How to make the most out of this year’s Fringe Fest

Every September, the Philadelphia theatrical community congregates for the performing arts pilgrimage called the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. The festival, presented by FringeArts, continues through Sept. 28 and celebrates a new benchmark of 346 productions this year, the highest number in the festival’s history.

It’s an extraordinary accomplishment given the dire condition of arts funding, with many of the productions being self-produced and on minimal budgets.

Looking at a program that can be overwhelming, so we sought some help from artists involved in the Fringe Fest this year, and asked for tips for navigating the festival, and show recommendations.

For information about the festival, go to phillyfringe.org.

This is the FringeArts CEO’s first year of being heavily involved in all aspects of the festival.

Tour de Fringe! On Saturdays during the festival, we will have little groups who are kind of tourists to the Fringe Festival. You buy a ticket for the day, see three shows, and have dinner with the group and FringeArts staff to talk about them. It is a great way of getting a taste of the festival.

The Fringe is a great time to get out of your comfort zone. I would encourage you to almost play a game with yourself by closing your eyes and pointing at the lineup to see where it lands. You just never know if the show you’re going to see is going to end up traveling the world, and you caught it in the early days.

Producing artistic director of Shakespeare in Clark Park. Director and producer for new heaven new earth, a workshop and reading of a new revisionist adaptation of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, which is part of the Philadelphia Theatre Company Text and Dramaturgy Cohort at Cannonball.

It’s really easy to get sucked up in the shows with the most buzz. After you get your “must-see” tickets, get seats to three random shows or experiences because you like the title or description. It will mean SO MUCH to the small collectives and individual artists producing in the festival and you might stumble upon the coolest work you’ve ever seen.

Artist and educator presenting this year’s Kindled by Nina: A Four Women Requiem, a multimedia stage experience that weaves together poetry, film, and live performance, inspired by Nina Simone’s iconic song “Four Women.” Moore is also facilitating "Unbound: Writing the Stories We Were Never Meant to Tell," a workshop for Black women, rooted in Nina’s music and archetypes.

Come with an open heart and an open mind. The Fringe isn’t about polished perfection — it’s about raw creativity, voices you may not have heard before, and stories that don’t often get center stage. Allow yourself to be surprised. Take a chance on a show you know nothing about. Sit in the discomfort if something challenges you, and lean into the joy if something moves you. Fringe is a journey, not just entertainment — it’s a chance to witness art that reflects our humanity in all its layers.

Marketing director at 1812 Productions, which is presenting La Otra, a world premiere bilingual comedy cocreated by Tanaquil Márquez and Eliana Fabiyi, directed by Márquez.

Take a leap of faith! Support your friends and colleagues. I think Fringe really is about trying something new and experiencing all the different stories and perspectives Philadelphia theatre makers have to offer.

One of the co-founders of Cannonball, the first and largest hub of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Serving this year as a producer and venue manager for the festival, he is also presenting a reading of his original musical: Americannibal.

Get lost! My best advice is to just let yourself get swallowed up a little bit. Take a risk on an artist you’ve never seen before, make a new friend, go to a new neighborhood. Just go see something — anything — and talk to people about it. You’ll start to find your way and make new connections. Cannonball shows are great because we intentionally schedule them back to back so you can easily see multiple shows in one night at the same venue. Get your tickets early and leave plenty of time for transit! Shows are liable to sell out and you don’t want to take SEPTA across town only to find out you can’t get in.

Writer and director of their original play La Otra, being presented by 1812 Productions. The show is a heartfelt, bilingual comedy filled with magical realism inspired by the author’s family from Colombia.

It’s such a special time in Philly. It really feels like it’s the grand opening of theater and art in the city before production companies begin their seasons. Really commit! See as much as you can and plan your days around seeing two or three shows throughout the city. All of the variety of shows and the odd times you can see theater: 11 a.m., 4 p.m., midnight!