Durham Fringe Festival runs from July 29th – 2nd August 2026
Our reviews are going live here
Visit the Durham Fringe Festival web site. You will find 133 events listed, with 36 theatre shows included.
Browse the programme.
Find a venue.
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WATCH: Reflections on the final evening of Durham Fringe 2026
Paul Levy looks back over the give days and offers some lessons for the future on this and other Fringe Festivals.
WATCH: It’s the first day of Durham Fringe!
Durham Fringe Festival 2026 kicks off and FringeReview’s Paul Levy invites you to see a show or more…
Durham Fringe is one of the UK’s youngest fringe festivals. “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.”
In conversation with Durham Fringe Festival founder and director, Stephen Cronin
On the day before Durham Fringe Festival 2026, FringeReview’s Paul Levy had an update chat with Stephen Cronin. How is this Fringe evolving? Is the founding impulse still alive? What’s the vision for it?
How to avoid cancelling your show at a Fringe Festival?
Paul Levy offers some earthy advice and avoiding being the position of needing to cancel your fringe festival show due to low or no ticket sales. What can you do in advance of arriving in Durham or any other fringe festival to boost your box office?
Early theatre choices at Durham Fringe
The Last Catch, an original story by Philip Harrison is a new play that is using Durham Fringe is the right way – as a testing ground of exciting new work. Here’s the lowdown:
“An old man in Redcar, on the northeast coast, clings to the glory days of film stars and giant fish, even as age strips him of worth and dignity with every humiliation.“
“He is certain the monsters have returned, and makes one last voyage to restore his name. A young protege joins the hunt. Together they chase more than a creature: they seek proof for themselves, and for a resentful world. Darkly comic and moving, this play finds strange grace when two souls venture into the deep together.”
I caught up with writer and actor Philip Harrison and director Louis Roberts, who is also artistic director of NTC Touring Theatre Company and we discussed the origin story for the play, the writing, development and theatre making process. The play is performed by Philip Harrison & Louis Roberts with music written and performed by Ilk Folk Duo.
Musical perfomer and storyteller Phil Jones talks about his multimedia solo show, Snow Along the Line.
“Snow Along the Line traces the life of an extraordinary yet ordinary woman whose journey spans nearly a century. Born in Darlington in 1928, only months before the Equal Franchise Act granted women full voting rights, her story begins in the industrial heartland of North East England, following our subject to South Wales mining valleys.”
“Through songs, poems, images and off-stage narration, theatre-maker and musician Phil Jones captures the rhythm of a life shaped by sweeping change and everyday triumph. It’s the tale of all of us told through the story of one Darlo girl.”
Writer and puppet maker Madeleine Carter and puppeteer Vilma Kitula talk about Mabel
Mabel is “an intimate exploration of the final moments of Mercutio, one of Shakespeare’s most compelling characters. ” But you don’t need to be a fan of the Bard or of Romeo and Juliet to enjoy this piece of theatre puppetry. Writer and puppet maker Madeleine Carter and puppeteer Vilma Kitula talk about Mabel with Paul Levy. How did the show get written, why are dogs essential to Shakespeare and how was this unique piece brought to life for fringe audiences?
Theatre Focus: A Podcast interview with the team from Yes, My Lord … Proceed with Caution
We caught up with writer Simon Wilson and lead actor David Farn who plays iconic inventor George Stevenson in My Lord … Proceed with Caution, a new plays which Simon co-authored with Peter Lotts. “Think the Northern Rail delay is bad? Try 1825. George Stephenson has the Rocket ready, but he’s stuck in a high-speed farce against a committee convinced that 15mph will cause “spontaneous eyeball ejection.” From a clerk weaponising the wrong shade of ink and a few spelling erors to a Duke who refuses to innovate until the grouse season ends, this is Yes, Prime Minister meets Blackadder. Whether you love local history or just hate pointless meetings, come witness the story of how Britain invented the future—and then spent six months trying to find a reason to cancel it.”
In the cabaret part of the fringe programme you’ll find a handful of shows, do look into the other sections because you might find some cabaret shows there too. Here are some of our recommendations…
Comedy theatre has its own section in the Durham programme and you can find some of our choices by listening to the following podcast…
Spoken word and poetry at Durham Fringe Festival. You can listen to Paul Levy’s view of the nine shows on offer under this category…
“Our contribution to the local arts scene has led us to identify an urgent need for year-round support for performing arts professionals in Durham, the North East, and indeed further afield. Many talented people want to bring live performance to the stage, but face barriers, from finding affordable rehearsal space and technical know-how, to understanding funding, marketing, and production. The Durham Fringe Academy (DFA) is our answer: a practical, inclusive and welcoming hub where artists, producers and technicians can learn, make, and thrive. Durham Fringe Academy is multifaceted, with an online provision that is complemented by in-person activities.”
Find out more here
I have been going to Durham Fringe for a few years now. I actually performed my solo show there. It is a very human-sized and welcoming fringe, with venues located within walking distance of each other around a vibrant hub up on the green between the castle and the Cathedral.It is an affordable fringe, and there’s a good mix of local, national and even a bit of international work. Like many new fringe festivals there is always attention between growing and keeping that original Human scale founding Impulse. With over 100 shows there was enough variety to satisfy different tastes, but also a scale that ensures that everybody putting on the show can get an audience.
Paul Levy, FringeReview
More previews to come so check back regularly.
