takes you down the rabbit hole with zany characters, mad tea parties, flamingo croquet, and dancing playing cards, all in a land where nothing is as it seems!

The ever-curious Alice, the White Rabbit, Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar, the Mock Turtle, the mysterious Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, and all your favourites from Lewis Carroll’s beloved books, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass make this a magical, tuneful, and over-the-top entertaining musical for the whole family

20. Forte

Two people snuggled under a blanket inside a cozy tent, enjoying a moment of warmth and togetherness.

Join two strange heroes on a whimsical journey through a world of play and creativity. Watch as they turn ordinary things into extraordinary creations with acrobatics, silly clowning, and stunning visuals.

21. The Messy Magic Adventure

A man and woman in Victorian attire stand beside an ornate chest, showcasing their elegant clothing and historical style.

A hilarious interactive show where Spray and Wipe try to clean up a magician’s messy house, but things go topsy-turvy when they accidentally unleash the magic!

22. Upsound Instruments – Make & Play Workshop

 A man in a top hat stands among various musical instruments, creating a lively and artistic atmosphere.

The Australian premiere of a hands-on workshop where families can create unique instruments from upcycled materials and make some music together!

23. The Pinky Pie Party

A girl with headphones and a colorful rainbow crown smiles, enjoying her music in a vibrant setting.

DJ Alba Lorca, at just eight years old, returns for her third season with an explosion of confetti, bubbles, face painting, and dress-ups. Get ready to dance the day away!


For more information on these shows or buy tickets, go to adelaidefringe.com.au

 

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