Pittsburgh Fringe

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About

The Pittsburgh Fringe Festival is an annual celebration of performing and visual arts, providing a platform for innovative and experimental performances. Applications for the 2025 festival are now open, welcoming artists from various disciplines, including theatre, dance, music, spoken word, and visual arts. The festival follows an open-access model, encouraging artists to take creative risks while ensuring accessibility for both performers and audiences.

For performers and visual artists looking to participate, it’s essential to read all application details before applying. Whether you're presenting a full production or just a few visual art pieces, there’s a place for you at the Pittsburgh Fringe. For those without a completed show, alternative participation opportunities will be available.

The festival runs for ten days and takes place in the Bloomfield, Garfield, Friendship, and East Liberty neighborhoods along the Penn Avenue arts corridor. This expanded timeframe allows for greater audience engagement and better opportunities for critical reviews. The Pittsburgh Fringe is modeled after the renowned Edinburgh Fringe, meaning artists book their own venues and manage their own productions while the festival provides support, marketing, and logistical assistance.

After several years of pandemic-related challenges, the Pittsburgh Fringe is welcoming out-of-town performers again. However, artists should be prepared to handle their own promotion and accommodations, as audience numbers and support systems are still being rebuilt post-pandemic.

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Submission Requirements

Artists must complete a three-step process to participate in the Pittsburgh Fringe:

1. Apply on Eventotron

   • Eventotron is an online festival management system used by many fringe festivals worldwide. Artists create an account, submit their application, and manage their venue search and marketing materials through the platform.

2. Find a Venue

   • Artists are responsible for securing their own venue. The Pittsburgh Fringe provides a Venue Finder tool in Eventotron, and additional venue assistance is available upon request. Found spaces and non-traditional venues are encouraged.

3. Register with the Fringe

   • Once a venue is secured, artists finalize their registration by completing all required fields in Eventotron and paying the applicable registration fee.

Applications open in early December, with an early-bird deadline on January 12 for reduced registration fees. The primary registration deadline is January 22, and artists must finalize all marketing materials by this date.

Marketing is a crucial aspect of participation. The Pittsburgh Fringe promotes the festival as a whole, but individual artists are responsible for generating buzz for their own shows. All registered productions will be featured on the festival website, ticketing platform, and in various promotional materials.

Rehearsal scheduling is managed directly between artists and their venues. A pre-festival artist networking event takes place on March 19, with the festival running from March 20–29, 2025.

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Finances

The Pittsburgh Fringe aims to keep costs as low as possible while providing extensive festival-wide marketing and logistical support. Participation costs vary depending on the type of production:

• Application Fee: $35 (non-refundable)
• Registration Fees:
  • Multiple ticketed performances: $135
  • One ticketed performance: $70
  • Free performances: $50 (Fringe Button required for entry)
  • Visual art exhibitions: Free
  • Educational workshops: $15
  • Teen and college performances: 50% off regular rates

Each production must budget for venue rental fees, which can vary significantly. Some venues charge upfront rent, while others take a percentage of box office revenue. The festival retains 15% of ticket sales to cover marketing, advertising, centralized box office services, and other operational costs.

Artists set their own ticket prices, which can be $5, $10, $15, or $20. The recommended price for most shows is $15. Discounts are available for Fringe Button holders ($3 off), and artist, media, and industry passes are also honored.

To help keep the festival financially sustainable, artists are encouraged to engage in their own marketing efforts and take advantage of available promotional opportunities.