Welcome to the fabulous
Nelson Fringe Festival

5-14 March 2026
Applications are open for the 2026 festival. Click Apply Now to learn more and start your application process! Applications close 3 Nov.

We’re an annual festival in Nelson Whakatū, New Zealand, giving a stage to performers, comedians, storytellers, dancers, musicians and more, for an hour at a time, and always at a cheap ticket price.

Off-Season events! Come along to the New Play Reading Series (or ask to have yours read) and check out Matchmaker to meet others thinking about Fringe projects. Sign up to our newsletter or scroll down to see our news updates.
Apply NowSee the previous 2025 festival programme
We pick our festival dates so that we're nestled in between NZ Fringe in Wellington (13 Feb - 7 March 2026) and Dunedin Fringe (12 - 22 March 2026) - like a little fringey three-way cuddle. 

What's been happening

Matchmaker on 28 Aug

Matchmaker – meeting others on the fringe. Matchmaker are informal meetups where anyone interested in the Fringe can come along and…

The Blunderstudy on 28 Aug

Join us for a reading of Justin Eade's new play, The Blunderstudy. When struggling theatre director Martin Quincannon finally gets his…

Can’t Hear Her Voice

Join us for a reading of Jim Risner's new play, Can't Hear Her Voice. If you’re curious about how a story…

Ask Shadon About Fringe!

Join us for an informal Q&A with writer/poet/actor Shadon Meredith to talk about producing a show for Fringe and beyond...…

A Sea of UPU Poetry Workshop

The Upu Collective recently performed their show UPU, at Nelson Theatre Royal, which then went on to a sell-out season at Sydney Opera…