July 18, 2026 Tara Windatt

2026 Fringe Festival

General graphic for the 2026 Fringe festival. It is a square image with a dark blue background. In the upper section of the image in pink block lettering it reads on the edge North Bay's fringe. below that are the dates August 12th to 16th. At the bottom of the image are four lime green head silhouettes. Each has black lips, a closed eye with eyelashes, and a green jester's hat.

ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival
August 12 – 16, 2026

ON THE EDGE Fringe is back for another amazing, exciting, and off-the-wall week of Fringe fun in the heart of downtown North Bay! This is our 13th Fringe Festival, and we have so many great shows and events lined-up we don’t even know where to begin! We’ve tried to put all of the information about this year’s festival on this page in a somewhat logical order, but if you have questions about anything, feel free to contact us. You can also find up-to-date information on our Facebook and Instagram pages as well.

To read a welcome message for this year’s Fringe festival season from Megan Dart, President of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF), please click on the button below.

Land Acknowledgement

The land on which the ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival gathers is the traditional territory of the Nipissing First Nation Anishinaabe. This territory is covered by the Robinson-Huron and Upper Canada Treaties. We acknowledge them and any other Nations who care for the land (acknowledged and unacknowledged, recorded and unrecorded) as the past, present and future caretakers of our home region. The ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival is honoured to welcome artists on these storied and sacred lands that have been stewarded by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years, long before the arrival of colonial settlers.

2026 Festival Schedule

This is a jpg version of the 2026 festival schedule. By clicking the button below the image, you can download a pdf copy of the schedule.

The image of the schedule above may be enlarged using your phone or web browser’s zoom features. To download a pdf version of the schedule, please click the button below.

2026 Fringe Shows

Click the links below to find out more information about each of the shows in this year’s festival.

This is a poster for Tristen Watt's show "A Hoarders Candle."

A Hoarders Candle

Company:Tristen Watts
Runtime: 55 Minutes
Venue: The Betty Speers Theatre
Genre: Comedy, Dance/Physical Theatre, Theatre
Audience Level: Parental Guidance Suggested

 

Poster for "Bitter Pill" by First Action Theatre & Eli Emslie.

Bitter Pill

Company: First Action Theatre & Eli Emslie
Runtime: 20-25 minutes
Venue: The Basement Space
Genre: Performance Art, Spoken Word/Storytelling, Theatre
Audience Level: Mature Audiences

 

The poster for "Embarrassed Naked Female (this show contains nudity) by Elsa Couvreur from Woman's Move.

Embarrassed Naked Female (this show contains nudity)

Company: Elsa Couvreur (Woman’s Move)
Runtime: 60 Minutes
Venue: The Betty Speers Theatre
Genre: Spoken Word/Storytelling, Theatre
Audience Level: Mature Audiences

 

Poster for "Got it all figured out... sort of" by SouthPaw Scripts.

Got It All Figured Out…sort of.

Company: SouthPaw Scripts
Runtime: 60 Minutes
Venue: The Basement Space
Genre: Theatre
Audience Level: Mature Audiences

 

Poster for "Love Fuel" by Sweaty Isekai.

Love Fuel

Company: Sweaty Isekai
Runtime: 35 Minutes
Venue: The Co-Operators Spotlight Lounge
Genre: Comedy, Magic, Music, Spoken Word/Storytelling, Theatre
Audience Level: Parental Guidance Suggested

 

Poster for "Mammoth Mommy Issues" by Three Odd Frogs.

Mammoth Mommy Issues

Company: Three Odd Frogs
Runtime: 40-50 Minutes
Venue: The Basement Space
Genre: Comedy, Performance Art, Theatre
Audience Level: Parental Guidance Suggested

 

Poster for "No Fixed Address" by Don Baxter.

No Fixed Address

Company: Don Baxter
Runtime: 60 Minutes
Venue: The Co-Operators Spotlight Lounge
Genre: Music, Spoken Word/Storytelling
Audience Level: Parental Guidance Suggested

 

Poster for "Pocket Change" by Verba in collaboration with Pain the Stage.

Pocket Change

Company: Verba in collaboration with Paint The Stage
Runtime: 40-45 Minutes
Venue: The Betty Speers Theatre
Genre: Comedy, Dance/Physical Theatre, Theatre
Audience Level: Mature Audiences

 

Poster for "The Last Testimony of Anton Gernsback (deceased) presented by Mr. Robert Sovic" by Dreamer of the Deep.

The Last Testimony of Anton Gernsback (deceased) presented by Mr. Robert Sovic

Company: Dreamer of the Deep
Runtime: 50 Minutes
Venue: The Co-Operators Spotlight Lounge
Genre: Performance Art, Spoken Word/Storytelling, Theatre
Audience Level: Parental Guidance Suggested

Tickets & Passes

Fringe show tickets are $14 per show and Festival Passes (which give you access to all shows) are $110. This year, some of our presentations are also Pay-What-You-Can in ticket increments of $2, $5, and $10. All tickets & passes are being sold exclusively through the Capitol Centre, and may be purchased in-person, over the phone, or through their website (www.capitolcentre.org). To keep transaction fees low, the festival is encouraging folks to pay with cash or debit if possible, although credit cards are also accepted. Patrons are also encouraged to purchase their passes or tickets in advance to avoid long line-ups. Seating is still first come, first served for all shows and events, so plan accordingly!

Click the button below to go to the Capitol Centre’s website to buy tickets.

2026 Duality Program

To complement our amazing line-up of Fringe shows, we’ve programmed a series of Duality offerings that will keep you busy and entertained during Fringe Week. To start things off, we will be heading over to Big Medicine Studio on August 11th for First Draft, a presentation of works-in-progress by Aanmitaagzi Story Makers and the youth participants of their 2026 Summer Arts Program. Next up, Theatre Making North Bay is inviting everyone to participate in their reading of The Book Club Play in the Betty Speers Theatre on August 12th. On August 13th, we’ll be over in the Map Room at Cecil’s Brewhouse & Kitchen for a staged reading of Ian McCormack’s new play Auger, and then on August 15th, we’ll pop over to the alleyway beside Michelle’s FrameMaker & Gallery to see a short dance performance by award-winning artist Cesar Forero. To finish things off, The Highwaymen will be back with their unique brand of live D&D improv adventures on Saturday night at the Shadfly House.

For full details about this year’s Duality program, please click the button below.

2026 Fringey X-Tras

You want more? Well, we’ve got more for you! A few Fringey X-Tras to keep the party going. This year we have a arts & grant information session facilitated by Holly Cunningham from Creative Industries, and a Musical Theatre workshop with Michelle Jackett. We are also setting up a Spkr’s Corner at Good Atlas so folks can leave a message, comment about a show they’ve seen, give life hack tips, or whatever comes to mind in the moment.

Click the button below to find out more about this year’s X-Tras.

2026 Fringe Awards Ceremony

August 16th @ 5:00 pm

The annual Fringe awards ceremony is one of the high points of the Fringe festival. Each year we bring in three industry professionals to determine which artists or companies will receive awards. This year’s jurors are Loretta Di Eugenio, Jerome Black, and Joshua Bainbridge, who will be adjudicating the awards for Outstanding Production, Outstanding Original Work, and Jurors’ Choice. We also have an audience choice award that is given to the show with the most votes, and a Spirit of the Fringe award.

To find out more about each award or this year’s award jurors, please click the buttons below.



Image of Northern Himalayan Cafe's version of Fringe fries from the 2025 competition.

FRINGE FRIES ARE BACK!

ON THE EDGE Fringe is super excited to be partnering with a handful of downtown restaurants for our second annual Fringe Fries competition. During the festival, participating restaurants will create their own version of “Fringe Fries” as a special menu item and patrons will be able to vote for their favourite one. The restaurant that receives the most votes for their creation will be declared the winner during the annual Fringe awards ceremony at the end of the festival. The participating restaurants for 2026 are Cecil’s Brewhouse & Kitchen, Northern Himalayan Café, Lou Dawg’s Southern BBQ, The Moose’s Cookhouse, and The Block Public House.

Make sure to give the Fringe Fries a try and vote for your favourite one before the festival ends on August 15th!

Important Locations

The image is of a hand-drawn map of downtown North Bay showing the important festival locations for 2026. The locations are listed below the image.

Here is a list of this year’s festival locations:

  1. Good Atlas (Speaker’s Corner location) – 348 Fraser St
  2. Alleyway beside Michelle’s FrameMaker & Gallery (performance space) – 168 Main St W
  3. Lou Dawg’s Southern BBQ (Fringe Fry location) – 167 Main St W
  4. The Block Public House (Fringe Fry location) – 122 Main St W
  5. Northern Himalayan Café (presentation venue & Fringe Fry location) – 113 Main St E
  6. The Moose’s Cookhouse (Fringe Fry location) – 134 Main St E
  7. The Capitol Centre (Main festival venue) – 150 Main St E
  8. Shadfly House (performance venue) – 151 Main St E
  9. Cecil’s Brewhouse & Kitchen (presentation venue & Fringe Fry location) – 300 Wyld St
  10. The Fringe Warehouse Space – 150 McIntyre St E
  11. Big Medicine Studio (performance space) – 161 Couchie Memorial Dr

 

2026 Festival Funders

Image containing the logos for the Government of Canada, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Government of Ontario.

ON THE EDGE Fringe wishes to acknowledge the Government of Canada, through the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada Summer Jobs program, and the Ontario Arts Council  for their generous support of this year’s festival.

2026 Festival Sponsors & Community Partners

Image containing the logos for local businesses that have sponsored or partnered with on the edge fringe for this year's festival. The businesses include the Capitol Centre, The Engraving Shoppe, Aanmitaagzi Story Makers, Creative Industries, Good Atlas, Near North Mobile Media Lab, Shadfly House, Theatre Making North Bay, The Block Public House, Cecil's Brewhouse & Kitchen, Lou Dawg's Southern BBQ, Moose's Cookhouse, Northern Himalayan Cafe, Best Western, the Opera Bakery Cafe, and Gateway City Brewery.

ON THE EDGE Fringe thanks all of the amazing artists, staff, volunteers, patrons, funders, sponsors, supporters, the Fringe community, and the community of North Bay for helping us to make this festival happen. Stay Fringey, everyone!

Looking for ways to help or support the Fringe?

There are many ways to get involved with the ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival. Check out our Support page by clicking the button below to find out how you can help make Fringe the Fringey-est it can be!