Nanaimo Fringe Festival takes over downtown and Old City Quarter

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A diverse list of performances takes place in Nanaimo’s downtown and Old City Quarter during Fringe Festival. (Image Credit: Nanaimo Fringe Festival)

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Performances this year include a show from a Swiss group titled “Embarrassed Naked Female,” putting on three performances this weekend, billed as “a lecture-performance built like a forensic thriller”.

‘PTS TEA’ is about a Métis Cree mother and her daughters navigating their past trauma through “dark humour, culture, and fierce love,” according to the festival guidebook.

It’s one of two performances paid for through a scholarship program.

Dudley-Neuman said their Fringe Buttons work as the “festival passport,” allowing you into performances and official events, with artists receiving 100 per cent of their ticket revenue.

“The five-dollar button gets you into 16 different events with just that button. The staged reading by Lisa Webster is called “One More Time for Those in the Back”, and it’s a micro rant on microaggression, and her stage reading only happens once. So if people want to see it, they’ve got to come to the button event.”

A look at the iconic green Fringe Buttons from 2025. (Image Credit: Nanaimo Fringe Festival on Facebook.)

She said utilizing St. Andrews United Church allows them to have an office to work out of for the first time, along with an outdoor stage.

“For me, it’s very important because I use a cane, and my husband also has a disability, so I’m very aware of accessibility. And we really wanted to have all of our venues be accessible.”

Performances will also take place once again on the main and lobby stages inside the Port Theatre, a presenting partner for the event.

Nanaimo Fringe Festival’s free preview night is on Thursday starting at 7 p.m. at the Port Theatre, with a 100-person limit.

Tickets to the preview night are free, but you must still register first due to limited capacity.

Performers will also be out promoting their shows at the Commercial St. Night Market Thursday evening.

More information on the 2026 Nanaimo Fringe Festival can be found at Nanaimofringe.com.

Tickets can also be purchased through the Port Theatre box office.

Performer Alick Mac during the 2025 Nanaimo Fringe Festival. (Image Credit: Fringe Festival on Facebook)

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