Durham Fringe Festival

Durham fringe festival

In fall 2026, as a pillar of Carolina Theatre of Durham’s Centennial celebration, downtown Durham will become the stage. Durham FRINGE, presented by the Theatre, is a bold new 10-day festival (October 30–November 8, 2026) where artists will transform storefronts, businesses, alleyways and green spaces. The festival fuels both artistic innovation and downtown economic growth, celebrating Durham as a city where creativity and entrepreneurship thrive.

Durham artists working in theater, dance, music, visual art, and the literary arts will be invited to create new, experimental, and accessible works that audiences can see nowhere else but Durham. From bars to bookstores, to rooftops and alleyways, audiences will be invited inside, and outside, to experience Durham in a completely new way.

DURHAM FRINGE WEBSITE

Festival Overview

Type of Festival

Presented by Carolina Theatre of Durham

AUDIENCE

2026 is Durham FRINGE Festival's pilot year. We anticipate that audiences will primarily be 18+, although we look forward to youth / family programming where feasible.

Festival Stats

Stay tuned for our 2026 stats post-festival (November 2026)!

Artist Information

How Artists are Accepted

Durham, North Carolina-based artists (living/working) are invited to apply to be a Durham FRINGE artist for 2026. Artist Applications are now open and close on Sunday, April 26, 2026, at 11:59 PM.

Benefits of Applying

Selected artists will receive a festival grant that will either partially or fully fund their Fringe performance. Artists receive the benefit of a centralized marketing and advertising campaign as well as centralized ticketing services. Technical services will be available and negotiated depending on venue placement.

Cost

Costs will vary to the artist depending on their performance proposal, venue placement and technical needs. Festival grant awards are to be used towards these costs.

Tech Information

Varies by venue. For more information, please email [email protected].

Performance Schedule

It is at the discretion of the producer. Typical shows are 60-90 minutes, with a run of 3-6 performances.