Calgary Fringe Fest is back and here's what to watch for this year

It’s the ultimate theatre event of the summer, the Calgary Fringe Fest is back, and there are so many neat performances scheduled over the course of its nine-day run.

Fringe festivals are popular across the world and are an opportunity for artists at all stages of their careers to share their stories. Calgary’s festival is self-described as “boutique,” meaning it is made “for a small group of people, exclusive, particular, not for all tastes.”

If you’re looking to explore your artistic side this week, we’ve got a list of some of our favourite shows to watch for this year.

TimeOut

Calgary Fringe Festival

Why we love it: This promises to be a totally unique, immersive experience. The combination of meditation, art and theatre is designed to give people pause from how hectic modern life can be. In 30 minutes, you will experience “textured elements, ethereal projections, and a serene soundscape, it creates a healing space where visitors can let go of their burdens and connect with themselves.”

Where: Alexandra Centre Society, 922 9th Avenue SE, Calgary
When: Running multiple dates with some options to pay what you want. Check out the full list of showtimes here.

Going All the Way

Calgary Fringe Festival!

Why we love it: Puppets! Need we say more? But really, if you’re looking for something a little quirky, this could be the show to catch. These two creators spent their university degree experimenting with off-the-wall performances, culminating in a final project focused on teaching sex-ed to middle schoolers through puppetry.

Where: Lantern Community Church,1401 10th Avenue SE, Calgary
When: There are multiple performances scheduled. To see the full list, click here.

Ophelia Rising

Calgary Fringe Festival

Why we love it: If you were one of the many who can’t seem to get enough of Barbie this summer, you might enjoy this female-focused performance. Ophelia tells her version of what really happened in Hamlet and how Shakespeare actually got it all wrong. Let’s hear it for the women reclaiming their narratives!

Where: Wood’s Home at Inglewood Hub, 1008 14th Street SE, Calgary
When: There are performances scheduled all week. Check out the full list here.

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Date Night

Why we love it: This performance just looks fun (and maybe a little therapeutic). If your love life isn’t going that great, you may have even asked yourself at one point, “Am I even loveable?” As a semi-improvised play, it promises to delve into all the awkwardness and joys of dating.

Where: Festival Hall, 1215 10th Avenue SE, Calgary
When: For the full list of scheduled performances, including a couple of options to pay what you want. Click here.

Muse: an experiment in storytelling and life drawing

Calgary Fringe Festival

Why we love it: This performance looks intriguing for so many reasons, one of them being its European influence. Cameryn Moore is an award-winning playwright, bringing the art and streets of Berlin to Calgary this week. In this interactive storytelling experience, you’ll be able to sketch, watch, listen, and ask questions. There are free drawing supplies while they last, but you are free to bring your own!

Where: The Attic Bar and Stage, 1413 9th Avenue SE, Calgary
When: For the full list of performance dates and times, including one pay-as-you-want night, click here.

There are so many other incredible performances scheduled for the next nine days. To see the full list, click here. Performances are available to see live in person, but there is also the option to tune in digitally!

Tickets to the fest are $20, but some are also being offered by donation.