After 15 months, the Fringe Festival is back live and in-person, however, the festival might not be what you’re used to.
“The Fringe this year will look and feel a whole lot different than the festival we all knew and loved in 2019,” says Megan Dart, interim executive director of the Fringe Festival. “In fact, it will look a lot more like the very first Fringe Theatre events in 1982. We are small but mighty this year.”
The hyper-local festival will feature 11 venues with 58 shows, which is a significant decrease from the typical 50 venues and 250 shows. Don’t worry, though, because everything you love about the Fringe Festival is the same. Stop by ATB Park between shows to chow down on your favourite food truck eats, watch live outdoor performances or chill in the Big Rock Beer Tent. Plan your trip ahead of time as entry to ATB Park is timed and ticketed.
Another addition to the festival is required masks in theatre venues. It is also recommended that Fringers buy their tickets ahead of time, as venues are operating with limited capacities to keep everyone safe and socially distanced. Community care was a top priority when planning this year’s festival, says Dart, and it was important to make the Fringe experience safe for everyone.
“We know coming back to a crowd after 16 months apart will be both exciting and maybe a bit overwhelming,” says Dart. “We’re doing everything in our power to ensure that folks can enjoy a great time and that they can support each other in the return to live events.”
The 2021 Fringe Festival runs from August 12 to 22. Tickets for individual shows and Together We Fringe in the Park at ATB Park are available online, where you can also find show schedules and a map of the participating venues.
