Kelowna International Fringe Festival

100 performances take over Kelowna stages over the course of a week! (August 28 – September 3) The Kelowna Fringe Festival is back for its third year! At its core, Fringe is a unique showcase of drama, comedy, musical theatre, clown, dance, multi-media works and more. Part of the excitement of this festival is to expect the unexpected. This year, 20 different acts take the stage, culminating in a busy week with over 100 performances. The Fringe Festival in Kelowna is one of 300 Fringe Festivals globally, which all follow the same general structure. There are several unique elements that set Fringe Festivals apart. For example, there’s no curation. Artists are drawn by lottery, and if their show is selected out of a hat, they get the opportunity to produce their show in the Fringe. There are no parameters or censorship on content, and there’s a dedication to accessibility for all, with fees and ticket prices kept low, with 100% of the ticket price going right back to the artists. As the world heals from COVID-19, the festival continues to grow and grow every year. Each performance lasts about an hour, with quick turnover times in between performances. At any given time during the festival, a show will be running. With over half of the venues being within walking distance, seeing 6 different acts in a day becomes possible. Writers and directors all come from unique backgrounds, with several of the artists not being local to Kelowna, flying in from all around Western Canada. Artists range in age with the youngest of the directors having just celebrated his 17th birthday. With the diversity of artists, of course comes the diversity of the shows produced. Everything from a more serious drama, to stand up, to musical theatre is all at the Fringe, meaning there truly is something for everyone. Kelowna’s 2023 Fringe Festival will once again take place in the heart of the city’s Cultural District, utilizing the Kelowna Community Theatre, The Hothouse Theatre, The Mary Irwin Theatre, and the Black Box Theatre. Once again will include exciting off site locations as well, with the Creekside Theatre in Lake country, and the Grizzli Winery in West Kelowna. The event is being produced by New Vintage Theatre Company, based in Studio 100 & 114 of Rotary Centre for the Arts. The Full schedule, program, and ticketing information is available at KelownaFringe.com.