Top 10 Verge Festival Events
Verge Festival is just around the corner, and with a jam-packed 10 days of events, gigs, performances and fun, you’ll be hard-pressed choosing what to see and do! Luckily our student Verge Directors have made things easy and picked out their top 10 must-do events. Start marking your diaries.
If you’re ever in doubt, just head to the Verge hub at JFR Plaza (just outside Wentworth Foodcourt) where most of the magic will happen – a magical fairy forest home to daytime and evening entertainment including music, bands, hip hop battles, jazzercise, trivia, arts and crafts, comedy and movie nights. Follow all the action on the big screen and use #vergefestival to see your pic come up!
10. Verge Festival SRC Collectives events
Broaden your knowledge and experiences with events hosted with SRC Collectives. Join the SRC Wom*n's collective for an acting and improv workshop, 5pm Thursday 8 October, Studio B, and join the Sydney Uni Autonomous Collective Against Racism for a Poetry Slam, 7pm, Thursday 14 October, Red Rattler Theatre Marrickville.
9. SUDS Presents: Verge Festival
This year Sydney University Dramatic Society (SUDS) have brought the goods, with something on offer for everyone. There’s 12 performances throughout Verge Festival including improvisation, poetry, dream plays and an awesome one-off panel on criticism and the arts. Shows include: Haftor and Cilandion, Postcards from Provence, Pride and Privilege, Manic Pixie Dream World, Red Cross, White Boy Masturbation Cathedral and Criticism and the Arts. Find out more.
8. Verge Festival Movie Nights
Join the Fellowship on their epic quest to save Middle Earth at the One Screening to Rule Them All: The Lord of the Rings – Fellowship of the Ring and enjoy a wigged up David Bowie and a charming Wesley with a double screening of the 80s fantasy cult classics Labyrinth and The Princess Bride at the Verge Hub big screen. LOTR 7pm, Monday 12 October, Hermann’s Bar, and Labryinth and Princess Bride 5pm, Wednesday 14 October, Verge Hub.
7. Verge Festival Presents: SURG FM 25 Hour Charity Marathon Broadcast
Witness history with SURG FM's 25 hour marathon charity broadcast - featuring guests Adam Spencer, James Colley, Chas Licciardello, Dr Justine Rogers and Alex McKinnon. All funds donated to headspace. From 1pm, Tuesday 13 October, Verge Hub JFR Plaza. Check out the event on Facebook.
6. Verge and FUNCH: Flower Crown DIY and Jumping Castle
From jumping castles to crafting sessions, FUNCH is packed with fun. Release your inner Lana Del Rey and get crafty, with free flower crown making all afternoon. Not only is crafting fun (definitely not just for your grandma) it’s also therapeutic and relaxing. BYO creativity - glue guns and flowers supplied. Verge Hub, JFR Plaza, 12-4pm, Wednesday 7 October. Or fancy a lunchtime jumping castle? Yes, yes please. Improve your day, improve your lunch time and have a jump around courtesy of FUNCH. Eastern Ave, 12pm-2pm, Wednesday 14 October. FREE for ACCESS.
5. ConVerge Jazz Festival
Presented by the USU and the Conservatorium of Music, this 3 day jazz festival showcases some of Australia’s best student and professional musicians. With three shows on 13, 14 and 15 October, it’s bound to be a magical time.
4. Never Grow Up: Closing Night Party
Wish upon a star and fly on till morning at the Never Grow Up Closing Night Party. With live DJs, a big-kid sized ball pit and all sorts of kiddy games with an adult twist you’ll have memories to last you well beyond when the enchanted forest has vanished. From 4pm, Friday 16 October, Hermann’s Bar. Join the event on Facebook.
3. Verge Festival Disney Trivia Night
Take a trip down memory lane and revisit your favourite childhood stories at the Disney Trivia Night. Thanks to the Disney Appreciation Society, you can show that you’re the fairest of them all.
It’s bound to be a fun night (food + bar tab + costumes + Disney) so gather all your beauties, fairy godmothers, mice and more. Check out the event on Facebook, and grab your tix from the ACCESS desk. Manning Bar, 7pm Tuesday 13 October.
2. Verge Festival: Comedy
Have an ACTUAL lol this Verge festival with all the comedy on offer. Verge Comedy Nightkicks off the laughter, featuring comedy superstar Nazeem Hussein, of SBS’ Legally Brown, supported by Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Sam Campbell and Tien Tran, RAW Comedy’s Becky Lucas, and your host Sophia Roberts (Schapelle: The Musical), Manning Bar Thursday 7 October.
Idiot Box student comedy continues at lunchtime Thursday 8 October at Verge Hub with an out-of-this-world comedy cook-off Fantasty, bringing a taste of what’s in store at The Comedian’s Apprentice stand up comedy night on 7pm Friday 9 October, Manning Bar.
The laughs continue at Verge Hub with a freestyle rap smackdown at Spit Take, Monday 12 October, followed by a wondrous pairing of music and comedy at the Musi-Comedy Extravagan-Sing Spectacu-Laugh in Manning Bar on Wednesday 14 October.
Finally, the Verge mini-comedy Festival will be capped off by nothing other than the Theatresports Grand Final on Thursday 15 October, Manning Bar, the perfect end to one of the most hilarious fortnights of your life.
1. Enchanted Forest Freakout: Opening Night Party
What better way to unleash the enchantment of Verge than with an opening night party where a magical forest takes over Manning Bar? Don your fairy best as Sons of Mercury take you to another world on the dance floor, be transformed with free face painting, or capture the magic at our photobooth and be king or queen of the castle. Tip: now’s a good time to wear your flower crown you made at FUNCH!
Grab your pixie pals and get ready for the magic to begin. Manning Bar, From 7pm, Wednesday 7 October.
Check out the full list of events and let us know the events you’ll be attending. #vergefestival