The 45th Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival has broken multiple post-pandemic records, while raising $1.52 million to go right back to the artists.
After 11 days of good weather, fantastic performances and sold-out venues, the Edmonton Fringe celebrated a major milestone, breaking its post-pandemic attendance record, the festival said in a Monday news release. They said that as of Sunday, the festival had sold over 142,000 tickets, with a record 550 sold-out shows and 24 sold-out runs, a record-setting 825,000 site visits, and astonishing $1.52 million going back to festival artists.
“This year’s festival has witnessed the city’s incredible support for Edmonton’s theatre community,” the Fringe said in the release, praising attendees for showing their “love of the arts and passion for local festivals.”
The 2026 Fringe Festival featured 209 theatre productions in 37 venues, alongside 16 free concerts in ATB Park, 35 outdoor performers, and a full slate of free programming across the festival grounds.
In 2025, the Edmonton Fringe saw 138,500 tickets sold, generating $1.47 million to be returned directly to artists, well surpassing the $1.39 million milestone set in 2019. They had more than 490 sold-out performances and 14 sold-out runs.
Related
Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.
You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.