We are Durham’s very own friendly fringe festival
ABOUT US
Durham Fringe Festival is a genuinely grassroots initiative. The festival was set up in 2021 by a group of friends, living and working in the North-East, who love Fringe Festivals and had a collective dream to grow a festival in their home city of Durham.
The Fringe is constituted as a community interest company (CIC) and we’ve had brilliant support from the business community and our local partners, who can see the potential of the festival in supporting the vibrancy of the city, and creating opportunities for artists and for the communities of County Durham and the wider North East.
The Fringe has experienced remarkable growth since its inception in 2021. The historic city of Durham provides the atmospheric backdrop for the festival, which takes place across a network of venues in the city centre in the last week of July.
The Process
When?
Durham Fringe takes place in the last week of July, right before Edinburgh Fringe Festival begins. This means we can host shows from across the world before they head to Edinburgh, offering them an easy-to-organise extension to their run whilst North East audiences enjoy a ‘preview’ on their doorstep!
Dates for Durham Fringe 2026 will be announced very soon. Sign up to our newsletter to find our first.
How?
There are many fringe festivals across the world, and each one works slightly differently. Durham Fringe is a curated arts festival. This means acts apply to perform and our voting jury carefully assesses each applicant. Our focus is to offer a stage to exciting talent, rather than looking just at precious experience. We encourage applications from artists of any experience level or artistic discipline.
70% of ticket revue goes straight to performers, with further contributions going to venues. We don’t generate enough income from ticket sales to cover our costs and therefore rely on grant funding, donations and business sponsors to bring the festival to life. Whilst this makes fundraising a challenge, we believe this model needs to be protected to ensure tickets are affordable to audiences and performers from all walks have the opportunity to participate.
Where?
The festival takes place across venues located in the heart of Durham City. Our venues are all within walking distance from each other, meaning you can really make a day of it at the Fringe!
We are lucky to have a plethora of historic and modern venues in Durham and we like to shine a light on them during the Fringe. For the last few years, we’ve also taken over Palace Green, an iconic outdoor space surrounded by stunning heritage spaces including Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle.
When we started in 2021, we hosted four performance spaces. By 2025 – our fifth event – we ran shows across nine venues.
Who is Durham Fringe for?
Audiences
We want to bring the very best performing arts to County Durham. Our ambition is to bring shows to our doorstep, whilst keeping tickets truly affordable for everyone.
Volunteers
As a volunteer-led organisation, we want to continue building our community. Each year, we engage an increasing number of volunteers through a programme that help reduce social isolation whilst supporting people – particularly young people – to develop skills in the live events industry. In 2025, over 50% of registered volunteers were in school, college or university.
Performers
We put accessibility for performers at heart of what we do. There is no fee to apply and there are no costs to perform. Durham Fringe covers all the essential costs, including venue hire and technical provision. This enables us to accommodate global touring acts on the same stages as local community groups and early-career performs.
Applications for 2026 are currently closed but you can read more about the process and sign up for updates.
Durham
We truly believe Durham is one of the best cities in the UK. Our continued ambition is to deliver a festival that draws visitors into the city, in turn supporting our fantastic local businesses and venues.
Meet The Team
Maria Baranowska
Festival Manager & Delivery Team
With a foundation in marketing and communications, over the last few years Maria has shifted focus to project and event management and spent recent years delivering major projects for the Ouseburn Trust, including their annual Arts Festival and a new community venue 51 Lime Street. We’re very excited she’s bringing these skills and energy to DFF.
Sally Dixon
Partnerships Manager & Delivery Team
Sally has held various roles in North East England’s cultural sector over the past 25 years, and brings a broad base of experience across the arts, museums and heritage. Over the past decade, she has developed a specialism in preparing and delivering large scale fundraising campaigns, and she now leads on fundraising and partnerships portfolio for DFF.
Ellen Olley
Marketing Officer & Delivery Team
Ellen is an arts marketer and producer, currently working in audience development and community engagement at Durham University Student Performing Arts alongside working in marketing part-time for the Durham Fringe Festival and North East Film Orchestra.
Chris Blakeborough
Technical Lead, CDB Productions Solutions
Owner and Managing Director of CDB Production solutions who have provided stage, lighting, sound equipment and professional technicians for the Durham Fringe Festival since our inception.
Dr Stephen Cronin
Festival Director, Board Chair & Delivery Team
Retired: Paediatrician, Designated Doctor for Child Protection, and High Sheriff . Sometime Programme Maker, Scriptwriter, Set Designer, Director, and RTS award winner for Children’s Cancer Videos.
Peter Lotts
Technical Director, Board Director & Delivery Team
Passionate theatre technician and experienced Fringe technician, with experience building maintainable and scalable online experiences from high-level goals.
Daryl Folkard
Board Director & Delivery Team
Durham alumnus. Investment Banker, formerly at Foreign Office. Writer and Producer (Edinburgh and London Fringes). Co-founder of the Edible Art Movement.
Elizabeth Scott
Board Director
Durham County Council Portfolio Holder for Economy and Partnerships. Her professional background is in economic development and regeneration – and she ran her own business for 13 years.
Phil Cronin
Board Director
Phil has worked all his life in Sunderland: first in the Edward Thompson Group then founding Tombola ltd. Retirement has allowed him to establish a charitable foundation supporting causes in the region.
Adam Shanley
Board Director
An avid Arts supporter, Adam started as a Festival volunteer in 2024. Adam is the Parish Clerk for Durham City as well as a Board Member on Durham Business Improvement District. In those roles, he enjoys organising major events in the City. Adam is a Director of the Festival in a personal capacity.
