With 25+ shows by local and visiting artists/companies, 50+ performances, and 6 venues, how do you decide what to see and where to start?
Great question. Read on for some tips about where to start and what to see.
First, let’s start with what is the Fringe and where did it start?
The Fort Collins Fringe is an open-access festival, meaning we don’t have a selection panel deciding who can share their art. The goal is to encourage artists – professionals and amateurs alike – to share their bold, weird, funky, and beautiful creative work with you while reducing barriers to presenting a show. The hope is that the open-access and accessible format makes it less risky to try new things.
The result is a festival where you can expect the unexpected around every corner. You never know which performance will fill you with delight and provoke you to imagine a different world.
The Fringe started in 1947 when eight performance groups showed up uninvited to share their work on the fringe of an international festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. They performed in found spaces, including alleyways and warehouses. Now, the Fringe is a global movement with 300+ independent festivals produced annually around the world.
Fun fact: The Fringe was produced annually in Fort Collins, growing bigger every year from 2013 – 2019. Now, the festival returns!
Second, do you need a festival pass? How do tickets work?
No pass required! You can buy one or two or ten tickets, or as many as you’d like.
We don’t require a festival pass. You decide how many shows you see and how many tickets you buy to support independent artists.
The Fringe reserves venues, hires technicians, sets up the box office, and recruits volunteers. Artists are responsible for promoting their shows and pushing ticket sales, and performing! 70% of ticket sales go directly to the artists. Most shows cost $10 – $25, with youth/student tickets as low as $5 to some shows.
You’re encouraged, but not required, to buy tickets in advance so artists know you’ve made them part of your festival experience. Walk-ups are welcome, subject to availability. Please note: FoCo Fringe is digital payments only.
Here are different starting points for exploring what the Fringe has to offer:
1. Start with the FoCo Fringe Preview Show.
The FoCo Fringe Preview Show takes place Thursday, June 11th at 7pm; doors at 6:30pm for mingling with artists. Tickets are $5-$15+/Pay What You Want*. The Preview Show features a 90-second preview of each show taking place at FoCo Fringe. It’s a blast and you’ll get inspired to go see the shows over the weekend.
* You’ll notice Pay What You Want allows you to book a ticket on a sliding scale – sometimes there’s a minimum, sometimes you can get in for free. The preview show is $5+, so pay $5, $15, or $50.
2. Pick a Date or Genre or Venue to Start
Based on when you can go (and bring a friend), use the filters on the 2026 Shows page to pick your first show to see. You can filter based on the Date, Genre & Sub-Genres, Venue, Price, and more. The Fringe features theatre, dance, comedy, music, circus, and more. Go here and discover your first show >
We have 6 venues for the 2026 festival:
- Bas Bleu Theatre
- Fort Collins Circus Center (making aerial performance possible!)
- Visit Fort Collins Welcome Center (Friday & Saturday only)
- Wolverine Farm Letterpress & Publick House
- Sound Bar (Main stage & back alley stage)
- Foothills Unitarian Church (Friday only w/Playcrafters Kids)
We’re grateful to our venue partners for making it possible to have space for audiences and artists to come together for the Fringe.
3. Family-Friendly (or not)
We are delighted to have something for everyone at the Fringe. This year for family-friendly shows we have Zest! By Playcrafters Kids, The Big Little Circus by Fort Collins Circus Center, The Story Bakers, and the Comedy Brewers.
Each show at the Fringe has an audience rating and advisory as part of their profile, from All Ages to PG 13 & R. Ratings aren’t perfect, so you’ll also see advisories listed. Keep in mind that we do not jury the show, so ratings are provided by artists in good faith; you your own discretion.
PS: We have a sign up for a limited number of free tickets for Youth and Families here thanks to our sponsors and partners. In addition, the Story Bakers performance is free!
4. Roll the dice!
Roll dice (two or three), go to the show list, then pick the show that is the number on the total of your dice. You can choose any method to select a show to see at random. So fun!
5. Fringe with Friends
Find a friend (or several friends) to join you on the Fringe adventure. This is one of the best ways to experience the Fringe. When you book 4 or more tickets to a show, receive 10% off.
6. Be part of the Magic and Volunteer!
Are you the person who just can’t sit by when there’s a fun opportunity to make a difference? Our Volunteer opportunities are for you. We have an incredible team helping make the Fringe experience top notch. This is your invitation to join them as a Volunteer. Serve 2-3 shifts and get rush-access to shows, space depending on a first-come, first-seated basis at all our venues. Why wouldn’t you? Sign up here >
7. See a show that includes a founder of FoCo Fringe!
We’re delighted the original founders are still involved, now focused on producing and performing! We’re grateful for and humbled by Heather Ostberg Johnson, Jessica MacMaster, and Dulcie Willis passing the torch. Here’s where you can find them at the revival of the Fringe:
- What Ails Adelaide by Heather Ostberg Johnson, Jessica MacMaster (and many more!)
- Comedy Brewers featuring Heather and Jessica
- ReFinding produced in collaboration with Willis Productions
- Story Bakers forged from an original recipe by Health, Jessica, and Dulcie in 2018
We can’t wait to see you at the Fringe!
Whether you choose to see one show or as many as possible, you’ll have the opportunity to delight in the creativity of independent artists and the community of the Fringe.
The 2026 festival kicks off the evening of Thursday, June 11th, with the Preview Show. Performances take place Friday through Sunday, June 12th – 14th.
We can’t wait to see you at the festival!
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