Durham Fringe 2025 | 23 – 27 July
Welcome 2025 Durham Fringe Festival performers! We are thrilled to have you on board with us for our fifth year of DFF. This page contains information you will need, including a timeline of key dates, marketing and social media tips, useful logos for your promotional material, and an FAQ section.
Details of participating venues can be found here.
All applications to take part are made through a third party, Eventotron, who manage applications for us.
KEY DATES
NO LATER THAN…
We would also highlight
Technical Rehearsal: We will use our best endeavours to give you up to 1 hour for a technical rehearsal at a time to be notified to you separately by us or the Venue.
Get in / Get out Time: You will be allowed 10 minutes prior to each show for get in and 5 minutes after each show for get out, unless stated otherwise in your contract.
MARKETING YOUR SHOW
We believe it’s our responsibility to market the festival as a whole, to get the word out about the vibrant Fringe that we’re growing here in Durham to local, regional and national audiences. We simply haven’t got the capacity to market the 70+ individual shows that will be on offer. We will, of course, use any resources our artists and performers provide to highlight what’s on offer. Check back here soon for more info on that.
We have a marketing and communications plan and use recognised channels for marketing. We’re supported by the tourism board Visit County Durham, and Durham County Council also supports us with a profile in Durham County News, which goes to all homes in the county. We have an active presence across social media, and pay for promotion targeted at the North East and those interested in Fringe and all genres of performance. We use every opportunity to engage broadcast and digital media, and secured a feature on Tyne Tees news at the start of the festival last year. What works well is a partnership – we do our bit, and expect you to take responsibility, and do everything you can to market your show, too.
Using Durham Fringe Festival assets
When to use our logos
Please use the Durham Fringe logo your posters and flyers, if you have them. You can also use them on social graphics and alongside any promotion you do about your events.
How to use our logos
First, view our brand guidelines and the download this year’s logos.
Make sure the background behind doesn’t conflict with the text in the logo. There are various versions of our logos. In general, versions intended for dark backgrounds have white text that can only be seen when in place. For areas of image with light backgrounds the converse logo is required. Don’t crop, change the colour of or stretch the logo, or add any extra text to the logo. Use the 2025 logos available on this page, rather than older logos from previous years.
Social Media
Download these social media templates, sized for different platforms. There is a space for you to insert your own photo into the design. Don’t forget to tag us in your posts for extra shares!
All in the videos
Capturing videos for your instagram reels or your tiktok is a great way to build a hype around your show. Raw and behind the scenes videos work well on informal platforms like Tiktok and Instagram. A straight pitch to the camera may well be very useful but content that is off the wall, or fun, also helps to keep your audience engaged.
Keep it authentic
Sharing content that shows you and your personality helps the audience to relate to you. “Sales” posts don’t always travel on social media, so make sure you’ve got a good mix of content about you, and content about buying tickets. A ratio 4 to 1, general posts to show adverts works well.
Consider your audience
Who is your show appealing to? Are you using the right platforms to reach them? If it’s teenagers and younger people consider Tiktok. If you’ve got an older audience try Facebook and Twitter. Have you got a niche audience, for example LGBTQIA+, Veterans or the elderly? Use groups or hashtags to reach them specifically.
Contacting the media
Below there are some general media contacts listed for you to use when promoting your show. These are details for regional and national media outlets, including News papers, Radio and Television. When sending through information regarding your shows please ensure you mention Durham Fringe Festival as a whole, and quote the Durham Fringe website durhamfringe.co.uk
| Media Company | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|
| BBC TV | [email protected] | 0191 244 1270 |
| BBC News | [email protected]. | 0191 244 1265 |
| Broadway Baby | [email protected] | |
| Business Daily | [email protected] | |
| Telegraph | [email protected] | |
| The Observer | [email protected] | |
| The Art Newspaper | [email protected]m | |
Local Media Company |
|
Telephone |
| BBC News On Line | [email protected] | 0191 244 1265 |
| BBC Radio Newcastle | [email protected] | 0191 244 1459 |
| BBC Radio Tees | [email protected] | |
| The Guide Edinburgh Evening News | [email protected] | |
| Newcastle Journal/Chronicle | [email protected] | 0191 201 6446 |
| Business Durham | [email protected] | |
| Northern Echo/Durham Advertiser | [email protected] | |
| Northern life Magazine | [email protected]k | |
| Durham magazine | https://fireflymagazines.com/contact-us | |
| The Metro | [email protected] |
Accommodation Advice
For those visiting from outside the region, we’ve compiled a list of city centre accommodation to help you plan your stay. Please be aware that accommodation prices frequently fluctuate so our starting prices are subject to change. Carrying out your own research is always recommended.
Special deals for performers
The following venues have offered a discounted rates to Durham Fringe 2025 performers:
Radisson Blu Durham
£120 per night, including breakfast and full access to leisure facilities. Find booking instructions in this document.
Farnley Tower Hotel
£120 per night per room based on two people sharing, including full English breakfast, free car parking and WIFI between the dates of 23rd to 27th July 2025.
This offer is specifically for fringe festival artists and subject to availability, please call 0191 3750011 to book direct for this offer.
The Kingslodge Inn
15% off the flexible bed and breakfast rate with flexible terms and conditions (payment on arrival, with free cancellation up to 48 hours before check-in). To access the discount, call the reservations department (0191 370 9977) quoting ‘Durham Fringe Festival’. Pricing does fluctuate depending on availability, but you will always be getting the best value price at the time you book.
Other hotels in the city include:
- Durham University Colleges (via Event Durham) | starting from £67.50 per night, including breakfast
- The Victoria Inn | starting from £85 per night
- The City Hotel | starting from £84 per night
- The Cartologist | starting from £90 per night
- Travelodge Durham | starting from £67 per night
- Premier Inn – Durham City Centre | starting from £95 per night
