NEW YORK CITY FRINGE
march 31 – april 18, 2027
FRINGE | UNIQUE | UNCURATED
New York City Fringe (formally the FRIGID Fringe Festival) is our flagship festival and a highlight of our programming! It is an open, lottery-based theater festival that gives artists an opportunity to let their ingenuity thrive in an environment that values freedom of expression and artistic determination. In true support of the Indie Theater Community, 100% of box office proceeds go directly to the artists whose work is being presented.
Fringe applications are through our website and open from Labor Day through Halloween. The festival runs in the beginning of April.
New York City Fringe is a proud member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals.
What kind of performances can I expect?
The NYC Fringe is an open lottery-based festival which means we have NO part in curating which productions take the stage. Past festivals have seen everything from stand-up to burlesque to musicals to one-person dramas. The only thing we ask of productions is that they run <60 minutes, and with 75 shows between 5 different venues that can look like a LOT of different things!
In general, FRIGID is proud to be a quirky Off-Off-Broadway theatre company where artists aren’t afraid to make bold choices and try new things, so you can generally expect something a little more off-the-beaten-path!
How much are tickets? Are there any discounts?
Most shows with FRIGID are priced between $7-$30, and/or offer a “pay-what-you-can” option (with a minimum of $7) PLUS a $2.50 transaction fee. Any additional discounts are managed by individual productions & not offered through FRIGID directly.
You can also buy tickets at the door (cash or card) without the transaction fee, but with small houses across all 5 NYC Fringe venues we cannot guarantee a show won’t sell out – therefore we strongly recommend purchasing in advance.
What is the theatre like? Are there concessions?
The NYC Fringe runs across 5 venues, please check individual shows to identify their location:
Under St Marks (94 St Marks Place) – FRIGID’s home venue! No elevator or ADA access as we are a basement blackbox – 45 seats – small bar available for evening performances
The Wild Project (195 E. 3rd St) – Street level/wheelchair accessible – 89 seats – lobby bar available
Chain Theatre (312 W. 36th St) – Elevator/wheelchair accessible – STUDIO (34 seats) and MAINSTAGE (65 seats) – no bar/concessions
The Rat NYC (68 Jay St, Brooklyn) – Street level/wheelchair accessible – (50 seats + standing) – bar & snacks available
What if I’m running late or unable to make it?
If you are running <10 minutes late, there is a chance you will be able to make it into the show. After this point, we cannot guarantee a staff member will be at the door and able to grant entry. It is also up to the discretion of each show to handle late seating. Please note that late arrival does not qualify for a refund.
If you are feeling unwell, please email boxoffice@frigid.nyc to exchange for a streaming link at no additional charge (IF streaming is available). If streaming is not available, we may try to exchange for another date of the same production or another show in the same festival.
Since we are a small team, please give as much notice as possible to increase your chances of receiving the link or exchanging in time for the performance.
How can I be a part of this festival?
Applications for the New York City Fringe open annually on Labor Day and close with a lottery drawing on Halloween (NYC Fringe 2027 applications are currently CLOSED). Submissions require a nonrefundable $40 application fee, plus participation fees ranging from roughly $1,450 – $1,850. This fee includes 3 performances, basic marketing, free standby access to other festival shows, opening/closing night celebrations, and producers keep 100% of their ticket sales!
The festival occurs for 3 weeks in early April. Updated handbooks are shared around August to peruse before preparing a submission (view the 2027 handbook here).
Join our mailing list to stay in touch about NYC Fringe updates, plus learn about other festivals & opportunities hosted by FRIGID!
New York City Fringe 2027
Applications for Fringe 2027 are CLOSED, thank you for all of the submissions this year!
If you are looking ahead to 2028, we highly recommend that you read the festival handbook (will be updated Aug 2027 for 2028 Fringe submissions) so you have an understanding of what shows do and do not work for our festival environment.
LOTTERY WAS DRAWN ON 10/31
FINAL 2027 LINE-UP PENDING, OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED JANUARY 2027
General Information for Artists
- Fringe 2027 will run from March 31st through April 18th
- The festival is open to all kinds of performances, including, but not limited to, plays, comedy, musicals, storytelling, improv, dance, and clowning
- All shows must have a run time of 60 minutes or less
- Fringe is an unjuried festival and shows are chosen randomly
- Shows are accepted based on the venue they applied for
- The first 7 applications per venue (beginning at 9:00am Labor Day) are accepted automatically, the remaining 8 will be drawn by lottery at the end of October.
- Each producer/artist/company may only submit one show.
New York City Fringe
