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The next Minnesota Fringe Festival is
July 31-August 10, 2025.
The Minnesota Fringe Festival has grown from featuring 52 shows in 1994 to showcasing nearly 550 performances of over 100 shows in 2024. Amidst many changes over the past three decades, Minnesota Fringe remains steadfastly committed to it's core principles: producing opportunities for artists of a wide variety of backgrounds, abilities and experience levels; creating novel ways of engaging with the performing arts; and a continuing commitment to accessibility for artists and audiences.
In the interest of fairness, Fringe Festival artists are selected by random luck of the draw through an un-juried and un-curated lottery process. Anyone can apply to be a festival artist and, if the application is chosen in the lottery, they have a guaranteed slot that year. If their lottery number isn't chosen, artists are placed on a waiting list for openings in case other selected performers need to drop out.
Fringe Festival shows are less than 60 minutes in length with around a half hour-break between each performance. Attendees can purchase a ticket to shows online in advance or at the venue, 5- and 10-show passes to see multiple shows at a discount or become a Fringe with Benefits member to obtain a VIP pass for unfettered access to the entire festival. Festival venues are often clustered to make traveling to multiple shows simple by walking, biking, personal and public transportation options.
During the 2020 global pandemic, the Minnesota Fringe Festival went virtual. The 2021 Festival featured a hybrid of virtual pre-recorded and live shows online as well as in-person, independently produced performances in a variety of spaces around the Twin Cities. We returned to theaters in 2022, but have kept a digital festival as part of the annual offering, which we have dubbed the Fringe Hangover. In 2024, we negotiated a touring partnership with KC Fringe and IndyFringe Festivals to offer the Midwest Touring Trifecta for artists who want to take their shows on the road. In 2025, we're planning to add a Border Buddies Lottery for Minnesota & Green Bay Fringe Festival participants.