Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), the 23^rd Macao City Fringe Festival will be held from 5 to 28 September. A series of extraordinary programmes and outreach activities will be launched, leading the public to stroll through streets and alleys and explore arts. Limited tickets are still available for some of the Fringe Festival’s programmes and those interested are advised to purchase tickets as soon as possible.

Aimed to take the public on a leisurely stroll around the city, an array of featured programmes will be launched successively from this Friday. Puppeteer of the new generation Cai Jiajie will present the contemporary puppet theatre Chow T. II at the Macao Tea Culture House. The show begins with tea, the technique of pouring wines and family bonds, blending traditional puppetry with contemporary theatrical language, examining the entanglements between the preservation of intangible cultural heritage, family memories and personal growth. The Own Theatre, in collaboration with three local emerging acrobatics, will present the interactive performance Wendy & the Wonderland, featuring a variety of challenging acrobatic performed in the semi-outdoor area at the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards. The audiences can also interact with the performers on a 4-metre-high rotating slide and in an aerial city net maze. Thanks for Being Here will revolves around the topic of childbirth, leading the audience to transcend three different stages of time and space before and after childbirth through the immersive theatre. The Herbal Tea Cultural Development Association will introduce a new herbal tea “All-purpose Herbal Tea”, formulated by the herbal practitioner of the new generation, as a remedy for “the seven sins” suffered by urban residents.

In addition to the abovementioned intriguing programmes, the Fringe Festival offers various outreach activities. The “Sharing Session: Will Immersive Performances Fail?” will explore the relationships between performers and audience of the immersive performances through the Thanks for Being Here. The “Interactive Herbal Tea Workshop” will introduce the history of herbal tea, the principles of Chinese medicine, and the creative concepts behind the Herbal Tea Cultural Development Association. The “Fringe Exchange: Connect with Festivals” will invite festival organisers worldwide to share their experiences and insights. Artists, arts group leaders, and those interested in arts administration or festival planning are welcome to participate.

Tickets for the 23^rd Macao City Fringe Festival are available through the Enjoy Macau Ticketing outlets, telephone and online booking. 24-hour ticketing hotline: +853 2840 0555; ticketing website: ticketing.enjoymacao.mo. Registration for the outreach activities of the Fringe Festival can be made through the “Activity Applications” of the Macao One Account (activity.mo.gov.mo/activity-h5/activity-list-web). Seats are limited and successful applicants will be notified by SMS or email. For enquiries, please contact IC through tel. no. 8399 6872 during office hours. For more information about the programmes, please visit the Fringe Festival’s website at www.macaucityfringe.gov.mo, the “Macao City Fringe Festival” page on Facebook, IC’s WeChat official account “IC_Art_Macao”, or the Macao activities website “Enjoy Macao”.