Opportunities for Artists: Fringe

The Toronto Fringe Festival is Ontario's largest theatre and performance festival, taking place every summer in July. Since 1989, the festival has been unjuried, meaning the shows have been chosen by lottery rather than by curation, opening the stage to all who have a story to share. 

The Toronto Fringe holds a lottery to program the festival by selecting shows at random in a draw. This draw typically takes place in the late autumn. In line with all other Fringe Festivals in Canada, the Toronto Fringe does not evaluate the artistic merit of applicants, or the viability of the work – all applicants have the same chance of earning a show slot as the rest of their category. The power of the Fringe Movement is that there are no gatekeepers. It's a platform for everyone to learn about and experiment with the arts.

HOW TO BE A PART OF THE TORONTO FRINGE FESTIVAL

Applications for the 2025 festival will open in November 2024. Check back here for more details as they are announced.

Below is all the information provided last year for applying to the 2024 Toronto Fringe Festival, to give you a sense of what to expect for this year. Please note, all details and policies are subject to change for this coming festival.

If you are applying to the Toronto Fringe Festival for the first time, we encourage you to download and check out the 2024 Application Guides and Participation Policies for an idea of what to expect, however all details are subject to change.

2024 Toronto Fringe Participation Policies

There are three main ways to apply for the Toronto Fringe Festival. To apply with a show, you can:

1. Apply to the lottery for a slot at one of the main performance venues, in the Main Venue Category

2024 Main Lottery Application Guide

• Main Venue slots are provided by the festival to present the majority of companies in rep. There are several different categories and venue sizes to select from during the lottery application process. 
• The main lottery is for artists who are planning on producing their shows in a conventional theatre space. The Festival provides the performance venues for this category, and schedules each company up to 7 performances (in small venues and for KidsFest and Teen, up to 8 performances)
• Applications for this category are now closed!
• The Lottery Party, where all 2024 participants were determined, took place December 4, 2023. 

Click here for the full results of the lottery draw.

2. Apply with a proposal for a non-conventional performance venue in the Unconventional Venue Category which is programmed on a first-come, first-served basis.

2024 Unconventional Venue Application Guide

2024 Unconventional Venue Access Definitions

• There are limited slots in this category.
• Participants apply with a venue, the Festival does not intervene in any rental agreement. The venue cannot be a conventional theatre.
• Applications must demonstrate that the work cannot be produced in a conventional, traditional theatre, but are uniquely tied to the space and/or presentation format.
• Submitted applications will be placed in the queue only if they are complete.
• Applications for this category are now closed as of January 31, 2024. 

3. Apply to a Satellite Venue

2024 Satellite Venue Application Guide

• New in 2024, there are a limited number of theatre venues joining the Toronto Fringe as satellite venues. This is separate from the Main Lottery category. 
• Satellite Venues are partnerships between the Toronto Fringe and the Satellite Venue, and participants who are selected in this category enter into an agreement with both the Toronto Fringe and their Satellite Venue.
• The Fringe will administer a non-curated selection process (lottery OR first-come, first served) for each venue in the Satellite Venue Category.
• Each Satellite Venue will determine the following: how many shows they are able to accept, the number of performances they will offer each show, and the participant fees.
• Applications for this category are now closed as of February 5, 2024.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RESULTS OF THE ALUMNAE THEATRE LOTTERY DRAW.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RESULTS OF THE AKI STUDIO LOTTERY DRAW.

Why produce your show at the Toronto Fringe Festival?

Fringe covers part of the cost of producing a show, which can otherwise be $10,000+ if self-producing. Together, we can help lower the costs for everyone involved.

A participant pays approximately $760 for their slot in the mainstage Fringe Festival (Site-Specific fees vary). For this fee, you receive a performance venue with technical staff*, box office staff, front of house staff; also ticket sales service, venue insurance, and a share of our festival marketing. Participants are expected to cover artist fees, royalty fees, set/costume costs, show-specific marketing, and other production costs. 

It’s Better Together

This shared producing model allows your dollar to stretch further, because we are pooling our resources and working together. As always, you take home 100% of the ticket revenue and Fringe takes a small surcharge on each ticket.

When you produce a show at Fringe, you're joining a community – this isn’t simply a co-production agreement. Being part of the Fringe community means access to a step-by-step Producing 101 pathway, greater reach for your show due to our province-wide marketing campaigns, and hands-on support from our fabulous team.

If you are drawn in the Lottery, you enter into a shared producing model with the Fringe.