Take Part - Information for Entrants
Entries are open for 2024's event from December 1 2023. Looking for something in particular? Use Ctrl F to search for a key word or two...
In a Nutshell
- Buxton Fringe does not book or select entrants.
- Anyone can enter the Fringe but it is up to you to find and book your venue. The Fringe also accepts purely online events as well as hybrid events that have a physical and online element.
- The final deadline for the Fringe printed programme is Sunday April 14 2024. Performers seeking to withdraw from the Fringe can do so at any time up to this point and will be eligible for a full refund. April 14 is also the deadline for anyone wanting to use the Opera House ticketing facility.
- Fringe 2024 runs from 3-21 July.
- Subject to change, the managed venues likely to be in operation at 2024's Fringe are Underground and The Green Man Gallery. See our venues pages for details of their entry deadlines which may be earlier than the Fringe's and for information about other venues, managed or otherwise.
- Once you are sure of your venue, dates, event description, times and prices then you are ready to enter the Fringe using our online process. Once you have paid, you can add a picture. Be sure not to infringe anyone's copyright - this is your responsibility!
- When you enter you pay an entry fee to the Fringe. Their is a tiered entry fee system according to how soon you enter. The entry fee is £55 until the end of February. Thereafter it is £77 until the end of March and £88 after that. Early entries help the Fringe and mean performers maximise their publicity.
- It is up to you to arrange your publicity materials, public liability insurance, ticketing and front of house staff as well as getting copyright clearances. If you are unsure please see further information here.
- You get to keep your ticket money (special arrangements will apply at managed venues).
- The Fringe does not have a centralised ticketing system. Managed venues have their own box offices. Otherwise you may sell your own tickets or The Opera House box office can sell tickets on your behalf for a £10 set up fee per entry. The Opera House also charges you 7.5% of the face value of each ticket sold. If your event is free to the public then you will be offered the chance during the Fringe entry process to add a Donations link should you want to.
Why enter the Fringe?
- The Buxton Festival Fringe is one of the largest in England yet remains on a human scale. Overwhelmingly positive performer feedback in 2023 included: "it was easy and I felt so supported" (for our entry process) and "your team is an asset to the town" and "always love entering Buxton Fringe. Everyone is so friendly and it's a great place to try out events that are more experimental to a warm audience!".
- Buxton Fringe is a charity run by a committee of highly experienced volunteers who are ready to offer personal advice and provide marketing back up. See How to grow your audience. We have compiled some introductory advice on how to monetise online events. Please contact the Entries Co-ordinator to request this.
- Thanks to the Fringe's Friends and financial supporters, entry fees are attractively low.
- Many of our entrants use it as a stepping stone to the Edinburgh Fringe thanks to its handy timing in July. The nearby Greater Manchester Fringe is also in July.
- The Fringe is open to all. Amateurs and professionals of all ages are more than welcome.
- Gain valuable publicity through our Reviews and Awards.
- Our Community Groups Link scheme offers you the chance to work with local community groups and schools. We are trialling a more personalised service to entrants for 2024.
- It's simple and fun. Performer feedback includes Polis Loizou from The Off-Off-Off Broadway Company: "Buxton is by far the most organised and pleasant fringe experience we've encountered so far!" and comedian Nathan Cassidy: "Buxton Fringe is incredibly special. Creatives can only create with the right support and that's what the Fringe gives us. A very special place." And from a performer comparing us to other festivals: "The Buxton experience was genuinely the most enjoyable one. It felt supportive and in the spirit of community-building and artistically sustainable events that a fringe platform should offer".
What we do
- We run this website. See What's On for all the informative ways in which we display your listings according to category, date and other filters valued by our audiences. We also have a Buxton Fringe App, great for when you are on the move.
- We publish thousands of printed, full-colour Fringe Programmes and distribute them across the county and beyond including to national media. We also print flyers and posters advertising the Fringe as a destination.
- We provide information and advice on venues, programming, publicity and more.
- We have a Press team with nationwide contacts and are part of the British Arts Festivals Association (BAFA). We also market the Fringe and your shows via social media, a blog and other promotional opportunities.
- We supply entrants with media contacts' lists.
- We supply entrants with an accommodation list.
- We promote the Fringe throughout the year. We also hold promotional events such as Springboard (a party and showcase in the spring), the Programme Party, the Launch Party, Fringe Sunday and other outdoor performance opportunities during the Fringe.
- We run a Community Links scheme designed to bring the Fringe to a wider audience including schools, care homes and other community organisations.
- We run the Fringe Information Desk which handles information and publicity for artists and audiences during the Fringe.
- We offer a ticketing facility through the Opera House - this costs an extra £10 on your entry fee.
- We strive to recognise excellence through Awards and plan to have an Awards ceremony on the final Sunday of the Fringe. Unfortunately events that only take place on this final Sunday cannot be considered for awards.
- We organise a Fringe review for each entry, usually after the first performance, and publish the reviews the next morning on the website, app and at the Information Desk.
