Orlando Fringe Outlines Plans For 31st Annual Fringe Festival

Orlando Fringe has announced details for the 31st Annual Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, taking place in person from May 17-30th at Orlando's Loch Haven Park. Orlando Fringe is the longest-running theatre festival of its kind in the United States.

Some changes that attendees will see at this year's festival is a brand new color venue - the Teal Venue. The Teal Venue will be in a new venue, The Renaissance Theatre, located on the corner of Orange and Princeton at 415 E Princeton St Orlando, FL 32803. The Purple and Teal Venues will be at the Renaissance Theatre, and there will be no Red Venue this year.

World Fringe Congress 2022 will be taking place during the festival, from May 19-23, at the Orlando Science Center. The World Fringe Congress is a meeting of Fringe producers, managers, directors, and leaders, aiming to strengthen the World Fringe sector through learning and sharing. Over 70 delegates are attending from Australia, Iceland, Sweden, Fiji, the UK, Canada, and more. You can meet the delegates on Saturday, May 21 at 5:30 PM for a panel discussion on the outdoor stage.

Visual Fringe, the visual art portion of the festival, is getting its own space in the Patron's Room at Orlando Shakes, the former Purple Venue. In addition to viewing the art gallery at Visual Fringe, festival-goers can participate in workshops, classes, crafts, demonstrations, and other events. Patrons can purchase every piece of art seen at the festival, and 100% of art sales goes back to the artists. Patrons can buy community artwork through a vending machine by Vexed Vending and can enjoy various art events such as pet portraits or a short film screening.

The BYOV or "Bring Your Own Venue" program is back and thriving at Orlando Fringe this year. BYOVs are area businesses that offer performances in their buildings. They are included in the festival yet are not managed by the festival. This year, the BYOVs at Fringe will feature 20 different shows at The Abbey on Eola Drive, Stardust Lounge on Central Blvd., and Savoy on Orange Avenue. The BYOV Teaser show will be held at The Abbey on May 9th at 8:00 PM. Patrons can purchase tickets at https://orlandofringe.org/home/events.

Last year Fringe introduced party pods, and they make their return this year renamed as cabanas. Patrons with a cabana will have a dedicated tent on the lawn all day with seating, complimentary drinks, and bar service. There are a limited number of cabanas, so patrons must reserve theirs in advance at https://orlandofringe.org/may2022.

This year, Fringe has partnered with Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company to bring a White Stout brewed especially for the 2022 Fringe Festival called Curtains Up White Stout. Patrons will be able to purchase the Fringe specialty beer on draft or in a 16 oz can throughout the festival grounds.

Orlando Fringe has teamed up with GoPeagus to provide shuttle buses for patrons. The shuttle buses will run Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays with a bus route covering The Renaissance Theatre, Savoy, Comfort Suites, Ivanhoe Brewing, and the Lake Highland overflow parking lot. We also have another bus route that will cover the Abbey and Stardust Lounge. As a part of the Art on Wheels program, artists were able to submit artwork for the Orlando Fringe bus wrap. The colorful canvas will be revealed on the first day of the festival.

This year, we added the Lake Highland overflow parking lot allowing Fringe to accommodate more patrons who want to enjoy the festival. Since the festival continues to grow each year, we need more parking, and thanks to Lake Highland, we can do so. Complimentary parking is available at 1203 Alden Road Orlando, FL 32803.

Join us as we celebrate the festival's official opening, May 17th at 7:00 PM, at our ribbon-cutting ceremony on our outdoor stage. After the ceremony, join us for the National and International Artists' teaser show. Watch 2-minute live teaser performances for touring shows representing five countries and over twenty states. A must-see for planning your 2022 Orlando Fringe viewing schedule! Other Fringe favorite events include Tonight at Midnight, Flashlight Cabaret, and pop-up events on the Play What You Can Stage. You can purchase tickets for all events now at https://orlandofringe.org/may2022.

For those who have never been to Fringe before, we have some tips and tricks on how to Fringe! First, you must purchase a festival button from our ticketing website or the Fringe box office. This button can be worn for the whole festival, and everyone must be wearing one to enter a theatre. After you get a button, you can buy show tickets online or at our box office. You can also enjoy different food vendors out on the lawn or watch a performance on our outdoor stage.

If you cannot make our in-person festival, Fringe announces the return of Digifringe. From June 3rd-June 17th, digital versions of some of the shows in our festival-managed venues will be recorded and available worldwide. A $1 DigiFringe button will be required to view the online performances.

You can find more information about the Fringe Festival and its many programs at https://orlandofringe.org.