"It is a special occasion for us to be launching our artistic programme for you and the wider public," director Paul Smith said.
"The quality of events is very high, so I am confident you will enjoy the festival - both the shows you plan to attend and the many random and surprising elements which happen to you when you least expect it."
Dunedin's eighth fringe festival would feature 20 world premieres, he said.
The 11-day festival will showcase more than 50 events, involving 300 national and international artists, at venues around the city.
"This represents a huge injection of creativity and a huge challenge for audiences to decide which shows to attend," Mr Smith said.
The Dunedin Fringe Festival was launched in 2000 to bring innovative and contemporary art to a wider audience.
The festivals were held two-yearly, in conjunction with the Otago Festival of the Arts, from 2000 to 2008.
However, the festival became an annual, stand-alone event last year in an attempt to develop an Australasian touring circuit by linking Dunedin with the Wellington, Auckland and Adelaide fringe festivals.
The 2010 Dunedin Fringe Festival runs from March 18 to 28.
The Otago Daily Times will be providing daily coverage of the festival.
