Are you a current or future NZ Fringe Artist? This is your primary hub of information. Bookmark this page now!
What is Fringe?
NZ Fringe is an open-access, artists-first festival, which means we don’t programme shows. Once you register and pay your registration fee you’re in. It’s that easy.
Why Fringe?
Why indeed. Think of Fringe as the portal for you to find your audience, and audiences to find and experience your art. We market the festival all over town with poster campaigns, bus backs, radio interviews, media coverage & more. We distribute thousands of copies of our printed programme far and wide. NZ Fringe runs the ticketing on your behalf online and at our NZ Fringe Box Office. We host free forums/info sessions with industry professionals about all things Fringe life. We organise for judges, promoters and producers to come and see your work. All shows in NZ Fringe are self-produced which means you’ll put in some grunt work too, but we at Fringe HQ are all experienced in all things Fringe so ask us all the questions – use us to your advantage.
When is Fringe?
The next NZ Fringe season will take place 14 February – 8 March 2025, in the Wellington region, New Zealand.
Registrations for NZ Fringe 2025 are now closed. Sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of this page to know when the next festival season registrations open.
If you missed registrations, email participants@fringe.co.nz to see if you can register late. Note that you likely won’t make it into our printed programme as we have a hard print deadline for this content.
What Do I Need To Register?
- An event – or even just the beginning of a cool idea.
- A confirmed venue – talk to us if you need help finding one.
- Dates and times – when is your event going to happen?
- Ticket prices – how much is up to you, but remember to factor inside fees into your prices.
- A blurb to describe your event (or idea!) – it’s good to keep it snappy, tantalising and accessible for people to understand at a glance.
- A good quality* image for publicity and marketing – most publications won’t use images with text in them, have a browse over previous fringe programmes to see which ones stand out. (We’ve got a bunch in the NZ Fringe office. Come visit us, have a flick through, talk through your idea with us, and remember we’re here to help you!).
*1080 x 1250 pixels minimum
What Kind of Event Can I Put On?
Honestly, anything. Theatre, Visual Art, Comedy, Music, Circus, Dance, synchronised swimming…anything! (As long as it’s legal.)
The Fringe world is your own personal oyster, get munching and we’re sure those omega threes will be sure to get your brain juices flowing. NZ Fringe is the space to take a risk, be a punk, get unfiltered and be the rebellious artist you dream of setting free.
How Much Does It Cost?
Fringe registration is tiered for different revenue possibilities:
- $30 : Free events eg exhibition or installation
- $80 : Online/streamed-only events (Koha or ticketed), One off ticketed event
- $150 : Unticketed koha event, pay at the door
- $250 : Event ticketed under $10 and koha events requiring pre-booking
- $350 : Ticketed $10.01 and over
This year, there will be no bond required to register your NZ Fringe event.
In addition to the registration fee, inside ticketing fees (which cover the use of Fringe’s online ticketing system) are:
- $2.50 per ticket over $10.01
- $1.50 per ticket $10 and under.
If you aren’t able to pay your registration fee straight away, we can have a chat about alternate options. Email participants@fringe.co.nz to talk it through.
How Do I Know Which Venue Is Right For Me?
You might not, and that’s cool. That’s what we’re here for! Do you want a regular black box theatre space? We know who to talk to. Do you need white walls and pillars? Well, we can point you in the right direction. Some venues are programmed by application and some are first come first served. As always if you need a guiding light, our team are here to help participants@fringe.co.nz.
Can I BYO Venue?
You sure can! That’s the magic of Fringe. We just need some key information like the name of the venue, the address, seating capacity, accessibility and Health and Safety information.
What Does NZ Fringe Do / What Do I Do?
NZ Fringe takes care of:
- Marketing the festival throughout the greater Wellington region, in NZ.
- Printing and distributing 10,000 programme guides.
- Listing your show on the Fringe website.
- Running ticketing on your behalf through our website and Fringe box office.
- Securing a festival-wide busking permit for street performances (let us know if you’d like to busk during the festival).
- Organising judges to see every show in the festival, and hosting an awards celebration.
- Running free forum/info sessions with industry professionals about the many aspects of presenting Fringe works.
- Providing you with personalised artist passes that get you access to see shows for free as well as deals and discounts around town.
- Encouraging festival directors and promoters to see your work.
- Helping YOU in the lead-up and throughout the festival.
You are responsible for:
- Making your show (we can’t wait to see it!)
- Work with your venue to confirm season dates, times, and set ticket prices.
- Marketing and publicising your show.
- Providing us with ace publicity photos, reviews, and stories that can help us publicise the festival and your show.
- Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok. Tag us!
- Liaising with your venue, and making sure you or your venue has arranged for the tech equipment and front-of-house staff you need.
- Advising us of any changes/corrections/cancellations to your show information in the program guide and website.
Are There Funding Opportunities For My Event?
There are a few options out there for funding. We will update this page with info on funding available for 2025 when it is confirmed.
Sign up for our newsletter (via the link at the bottom of the page) to be the first to know about future funding rounds.
Other options can include:
- Crowdfunding campaigns e.g. Boosted, Pledge Me
- Busking or fundraising nights
- Creative New Zealand Grants
- Wellington City Council Grants
- Gaming trust charities
- And more…
It’s worth having a think about the fact that the pool of money for arts funding is getting smaller, while the number of amazing projects needing funding is growing. Do your research, check whether you’re eligible before applying, and make sure you have all the materials required to apply. If in doubt, come and chat with us, we’ve been through it all and know the ins and outs of funding applications.
Will You Give Me A Letter of Support For Applications?
Probably! Just ask. Our Festival Director will happily write you letters of support or confirmation of participation – just don’t leave it to the last minute!
I’m Having Trouble With My Budget, Can You Help?
Sure! Contact the team, we’re happy to go through your production budget to help keep you on track. When you register your event for a Fringe season, you’ll have access to a swathe of helpful resource materials to help make your event happen.
I Have Questions…
No worries, we’re here to help. Email participants@fringe.co.nzor call us at +64 4 212 4725.
