INDIANAPOLIS — The IndyFringe Theatre Festival, presented by Everwise Credit Union, is returning for the 18th time from Aug. 17 – Sept. 3. Over the course of three weekends, attendees will be treated to Indy’s largest and most vibrant performing arts event, spanning the length of Massachusetts Avenue at six different stages within walking distance of each other. A record 300 performances and 70 unique acts were sourced from 30 different cities, including Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Durango and New York.
The first-ever IndyFringe Theatre began as a 10-day event with 30 acts. Since then, the celebration has hosted over 195,000 guests, establishing the festival as one of the Midwest’s most vibrant and vital arts events.
Tickets per show are $20 each, with student tickets $14. A 6 ticket Flex Pass is $99. Same-day Rush Tickets for select shows are $12.
This year’s festival will feature almost 60% Indiana artists, and 20% of acts are created by an artist who identifies as BIPOC, while 30% of acts are created by an artist who identifies as LGBTQ+.
If it’s variety you want, this year’s lineup has 29 different genres of performance are represented including tap dance, shadow puppetry, musical comedy, circus, and much more. Many of the acts are audience interactive. This year’s festival is great for families, as 42% of productions are considered suitable for audiences aged 12 or under and 9% were designed with children specifically in mind. (Check out the content advisories online for each show before ordering tickets.)
The IndyFringe Passport, sponsored by Bottleworks, will allow audiences to attend shows at multiple venues and visit IndyFringe’s Art Partner, The Harrison Center. Guests who see one performance at each venue and participate in the Harrison Center’s Art Adventure will be entered into a lottery for incredible prizes. IndyFringe will feature visual arts at the 2023 festival through a collaboration
with the Harrison Center. Explore the center’s displays in their beautiful facility at 1505 North Delaware St., including an exclusive First Friday Fringe Feature on Friday, Sept. 1.
The Family-Friendly Fringe Zone will feature selected kids activities and lawn games outside of Indy Fringe theaters at 719 E. St. Clair.
The Fringe Theatre movement exists to provide equitable access to arts. The movement was born in 1947 when eight artists, who were excluded from the Edinburgh Theatre Festival, gathered to perform on the outskirts of the festival grounds. Today, dozens of Fringe Festivals around the world devote themselves to providing inclusive access for creatives of every genre, identity and status. This is accomplished through tiered lottery systems to provide additional opportunities for artists from under-represented communities or by returning 80% of ticket revenue to performers. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly magic experience, an evening of stand-up comedy or burlesque, a riveting circus act, an Art scavenger hunt, or a cutting-edge, world-premiere drama, Fringe arts are for every taste.
For more information and to purchase tickets online, please visit indyfringe.org/festival.
