Fringe Festival fun and flair

The Melbourne Fringe Festival only comes around once a year, so this celebration of arts and culture is a definite must-add to your events calendar.

The Victorian capital will host the festivities from September 18 until October 6 with comedies, dance shows, art installations and circus performances.

An opening night party will get the show on the road with a devilish fusion of debauchery and entertainment showcasing bite-sized performances of some of the featured acts from throughout the festival. True to tradition, the night will end with dancing and celebrations.

One of the headlining acts, Spirit and Fire, will showcase some of Australia's best dancers in a performance choreographed by Asanti Dance Theatre. Local dancers will be joined by special guests from places as far flung as Ghana and Slovakia.

Attendees will see an exciting fusion of traditional African dance, acrobatics, Afro-contemporary and Afro-hip hop. If these seem like foreign terms to you, you have all the more reason to head along and find out more!

If you want to partake in the fun, the Shut up and Dance 5 event is the one for you. It's a free celebration at the North Melbourne Town Hall from 9:30 p.m. nightly. The Town Bikes, a performance group, organise this activity annually for anyone to check in on the dance floor and check out the smooth moves on show.

Those not inclined to dance events might be more interested in a show for a laugh or five. Comedians Adam Knox and Dave Warneke will be performing live on stage, making efforts to break some of the world's most ridiculous records. To make sure they're not simply trying to outdo themselves each night, the duo will welcome special guest comedians to the stage to attempt a host records.

Some of the shows are already starting to sell out, so book in your tickets as soon as you have your Melbourne accommodation sorted.