About Nelson Fringe

Not just your average fringe festival

Nelson Fringe Festival is an annual event celebrating the performing arts. We present work across a range of styles, including theatre, comedy, dance, improvisation, music, burlesque, circus and whatever else artists offer!

We embrace a full range of first-timers to seasoned touring gigsters, presenting around 50 shows in three venues across ten days, and always at an affordable ticket price.

We're really committed to supporting local people across Te Tauihu/Top of the South, especially new talent. If you are local with an idea we'd love to hear from you and support you bringing the show to the Fringe.

Whether you're on stage or in the audience, it's about throwing yourself into a festival of ideas, shows, experiments, adventures and general fringy awesomeness.

We love that our festival, based in a regional city, can showcase locals alongside folk from all over Aotearoa and around the world!

Meet our team

Welcome to the Festival

Welcome to Whakatū/Nelson’s celebration of small-scale and alternative performance.

We are sure that you will find something in this year's programme to inspire and entertain, whether it’s from just around the corner in Nelson or half way round the world from the UK, USA or Taiwan.

Most shows are about one hour long, and there is about half an hour between shows. So once you have seen one, why not grab a drink and plunge straight back in for something completely different. 

And there really are a lot of different things: dramatic and moving theatre, stand up comedy, poetry, physical theatre, even someone ripping up Britney Spears on the accordion.
So take a chance and risk spending an hour at something strange alongside whatever you would normally go for.

If you are really inspired, join our mailing list and we will let you know when it is time to apply for the 2026 Fringe with your creation!

Several shows in this year's festival did just that, from sitting in the audience to taking centre stage.
Giles Burton, Festival Director

Refinery ArtSpace

114 Hardy Street, Nelson

Yaza Comedy Club

Montgomery Square, Nelson

Red Door Theatre

95 Atawhai Drive, The Wood, Nelson
Red Door theatres, Nelson

Bars

In 2025, we had two licensed Festival Bars: one at Yaza! Cafe and the other at Red Door Theatre.

At Refinery ArtSpace, we had a range of tasty no-alcohol drinks and snacks.

 All three bars were open one hour prior the first evening shows.

Ticketing

Tickets online

Buying your tickets online is the simplest and cheapest way to happiness.

At the 2025 festival, tickets are $18 + 50c booking fee.  

Tickets for kids shows were $10 +50c booking fee – kids on the knee free.
Tickets for youth shows wereand $14 + 50c booking fee.
 Tickets for ROADKILL are $25 +booking fee

Box office door sales

At the 2025 festival, tickets on the night were $20 at the door.

We have three Festival Box Offices: Refinery ArtSpace, Yaza! Café and Red Door Theatre. The box offices open one hour prior the shows at their respective venues. Eftpos and credit card preferred.

All tickets are for general admission. There is no allocated seating.
Please contact us if you require accessible access.

Once you have purchased your tickets, we are not able to refund them.

Due to scammers we recommend being wary about buying resold tickets.