Perform at DFF 2025
Applications are now open for 2025
Here’s everything you need to know before you apply
How does Durham Fringe work?
Durham Fringe Festival takes place in the beautiful and historic City of Durham (a World Heritage site), in the North East of England. This year we are celebrating our fifth birthday! Durham Fringe Festival 2025 will run from 23 to 27 July 2025 with 9 stages across 7 locations.
We’re an open, curated festival and welcome applications from anywhere and anybody - we love stand-up, comedy, theatre, dance, musicals, children’s shows, spoken word, circus, magic, music and mime! Indeed pretty much any “performing art”. Your show will be voted on by our diverse Jury of over 20 individuals and then acts are chosen based on the average score awarded by the Jury.
We, the festival, take a central coordinating role. We both select and run the venues and set ticket prices - £10 as standard this year. Performers take home 70% of the net ticket price, after we’ve accounted for fees we pay on Box Office.
There’s no commitment to perform with us when you apply, and we don’t charge you any fees at any point in the process; not to apply, or to be in our programme, or for the use of our venues. If you subsequently accept an offer from us then we will ask you to sign a contract, and pay a deposit (usually £100), which is refunded in full provided you give the performances you have agreed to.
Who Can Apply?
Literally anyone. Whether you have a long history of performing or want to give performance a go for the first time we are keen to hear from you. We have hosted international performers visiting the UK for the first time, local acts, regional acts on their way up to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, student troupes, community groups, singers, poets, plays, musicals, dancers, acrobats, princes, pirates, and all in between.
Where appropriate, we are keen to source works outside of the traditional application process, created by those in marginalised communities; to ensure The Durham Fringe Festival is relevant to all, and to promote a diverse and inclusive festival of arts.
How do I apply?
We welcome expressions of interest from artists and performers. Applications open on 3 January, 2025 and close on 19 February 2025.
Our application process is comprehensive and we ask for all the information we need to review your application and to schedule your performances. So before you begin, it’s useful to have to hand: your company’s availability to perform during the Festival (23 - 27 July 2025); pitch text for the show you’d like to bring; an idea of how your show would be staged; photographs / videos; and, if you have them, reviews of this or previous shows. Links to your website, and social media handles etc. would be great.
All applications to take part are made through a third party, Eventotron, who manage applications for us. You will need an Eventotron account to apply to perform at the Durham Fringe Festival 2025.
Once you have an account, you can fill out our application form; or you can head to “Festivals & Seasons” -> “All Festivals & Seasons” and search for us there.
Information on our venues can be found here.
KEY DATES
We've made a Google Calendar so you can view our key dates, alternatively see below.
JANUARY 3
Applications Open
FEBRUARY 19
Applications Close
FEBRUARY 26
Voting closes
MARCH 1-2
Scheduling weekend
MARCH 3-31
Offers Made
(This process can take several weeks)
Then contracts signed
5 days after contract signed
£100 deposit to be paid to fringe
MARCH 21
Print deadline for Promo Flyer
Good photos are very welcome
APRIL 1
Schedule finalised
APRIL 15
Print deadline for Programme
MAY 1
Launch Event
Schedule goes live
Tickets go on sale
MAY 27
Notify fringe of any music used in the show. N.B. you must notify us even if no music is used or you will be charged at top rate.
MAY 27
Completed Tech Specs form to be sent to Fringe via Eventotron
JUNE 16
Names, roles and photos (jpg) of each member of your company sent to Fringe via Eventotron to produce backstage passes. Please only include performers and key crew.
JUNE 30
Public Liability Insurance certificates to be sent to Fringe via Eventorton.
You will not be allowed to perform if this has not been provided. Please contact us for advice on this area if required.
JUNE 30
PAT testing can be contentious, depending upon the venue; life is much easier if you forward valid, i.e. legitimate and in date PAT testing certificates, for all mains voltage equipment you will be using.
JULY 23
Festival commences
JULY 27
Festival ends
We endeavour to pay out to performers within 4 weeks of the festival ending. However, sometimes payments are delayed because we are waiting for information from you, particularly in relation to accurate bank details and your use or non-use of music.
All Last Years Shows!
