Newcastle Fringe 2026 Reveals Cabaret Lineup

This year, the Newcastle Fringe Festival is turning up the glitter with a cabaret line-up that celebrates queer artistry, unapologetic storytelling and the deliciously daring spirit the genre was built on.

Cabaret has long been a home for LGBTQIA+ voices - a space where gender bends, norms unravel and audiences are invited to laugh loudly and love boldly. In 2026, Newcastle Fringe continues that tradition with a program that centres queer performers, allies and stories that sparkle with authenticity.

Leading the charge is Australia's queen of comedy cabaret, Dolly Diamond, bringing her smash-hit Tits & Teeth to town. Fresh from near sell-out seasons at the Adelaide Fringe, Dolly's razor-sharp wit and velvety cabaret vocals promise a night that is bold, cheeky and gloriously unfiltered.

Also lighting up the stage is Skank Sinatra with My Way, a reimagined, rhinestone-studded tribute that queers the classics and serves them with sass, swagger and a knowing wink.

Burlesque lovers can revel in the lush, body-positive spectacle of Tutti Frutti Burlesque - a celebration of sensuality, self-expression and diversity in all its delicious forms.

For those who like their cabaret with a darker, late-night edge, Drive Thru Dreams, Late Night Regrets delivers after-hours storytelling steeped in mischief and memory, while Stage Fright en Kabarett leans into European cabaret traditions - theatrical, subversive and deliciously dramatic.

Rounding out the program is A Perfectly Normal Show - and as any Fringe-goer knows, anything described as “perfectly normal” probably isn't. Expect the unexpected.

Festival organisers say this year's cabaret strand reflects Fringe's ongoing commitment to being a safe, welcoming and celebratory space for LGBTQIA+ artists and audiences alike.

Brooke Twyford, Newcastle Fringe Chair said, “We're proud to platform artists who challenge, celebrate and delight - and to create spaces where audiences can feel seen, safe and free to be themselves.”