41st Annual Vancouver Fringe Festival
This will be our 41st annual festival, and we’re going Outside of Reality.
With 87 shows, returning Kids Fringe, and a brand-new comedy series in partnership with Little Mountain Gallery, there’s so much fun in store this year.
This year’s Vancouver Fringe brings you more programming than we've had in 5 years, and we couldn’t be more excited to share the first glimpse of what’s to come.
Vancouver Fringe returns September 4-14. See you soon!
What is a Fringe Festival?
Fringe Festivals serve as an inclusive space for all artists, whether emerging or established, providing a space for them to showcase their work. Artists pay a nominal fee to participate, but receive subsidies that cover the remainder of costs. Artists also receive all the profits from ticket sales. This ‘artist-first’ approach fosters an environment of true creativity and experimentation.
The Fringe movement started in Edinburgh in 1947 as an uncurated festival where anyone could be an artist. Fringes came to North America in 1982, first in Edmonton AB, and then Vancouver in 1985. Canadian Fringes now select the participating artists by a lottery draw. This method aims to reduce gatekeeping, improve equity, and create space for independent artists.
Canadian Fringe Festivals are all part of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals, a membership organization that holds the trademark for the word ‘Fringe’ in Canada and supports the 32 Member Festivals across Canada and the USA.
