Fringe was born of a revolution

We are a grass roots, DIY movement that cultivates ongoing collisions between community and art.

We exist because theatre exists and what exists here doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. We are Edmonton-grown and Edmonton’s own. Fringe is a grassroots movement that cultivates creative collisions between community and art. We make space for out-of-the-ordinary, unconventional, and boundary-pushing art. And Fringe Artists receive 100% of the profit from the ticket sales. Since 1982, we have created exceptional artistic experiences, supported 43,000 Artists, and kept Edmonton on the map as a destination and creative engine.

Theatre is an exchange. A living, breathing story shared among people.  At Fringe Theatre, we believe in the power of story.  Storytelling strengthens communities and crosses divides. It is a starting point, a journey, a celebration.

Our Story

The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival is the largest, longest running Fringe Theatre Festival in North America. As an event with international presence, we rank among the  top 5 Fringe Festivals in the world  alongside Edinburgh, Scotland and Adelaide, Australia.

The magic of Fringe lives with the people who built this Festival from the ground up, and who continue to nurture it 43 years later. The vibrant success of the Edmonton Fringe Festival is thanks to the more than 43,000 Artists who have bravely taken an artistic risk with us since we exploded onto the scene in 1982. It’s thanks to the more than 750,000 Fringers who take creative risks with us every August.

When you give to Fringe Theatre, you empower Artists. Creativity thrives, voices are amplified, and stories are celebrated.

Fringe Theatre Adventures Society is a registered charity - Charitable Registration No: 11885 3506 RR000. All gifts are eligible to receive a charitable tax receipt!