The Annual Asheville Fringe Arts Festival is set to take place March 17-24, 2024. A performing arts tradition that started in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1947 when eight performing groups were excluded from the mainstream annual arts festival, Fringe was born because the artists decided to perform anyway, finding inexpensive or free venues on the fringes of the city. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has since grown into one of the largest arts festivals in the world, eclipsing the original festival exponentially.
Established in 2003 after Susan and Giles Collard of Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre experienced Fringe festivals in San Francisco and Toronto, they started Asheville’s Fringe in the beloved BeBe Theatre. The Festival is now a multi-day, multi-venue performing arts extravaganza, with performances in theatres, galleries, clubs, and odd spaces that even include the LaZoom bus.
Individual tickets are $12 per show, but given the incredible talent and variety among the artists and their mediums, one show is not enough to have the total Fringe Festival experience. Luckily, you can purchase a "Freak Pass" for up to 8 live shows, 2 short film screenings, and exclusive access to the closing party at The Crow and Quill. The early bird price is $75, but the price goes up after the schedule is announced!
Fringe is all about artists exploring the edges of their work, collaborating across genres, and bringing new and innovative performances to culturally adventurous audiences. This annual event and art tradition is a must-see experience that certainly embodies the "Keep Asheville Weird" mantra!
