Artist Zone

Vancouver Fringe 2025

The Vancouver Fringe lottery is open! Apply today to enter the draw. Applications to the mainstage close on January 19, 2025 at 11:59PM PST.

A Home For Independant Performing Arts

At Vancouver Fringe, we foster a vibrant community of independent and emerging performing artists. We break traditional barriers and create a welcoming space for artists and audiences alike. Through our lottery, we create an environment where any artist can take to the stage. There are three ways to perform in Vancouver Fringe: you can enter our lottery draw for a spot at a mainstage venue, apply to participate in our site-specific category, or go BYOV (bring your own venue).

We proudly present a huge range of genres and experience levels where anyone can bring their vision to life. Whether on a big stage or in a coffee shop, we’re here to celebrate the Fringe movement together.

Learn more about each path you can take and start your Fringe journey with us today!

Mainstage Lottery

Companies participating in the mainstage category will receive a performance slot in an assigned theatre. These shows will have full access to standard theater equipment, as well as a minimum seating capacity of 90-230 seats.  By selecting the “Mainstage Lottery” as your application type this will enter your performance into our lottery draw which will be held on January 22, 2025. Results will be posted no later than January 24, 2025. This will provide you with a chance to participate in this year’s Fringe Festival from 4 – 14 Sep 2025. All applicants are required to cover a non-refundable application fee and if successfully drawn in the lottery will have to pay the Participation Fees (dependent on show duration).

Participants are chosen by random draw through a Two-Phase lottery (more information below). 
Companies pay an application fee to enter the lottery draw and then a participation fee if successfully drawn. 
Participants will perform six times throughout the 11 day festival. Rehearsal and show times are assigned by the Fringe festival team. 
Artists receive 100% of the box office proceeds minus a ticketing fee that covers the cost of selling the ticket. Artists choose their own ticket price between $12-$15

Two-Phase Lottery

Vancouver Fringe is working to create a community that is vibrant, diverse, inclusive, welcoming and safe. Our Two-Phase lottery is to help uplift our underrepresented artists and deepen equity at our Festival. We welcome and encourage participants from Indigenous, Black and People of Colour backgrounds. At least 50% of the available Mainstage lottery spots will be reserved for artists who identify as Indigenous, Black and Persons of Colour.

During our lottery on January 22nd will be split into two-phases:

Phase One: We will draw the first 50% of our show slots randomly from our artists that self-identify as IBPOC. Once these slots are selected, if there are remaining IBPOC applicants they will be placed into Phase Two.
Phase Two: The remainder of our Mainstage Lottery slots will be drawn from our general applicants.
After our lottery slots have been drawn we will continue to draw performances to form a waitlist in the case some applicants are unable to participate in the 2025 Vancouver Fringe.
Any Phase One show withdrawals will be replaced with the first IBPOC self-identified show on the waitlist. Any Phase two show withdrawals will be replaced with a subsequent show listed on the waitlist.

For a company or individual to enter Phase One of the lottery, the Primary Contact must identify as Indigenous, Black and/or a Person of Colour. If the company is made up of multiple artists, at least 50% of the creative and performance team involved must also self-identify as IBPOC.

Dates & Deadlines

• November 20th, 2024 – Mainstage lottery and Site-Specific, and BYOV application launch.
• January 19th, 2025 – Mainstage lottery closes at 11:59PM PST
• January 22nd, 2025 – Mainstage lottery is drawn.
• February 7th, 2025 – Mainstage deposit due ($400).
• February 28th, 2025 – Site-Specific and unapproved BYOV venues submissions close
• April 11th, 2025 – Fees due for all application types (remaining fees due for Mainstages).
• April 2025 – Basic technical information due for all shows, including show title and cast size.
• April 28th 2025 – Deadline to withdraw from Festival and receive full refund of paid fees.
• May 2025 – All marketing information due for all shows
• May 18th 2025 – Deadline to withdraw from Festival and receive a partial 50% refund of your paid fees. Any withdrawals after this date are non-refundable.

Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions at artist@vancouverfringe.com

Fees

Application fee: $45 (due at the time of application and non-refundable)
Participation fees (due on or before April 11, 2025)

• Mainstage Shows between 25-45 mins: $750
• Mainstage Shows between 46 – 70 mins: $850
• Site-Specific shows: $400
• BYOV shows: $400 + costs paid to the venue

To ensure the lottery is managed fairly, companies are only able to submit one entry into the lottery. Companies who submit more than one application into the Mainstage lottery (ie. submission of multiple applications under different Primary Contacts – but the same Company Name) risk losing their place in the lottery without a refund offered. If you apply to the Mainstage lottery and are not drawn, you have the option of applying in our other categories; Site-Specific and BYOV. Please note if you decide to apply through either or both of these avenues you must start and submit a new application for each category separately.

We particularly welcome and encourage artists from IBPOC backgrounds, with 50% of lottery slots in each category being pulled from those who self-identify as Indigenous, Black or other racialized communities.

Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions at artist@vancouverfringe.com. 