The Dunedin Fringe Festival always throws dollops of colour around town and, with this being the 10th anniversary of the festival, we should expect it to be far and away the best yet.
More than 300 national and international artists will bring their experimental and contemporary acts to town over the next 11 days.
Their imagination, talent and bravery deserves our attention and support.
One of the best things about the Fringe is meeting the different artists, such as Melbourne cabaret comedians Nikki Aitken and Jamie Burgess, who were out spruiking their show yesterday after arriving in Dunedin the day before.
''It's a very, very funny show,'' Burgess said.
''It's about being single and trying to navigate the daily world and the show biz world,'' Aitken added.
''It's also about the relationship between gay men and straight women. Straight women like gay men, because they can still have a knight in shining armour.''
''And gay men like being able to be a knight in shining armour,'' Burgess interjected.
''Or, at least, rainbow-coloured armour.''
Their cabaret show, ''Gobsmacked: Showbiz and Dating'', opens its six-night season at Isis Lounge tomorrow. The Octagon is the festival hub, where you can get tickets and ask questions at the Otago Daily Times festival kiosk.
Fringe Picks are on at noon in the Octagon every day, where you can enjoy lunch in the sun and sample the flavours of the Fringe.
The annual Polson Higgs Comedy Club will be in the Municipal Chambers at 8pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday both weeks of the festival. Most of the funny people are from Auckland, which comes as no surprise, really.
The festival club this year is based at new music venue Queens, in Queens Gardens.
The club opens at 9pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday both weeks of the festival.
Tonight begins with Niko Ne Zna and Whiskey and the Wench.
The 2013 Dunedin Fringe Festival is on until March 24.
