Artists – Fringe Festival

Are you a prospective NZ Fringe Artist? Here’s some information to get you going:

What is Fringe?

NZ Fringe is an open-access, artists-first festival, which means we don’t programme shows. Once you register and pay your registration fee you’re in. It’s that easy.

Why Fringe?

Think of Fringe as the gateway for you to find your audience, and audiences to find and experience your art. We market the festival all over town with print campaigns, digital campaigns, radio interviews, media coverage & more. We distribute thousands of copies of our printed programme far and wide. NZ Fringe runs the online ticketing on your behalf, and we host free workshops/info sessions with industry professionals about all things Fringe life. We organise for judges, promoters, and producers to come and see your work. All shows in NZ Fringe are self-produced which means you’ll still put in the majority of the grunt work, but we at Fringe HQ are all experienced in all things Fringe so ask us all the questions – use us to your advantage.

When is Fringe?

The next NZ Fringe season will take place 12th February – 6th March 2027, in the Wellington region, New Zealand.

Registrations for NZ Fringe 2027 are not yet open. Sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of this page to stay updated with news from us.

If you miss registrations, email participants@fringe.co.nz to see if you can register late. Note that you likely won’t make it into our printed programme as we have a hard print deadline for this content.

What Do I Need To Register?

An event – or even just the beginning of a cool idea.
A confirmed venue – talk to us if you need help finding one.
Dates and times – when is your event going to happen?
Ticket prices – how much is up to you, but remember to factor inside fees into your prices.
A blurb to describe your event (or idea!) – it’s good to keep it snappy, tantalising and accessible for people to understand at a glance.
A good quality* image for publicity and marketing – most publications won’t use images with text in them, have a browse over previous fringe programmes to see which ones stand out. (We’ve got a bunch in the NZ Fringe office. Come visit us, have a flick through, talk through your idea with us, and remember we’re here to help you!).

*1080 x 1250 pixels minimum

What Kind of Event Can I Put On?

Honestly, anything. Theatre, Visual Art, Comedy, Music, Circus, Dance, synchronised swimming…anything! (As long as it’s legal.)

The Fringe world is your own personal oyster, and NZ Fringe is the space to take a risk, be a punk, get unfiltered and be the rebellious artist you dream of setting free.

How Much Does It Cost?

Fringe registration is tiered for different revenue possibilities:

$30 : Free events eg. exhibition or installation
$80 : Online/streamed-only Season (Koha or ticketed), One off ticketed event
$150 : Unticketed koha Season, pay at the door
$250 : Season ticketed under $10 and koha events requiring pre-booking
$350 : Season Ticketed $10.01 and over

In addition to the registration fee, inside ticketing fees (which cover the use of Fringe’s online ticketing system) are:

$2.50 per ticket sold over $10.01
$1.50 per ticket sold $10 and under.

If some of the above seem like they might be barriers to registration, email participants@fringe.co.nz to talk it through.

How Do I Know Which Venue Is Right For Me?

You might not, and that’s cool. That’s what we’re here for! Do you want a regular black box theatre space? We know who to talk to. Do you need white walls and pillars? Well, we can point you in the right direction. Some venues are programmed by application and some are first come first served. As always if you need a guiding light, our team is here to help participants@fringe.co.nz.

Can I Find my own Venue?

You sure can! That’s the magic of Fringe. We just need some key information like the name of the venue, the address, seating capacity, accessibility and Health and Safety information. Every year we have shows in spaces that have never hosted a Fringe event before.

What Does NZ Fringe Do / What Do I Do?

NZ Fringe:

Markets the festival throughout the greater Wellington region, in NZ.
Prints and distributes 10,000 programme guides.
Lists your show on the Fringe website.
Runs an online ticketing platform through our website and Fringe box office.
Organises judges to see every show in the festival, and hosts an awards celebration.
Runs free workshop/info sessions with industry professionals about the many aspects of presenting Fringe works, and creative practice.
Providing you with personalised artist passes that get you access to see shows for free on a standby basis.
Encouraging festival directors and promoters to see your work.
Helping YOU in the lead-up and throughout the festival.

You are responsible for:

Making your show (we can’t wait to see it!)
Work with your venue to confirm season dates, times, technical specs, and set ticket prices.
Marketing and publicising your show.
Providing us with publicity photos, reviews, and stories that can help us publicise the festival and your show.
Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok. Tag us!
Liaising with your venue, and making sure you or your venue has arranged for the tech equipment and front-of-house staff you require.
Advising us of any changes/corrections/cancellations to your show information in the programme guide and website.

Are There Funding Opportunities For My Event?

There are a few options out there for funding. We will update this page with info on funding available for 2027 and when both our FATU funding and Kākano Funding have opened.

Other options can include:

Crowdfunding campaigns e.g. Boosted, Pledge Me
Busking or fundraising nights
Creative New Zealand Grants
Wellington City Council Grants
Gaming trust charities
And more…

It’s worth having a think about the fact that the pool of money for arts funding is getting smaller, while the number of amazing projects needing funding is growing. Do your research, check whether you’re eligible before applying, and make sure you have all the materials required to apply. If in doubt, come and chat with us, we’ve been through it all and know the ins and outs of funding applications.

Will You Give Me A Letter of Support For Applications?

Probably! Just ask. Our Festival Director will happily write you letters of support or confirmation of participation – just don’t leave it to the last minute!

I’m Having Trouble With My Budget, Can You Help?

Sure! We offer a budget workshop and drop-in sessions before the season begins. We’re happy to go through your production budget to help keep you on track. When you register your event for a Fringe season, you’ll have access to a swathe of helpful resource materials to help make your event happen through our Artist Portal.

I Have Questions…

No worries, we’re here to help. Email participants@fringe.co.nzor call us at +64 4 212 4725.

Artist Resources