Glendale Main Library Named Flagship Venue For The Glendale International Fringe Festival

Arizona Theatre Matters revealed that Glendale Main Library auditorium will serve as the flagship venue for the Glendale International Fringe Festival, taking place February 12-28, 2027.

As the festival's central hub, the Main Library will host headline programming, community events, and core accessibility services designed to invite the widest possible participation. Additional downtown venues will be announced soon.

Although the Glendale Main Library sits three miles north of Historic Downtown on 59th Avenue, it will serve as GIFF's flagship venue because its civic mission, public reach, and technical infrastructure make it uniquely suited to host headline festival programming and the festival's core accessibility services. The Library is a free, trusted civic anchor with experienced front-of-house staff, professional lighting and sound, abundant parking and good transit links, and strong connections to schools, families, and community groups.

Its 240-seat auditorium features fixed, tiered seating and a small, limited stage space-modest in footprint but ideally structured for solo work, spoken word, intimate theatrical pieces, community conversations, school matinees, and accessibility programming. A full upstage projection wall provides ample room for video, scenic imagery, captions, and access-forward visual storytelling, making the space especially well suited to hybrid and multimedia Fringe performances.

Travel note: The Library is three miles north of Historic Downtown and has ample onsite parking and transit links. Clear directions and transit information will be provided on the GIFF website and in festival materials.

What Does "Fringe" Mean?

The word Fringe traces back to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where independent companies performed on the "fringe" of a larger festival. Today, Fringe names a worldwide family of festivals that celebrate artistic risk, independence, and open access. Fringe festivals are defined less by a single style than by a spirit of openness and experimentation. Common Fringe features include:

• Artist-driven programming: Independent creators-emerging and established-present work they might not be able to stage elsewhere.

• Openness and experimentation: A welcoming place for new, adventurous, and boundary-pushing work.

• Accessible and affordable: Many Fringe events are low-cost or free and take place in civic venues like libraries and community centers.

• Diverse forms: Theatre, spoken word, dance, music, puppetry, performance art, and hybrids flourish together.

• Community energy: Audiences discover work directly, artists respond to public engagement, and public spaces come alive with shared cultural exchange.

Fringe celebrates curiosity, amplifies under-heard voices, and makes room for surprise.

How to Get Involved

GIFF is for everyone - artists, volunteers, neighbors, schools, cultural groups, and local businesses. Ways to participate:

• Attend. Programming at the Glendale Main Library and downtown venues will be free and fully accessible.

• Submit a show. From brief experiments to full-length productions, creators are encouraged to apply. Submission details and deadlines will be posted at arizonatheatrematters.org.

• Volunteer. We'll need ushers, accessibility support, front-of-house staff, and community liaisons. Sign-ups will be available at arizonatheatrematters.org.

• Partner or sponsor. Local organizations and businesses are invited to collaborate on programming, outreach, and accessibility services. Contact us to explore opportunities.

• Spread the word. Follow GIFF on social media, share announcements, and invite your networks to take part.

For updates, submissions, volunteer sign-ups, and partnership information, visit arizonatheatrematters.org/glendale-international-fringe-festival or email patr@arizonatheatrematters.org to join the GIFF mailing list.