Nelson Fringe Festival is an annual event celebrating the performing arts. We present work across a range of styles, including theatre, comedy, dance, improvisation, music, burlesque, circus and whatever else artists offer!

We embrace a full range of first-timers to seasoned touring gigsters, presenting around 50 shows in three venues across ten days, and always at an affordable ticket price.

We're really committed to supporting local people across Te Tauihu/Top of the South, especially new talent. If you are local with an idea we'd love to hear from you and support you bringing the show to the Fringe.

Whether you're on stage or in the audience, it's about throwing yourself into a festival of ideas, shows, experiments, adventures and general fringy awesomeness.

We love that our festival, based in a regional city, can showcase locals alongside folk from all over Aotearoa and around the world!

Applications for the 2026 Nelson Fringe will open in August 2025