The 10th annual TK Fringe Festival is set to light up the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning in Kingston, Ontario, from August 6 to 16, 2026. This year’s edition promises 17 original performances from local and visiting artists, offering something for everyone in an accessible and experimental format.
Organized by Theatre Kingston, the unjuried and uncurated festival has become a staple of the city’s arts scene. Unlike other festivals that rely on selection panels, the TK Fringe uses a lottery system open to any artist, ensuring a wild mix of comedy, drama, dance, and everything in between. As the Tett Centre notes, ‘The TK Fringe is an unjuried, uncurated and unboring performing arts festival that champions accessibility, experimentation, and community.’
Shows will run in two spaces inside the Tett Centre: the Rehearsal Hall on the second floor and the Theatre Kingston Studio on the first floor. The box office will be in the Tett Gallery, also on the first floor. With low ticket prices and the building’s waterfront location, audiences can easily hop between shows or enjoy the grounds between performances.
Theatre Kingston, which has produced professional works for over 30 years, runs the fringe as part of the Kick and Push Festival. The TK Fringe is a proud member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals, a network of 30 festivals across Canada and the United States. This connection sometimes brings international touring artists who select Kingston as one of their stops through a continent-wide lottery.
The festival also reserves a spot for diverse community members and partners with the Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival, ensuring a range of voices and stories. Artists pay a fee of $420 including HST to participate, which can be covered by their box office earnings.
For more details and the full schedule, visit the festival’s information page at the Tett Centre website or the Kick and Push Festival site.
