Solo shows. Circus. Punk cabaret. Shock performance. Paris 1968 vibe.
What to expect at Fringe Art Space and Festival

At the foot of the Ben Franklin Bridge, where water used to move, now it’s the pressure of another kind. Brick, glass, stage lights — and no guarantee you’ll leave the same person you came in as.

FringeArts isn’t an organization — it’s a nerve.
Founded in 1997, it hasn’t missed a chance to shake its comfort zone ever since. Not even once.
The September Festival
Every September here feels like May ’68: hundreds of performances across the city — from galleries to garages, parks to someone’s bedroom. Abandoned warehouses, rented kitchens, and Philadelphia become the stage.
Past lineups include names like Pig Iron Theatre, Lightning Rod Special, Bearded Ladies Cabaret, Annie Dorsen, and more.
The guiding principle for artists?

Freedom to create. No curators with riding crops. Any artist can register, claim a space, and build an audience. FringeArts steps in with resources, including consulting, workshops, and support through the Artist Resource Center.
What’s it about?
Feminism. Ecology. Gender. Politics. The body. Trauma. Euphoria.
Usually filtered through irony, often seen from angles you didn’t even know existed.
Bathtub choreography. Monologues with nooses. Documentary theater about Philly.
A show can be a protest. A confession. Sometimes both.
What’s it look like?
Solo shows. Circus. Punk cabaret. Shock performance. Something unnameable in the dark.
Critics try to locate the line between experiment and spectacle — and get lost again.
And we? We stand there, grinning and clapping. Because the moment you stop judging it by everyday logic, it all starts to make sense.

What’s coming in 2025
This year’s Fringe Festival runs September 4–28, with over 320 shows in a newly expanded network of festival hubs across the city.

Featured highlights:
  • Weathering by Faye Driscoll (Obie Award) — premiering Sept 4–6 at the FringeArts building
  • World premieres by Rennie Harris, Megan Bridge, 1812 Productions, Thaddeus McWhinnie Phillips
  • Popular hubs return: Dumb Hub (North Philly), Studio 34 (West), Sawubona Creativity Project (Passyunk), Circus Campus, Cannonball

Ticket presale for members: now live. General public: July 18.

Artist registration? Closed for this year (Feb 1 – June 6), but future workshops and artist resources are already up at phillyfringe.org.

What’s on now
FringeArts doesn’t go quiet after September. It’s a full-year ecosystem: premieres, street concerts, podcasts, barroom debates, and clinking glasses at La Peg under the sky.
You come to a show, leave in a new body, a new role, new skin. Sometimes, that skin sparkles red.
July–August:
Sing‑along Summer Series (The Bearded Ladies Cabaret)
Every Wednesday, July 9 – August 6, 7:00–8:15 PM
Pay-what-you-can. Whether you sing or scream off-key, it’s collective joy through irony and music.
I Think It Could Work (Almanac / Full Out Formula)
July 24 — Experimental performance. All details on the site.
Widening the Circle Workshop (Megan Bridge)
July 28–31 — A deep dive into somatic movement and body-driven improvisation.

Fringe Bar / La Peg — Hours
Inside the FringeArts building, riverside at 140 N Columbus Blvd:
  • Wed–Thu: 5 PM – 9 PM
  • Fri: 5 PM – 10 PM
  • Sat: 11 AM – 10 PM
  • Sun: 11 AM – 9 PM