Typically, our applications are open mid-October through to mid-February.

Send us an email: islandfringe@gmail.com

The Island Fringe Festival takes place in unconventional locations in downtown Charlottetown. Our dates change slightly from year to year, but our festival always ends the Sunday before the Federal Civic Holiday in August (which is always the first Monday in the month of August).

The 2023 Island Fringe Festival takes place in various locations around downtown Charlottetown from August 2 – 6.

You must enter the lottery and then be one of the performances selected (like, literally, your name will be drawn from a hat!).

Apply here: IFF2023 Artist Application

If you aren’t drawn for a spot in the festival, you may be on our waitlist. If one of the drawn performers decides to not attend Island Fringe Festival, we will contact the first on the waitlist (from the same category) and offer them that spot… then the second on the waitlist, and so on until all our spots are full.

Applications typically open in mid-October, and they close mid-February. We have gotten into the habit of drawing selections on Island Day (other provinces across Canada have a similar day, called Family Day). Islander Day is a Monday, usually in the middle of the month.

ZERO DOLLARS. Yes, that is correct. It costs nothing for you to apply to be part of Island Fringe Festival. If you are drawn in the lottery, a $250 fee is required to hold your spot (this money covers the cost of marketing your show and the festival). That fee is non-refundable and is due one week after the lottery draw.

Apply here: IFF2023 Artist Application

The Island Fringe Festival offers unconventional performances in unconventional venues. We do not offer shows in traditional theatre locations. This is an opportunity to bring your show into a unique space in downtown Charlottetown. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of staging a show in a park or by the sea or in a diner complete with milkshakes. Our goal is to shake up theatre while keeping it affordable for both artists and audience. Because the performance venues we use are unconventional spaces, most do not have the capabilities for traditional tech (lighting grid, etc.). We love alternative tech though and the site-specific nature of the festival allows us to be resourceful and creative when imagining tech options for participating shows. If tech is an integral part of your show, let us know and we will consider your technical requirements when selecting your venue.

Eligible performances include but are not limited to: theatre, comedy, performance art, dance, musical theatre, family-friendly shows, clown performances, magic shows, puppet shows… or anything else you can dream up! A Fringe Festival prides itself on being a low-capital production that works with independent theatre artists.

All types of performance pieces are welcome, including new, previously performed, and reworked pieces.

If you have an idea for a performance that you would like to submit but are unsure if it fits, check in with us at islandfringefestival@gmail.com

A Fringe Festival is a great place to learn how to produce a show by actually producing a show. It’s still a risk, but the Fringe has a built-in audience base and costs are lower than self-producing outside the Festival.

You can experiment with content. Fringe audiences are open to all genres. Plus, with no censorship, you’re in charge of what you say and how you say it.

You can network with other performing artists and learn from each other. You can meet artists who tour the Fringe circuit in Canada and around the world and meet artists in the local community.

And finally, the Fringe can be a great opportunity to grow. Fringe shows are eligible to win Awards that can help you in the next step in your career.

Audience ratings (G, PG-13, Mature, Restricted) are determined by the artists, not Island Fringe Festival.

• G meant to be viewable by all ages. There is no profanity, and no scenes that depict drug use, sex, or nudity.
• PG-13 considered to be appropriate for teens/older children – there may be brief nudity, profanity, and violence without gore.
• Mature may contain any/all of the following: violence, drug abuse, sexuality, profanity, nudity, or other adult themes (among other things).
• Restricted extremely mature topics that may be triggering to viewers, not suitable for audiences under the age of 18.