The first fringe festival in massachusetts returns may 11, 2026!

Boston Fringe
THE MISSION OF THE BOSTON FRINGE FESTIVAL IS To provide a space for work that is unconstrained by curation, judgment, or the status quo. To inspire Boston artists to dream, create, & be a Fringe BOS.
FAQ
WHAT?
A week-long festival championing new work where 100% of ticket sales are returned to the artist! During the week you’ll see performances of all levels, amateur to professional, in various genres, uncensored, unjuried, and completely original.
WHEN?
MONDAY, MAY 11th – SUNDAY, MAY 17th, 2026
WHERE?
The festival will take place across 3 locations in the heart of Davis Square in Somerville, Ma$$. Davis Square is accessible via public transit and surrounded by delicious restaurants, cool shops, and unique bars.
Full Length Shows & some Shorty Shows will be featured at The Rockwell, a hidden 200-seat venue underground, provides a great stage space, lighting, sound, and projection capabilities to artists, and comfortable seats with a full bar for attendees.
The majority of Shorty Shows will perform at both Dragon’s Lair, a pristine event space connected to Dragon Pizza, and Dente’s Barber Shop, a barber shop turned performance hall for the weekend!
How much are tickets?
Tickets are only $15 per show, or buy a festival pass for full access to ALL shows!
How much does it cost to perform?
We are proud to give 100% of ticket sales to the Artists! With 10 people at each of the Artist’s shows, an Artist will make their production fee back and then some!
There is a $30 non-refundable fee to submit. This contributes directly to marketing & production for the festival.
If accepted into the festival, there is an additional production fee that varies depending on the length & location of your show.





Keeping Secrets by Jim Vetter
Secrets are all around us—secrets that can be powerful in both positive and destructive ways. Based on events in the Boston area from the 1970s to today, Keeping Secrets is an engaging, moving, and hopeful one-person show that explores links between what magicians do and what child sexual abusers do, combining acting, visuals, and a magic trick or two.



10 Skills 2 Years by David Piccolomini
Comedian David Piccolomini quit video games (healthy!). He then decided to use the free time to teach himself 10 skills in 2 years (slightly less healthy!). From Piano, to Spanish, and Basketball, join him as he spends an hour showing you what he’s learned about the skills, learning and addiction.
Shorty Shows
These 30-min shows are coupled by genre to make a full hour!
The 8 Love Movements by Deby Xiadani
The Ancient Greeks had 8 words for love to describe different types of love we have with our family, versus our romantic partner, versus our best friend. This blew my mind. This movement piece explores the different types of love we experience in our lifetimes. It’s more than “love.”

Growing up in the wilds of Cape Cod, Erik Bartlett always dreamed of running away with the circus. After honing his skills on the fairgrounds of the country touring with the oldest and one of the last remaining traditional American carnival sideshows, he brings his madcap blend of comedy, circus, and escapology to the Boston Fringe Festival!
Limit/Old Mother; Fugue
Limit is the conversation between AI and humans, who are at their limit. An asteroid is hurtling towards Earth. In order to save the world, AI must use all the water on the planet to calculate an equation to move the asteroid off its path. Humans don’t think this is worth it, but it might be too late to change AI’s mind.
Old Mother; Fugue is the musical dialogue between a mother and a daughter who struggle to see eye to eye. They speak at each other, to what end?

Watch Danya navigate religion, identity, bad dates, and even worse life choices, all while her bangs block her view of reality (because she hasn’t trimmed them in three months). A 30-minute comedy show masterclass on how to succeed in life, so you too can become a comedian and give pride to the parents who thought you’d go to medical school.


Lt. Love Dr. Hotty McTotty has traveled back in time to revive human connection.. before it’s too late! Through a series of hilarious drills, together, you will end the loneliness epidemic.
Fresh off a 4-star run at the Edinburgh Fringe, this interactive, silly, and heartfelt show inspires us to love again.


The queer historical text of an 18th century castaway’s diary lays the foundation for this story, which centers two English sailors who discover the pages written by a man punished for sodomy, surviving on a deserted island. In uncovering the troubling account of survival, guilt, and hallucinations, the two sailors find chilling realization and profound comfort in each other.
On the verge of a mysterious operation that will ultimately transition him into the body of his cat, Mr Bronner spends his last human day with his young neighbor, Sandy. As he confronts the loss of his partner and the slow shrinking of his social world, this minimalist dystopian short play explores grief, loneliness, and the absurd sacrifices we make to feel “alive.”

When a wannabe spiritualist stages a midnight ghost show straight out of vaudeville’s heyday—complete with ectoplasm, floating tables, and campy spectacle—to contact her deceased actress grandmother, they wrestles with the hardest trick of all: communing with something they don’t think exists. Can you stay close to a ghost when you don’t believe in ghosts? Tap once for yes.

In this laugh-out-loud musical parody, Lauren Schultes battles bad dates, ruthless casting calls, and a world that insists she’s more “evil queen” than “girl next door.” Featuring original parody songs from “Wicked,” “Les Mis,” and more, “A Tall Girl’s Lament” follows one woman’s journey to land the leading role, both on the stage & in her love life.

An injured thief runs into a wounded Bengal tiger under the shadow of a prominent politician’s house, where the hunters are celebrating a successful hunt. The play portrays how the construction of a dam near a village destroys the forest and farmland, and disrupts the lives, hopes, and dreams of a farmer who turns to stealing, and a tigress who must take care of her cubs in whatever way she can. Their chance encounter brings hidden questions to the surface as both the creatures confront what life has in store for them.
Join us for a night of original Indian Americana songs rooted in mythology — a modern feminist interpretation of the two-millennia-old Sanskrit epic, the Ramayana. ‘Sitayama: Her Side of the Fire’ asks what Sita’s story looks like when told by her: not as a lesson in purity and devotion, but as one of resilience through loss.
Timeline
Application window opens: December 14, 2025, 12pm EST
Applications window closes: January 14, 2026, 11:59pm EST
Performer confirmation letters sent: Feb 1, 2026
Signed contracts, show info, and production fees due: Feb 8, 2026
Performance schedule set: April 1, 2026
Tech rehearsals at venues: May 11-15, 2026
Dates of festival: May 11-17, 2026