Adelaide Fringe starts with city parade and jump in ticket sales
A month of performances has kicked off in Adelaide with a city parade to mark the arrival of the Fringe festival.
Thousands of people lined King William Street to watch floats, clowns and other performers in what is now an annual event.
Fringe director Greg Clarke said the weather was a big improvement on recent years for parade night, and plenty of amazing sights delighted the crowd.
"There's seven giant Sirens, these are four-and-a-half-metre women with huge skirts made up of thousands of lights," he explained.
"There's a moving swimming pool with synchronised swimmers and there's an aeroplane with dancers on the wings."
Clowns warmed up the crowd ahead of the official parade and children drew on the road with chalk.
Clarke said ticket sales for Fringe events were up 10 per cent this year, with the festival only just starting.
It will be his final event as director as Heather Croall takes up her three-year appointment in 2016.
She grew up in Whyalla and more recently lived in the United Kingdom and ran a documentaries festival.
Along with the Fringe, the Adelaide Festival of Arts starts soon and gives Adelaide its season which many now refer to as Mad March.
