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MN Fringe: Let the Planning Begin

by Twin Cities Arts Reader -

A collage of this year’s Minnesota Fringe Festival show pictures.

The full schedule for the annual Minnesota Fringe Festival has been released, setting off what is for many fans an annual burst of frantic schedule planning. The 33rd annual MN Fringe Festival’s celebration of live performance art runs August 6–August 16, 2026, with more than 540 live performances across Minneapolis in 11 days.

Is it possible to see all of that? Not even close, but that doesn’t stop newcomers and dedicated fans alike from trying to Fringemax – to see as many as possible of the dance, comedy, spoken word, theatre, musical, and other performances that fill this year’s festival’s 13 venues.

For some, that means signing up for Fringe with Benefits to get a VIP Pass, where you can just grab the ideal parking spot and then see as many shows as you like. For those supporting a friend putting on a show, that might mean grabbing a 10-show pass, splitting it amongst friends and coworkers to cover admission, and then seeing another show or two at the same venue before it’s time to relax over dinner and drinks. Or you could just buy a single entry at the door and go à la carte.

One of the most exciting aspects of Fringe is trying to guess and track which shows catch fire. Some of that comes from following touring and local artists who have a ready fan base – The Winding Sheet Outfit and Albino Squirrel Productions, for example, are not groups you should wait ’til the last day to see, lest they sell out. Much of the excitement, however, comes from trying new things, much like you would at a wine tasting, to see what catches your interest. Arrive early for one show, and you can hear the buzz as the audience for the last show exits. If you’re at the Rarig Center at the University of Minnesota’s West Bank Campus, where three venues are clustered under one roof, hearing the applause coming from one venue is a great suggestion about something you might want to see, too. (Just not right away – each show has its five performances split across the 11-day period.)

Another point of excitement is trying something different that might not ever play on a “traditional” theatre stage. Would Little Apple Theater Company’s The Importance of Being Eternal, a vampire take on Oscar Wilde’s most famous play, succeed at a LORT theatre like the Guthrie? Don’t know, don’t care – but if you remember reading a scene in high school English, it promises a dementedly comedic, ribald twist on something familiar. Or maybe you’re a fan of Ariana Grande’s castrati skit on SNL, and your eye falls on the tongue-in-cheek True Men Productions offering Castrati: A Tale of Two and decide that it’s exactly the bit you want to leave your work behind you on a Friday night.

More than 25,000 butts in seats each year says there’s something in it for everyone.

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