Here’s everything to know ahead of the Edmonton Fringe Festival

Edmonton Fringe Festival is coming up this month, and we couldn’t be more excited for the endless number of musicals, plays, and performances ahead of us.

The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival is ranked as one of the top five Fringe Theatre Festivals in the world, next to Edinburgh, Scotland, and Adelaide, Australia. According to its website, it’s also the largest and longest-running festival of its kind in North America. Since 1982, it’s only grown more and more and continues to flourish as one of Edmonton’s most iconic festivals.

For 11 days from Aug. 13 to Aug. 23, the vibes in Edmonton will be extraordinary. We’re here to give you the rundown on what to know before heading into the fray, so let’s get into it.

What to expect at the Fringe Festival

Old Strathcona will be absolutely booming with artistic energy for 11 days, and there’s going to be a lot to discover.

This year, as of now, there are 209 shows going on during the festival, taking over a wide range of venues. You’re now able to purchase tickets to your favourite performances ahead of the festival, which we’d recommend, because tickets do tend to sell out quickly.

Don’t have a ride to the festival? No problem, this year sees the return of the Free Fringe Shuttle.

If you aren’t sure where to start, we’d recommend taking a look at one of their Festival Guides. For $15, the over 150-page Fringe Festival Guide is the key to all there is to see and do at Fringe. This outlines all the shows and things going on across more than 38 venues, outdoor stages, patios, and vendors.

How to get tickets for the Fringe Festival

Tickets are available online as well as in person and vary in price depending on the show you’re seeing. However, all shows are guaranteed to be $20 or less.

In addition to regular tickets, you’re able to get Frequent Fringer Passes and Double Fringer Passes, which include 10 tickets for $170 and 20 tickets for $340, respectively. These festival passes allow you to reserve up to two tickets to any Festival or Holdover Series performance, subject to availability, of course. There’s a limit of one pass per person, with all passes being non-transferable.

The most important thing to remember? Just have a good time.

The whole point of the Fringe Festival is to enjoy it and embrace the vibrant arts community surrounding the fest itself. Even if you haven’t attended before, that’s no reason not to head out this year.

“No matter how you fringe, one thing is for certain: Fringe is for you because fringing is for everyone,” remind the organizers.

When: Thursday, Aug. 13, to Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026
Time: Various times
Where: Multiple locations
Cost: Varies

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Alyssa Gallardo

Alyssa is a Staff Writer for Dished and Curiocity Edmonton. She’s a big fan of everything entertainment, and can always be seen running around the city going from concert to concert.

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