Minnesota Fringe

Keep Producer Fees Low & Fringe Festival Accessible to All

UPDATE: Thanks to our kind supporters, board members, artist fundraisers, a matching grant from Steven Walker, a generous anonymous $10,000 donor, and the last 15-minute Golden Ticket of the day, we exceeded our ambitions to raise $20,000 during Give to the Max and now we're more than HALF-WAY to reaching our $60,000 goal!

Freedom of expression is under threat - and Minnesota Fringe is feeling the pressure. Rising costs and shrinking public funding puts this important platform for bold, uncensored storytelling at risk.

Minnesota Fringe is more than just a festival. It's where artists can take risks, challenge norms, and connect to audiences through joy, protest, and truth. But to remain accessible to all artists, we must raise $60,000 now, or we may need to DOUBLE producer fees. This negatively impacts the affordability of participation, making it harder for new producers and future artists to share their talents. 

Since 1993, Minnesota Fringe has connected adventurous artists with adventurous audiences. Our programs serve as a vital space for artists from a wide variety of backgrounds, abilities, and experience levels to explore new ideas, make new work, and generate a livelihood. Minnesota Fringe is a beacon for freedom of expression and it is critical that we work together to protect this vital institution and see it thrive throughout these turbulent times.

The 33rd annual Minnesota Fringe Festival will take place August 6-16, 2026, where both new and familiar friends will gather to feel the vibrant pulse of life that is live theater and cultivate a rich performing arts community in the process.

Help us close our $60,000 budget gap before January 15 by donating TODAY. 
Every gift makes a significant difference to the hundreds of artists we serve each year. We appreciate you!

"The Wickie" by Richie Whitehead
Photo Credit: Dan Norman"Joan of Arc for Miss Teen Queen USA" by Melancholics Anonymous
Photo Credit: Dan Norman

"Breach" by Third Space Theater
Photo Credit: Alex Wohlhueter

 "Manasu - Echoes of the Mind" by SAATH
Photo Credit: Sara Erdman "Songs Without Words (or, The Mendelssohn Plan) by Jennifer Vosters
Photo Credit: Alex Clark