The weird, the wonderful, and the wildly creative are back! Nelson Fringe Festival is rolling into town from 6–15 March, and it’s bringing a ten-day whirlwind of theatre, comedy, improv, music, dance, poetry, and a few surprises we can’t quite explain.
The Nelson Fringe Festival 2026 is now here – see what’s on this year!
This is Fringe—where the rules are loose, the laughs are plenty, and the unexpected is basically guaranteed. Want to witness a one-person musical in a parked party van? Keen for a mind-bending magic show? Curious about a stand-up set that might scar you for life (in a good way)? You’re in the right place.
For just $18 a ticket (give or take a few quirky exceptions), you can see brand-new local talent, touring internationals, and festival favourites fresh from the Fringe circuit in Wellington and Dunedin. It’s live, it’s lively, and it’s your chance to see something you’ll be talking about for weeks.
So grab some tickets. Bring your mates. Take a chance on something different. After all, life’s too short for boring nights in.
👉 Check out the full programme below and start planning your Nelson Fringe adventure!
Thu 6 March
- Thu 6pm: Jessie and Other Stories (Words & Music), Gentle humour + violin stories.
- Thu 6pm: The Girmit (Theatre), A sonic journey through indentured history.
- Thu 6pm: Rubber Gloves: The Glad Rags Story (Theatre), Retro-sexy comedic cleaning chaos.
- Thu 7:30pm: Can’t Hear Her Voice (Theatre), Father-daughter drama with consequences.
- Thu 7:30pm: My Life is Based on a True Story (Theatre), True family tales from a Moth winner.
- Thu 7:30pm: Rampage (Stand Up), A hospital meltdown of paranoid delusions.
- Thu 9pm: Double Bill: Silly Skitts / Once On A Winter’s Night (Theatre), Silly taboos + a mysterious castle.
- Thu 9pm: SPACE HOLE (Stand Up), Musical comedy about life choices tearing reality.
Fri 7 March
- Fri 6pm: Spinster (Stand Up), A comic embraces cat-lady singledom.
- Fri 6pm: The Girmit (Theatre), A sonic journey through indentured history.
- Fri 6pm: Rubber Gloves: The Glad Rags Story (Theatre), Retro-sexy comedic cleaning chaos.
- Fri 7:30pm: Can’t Hear Her Voice (Theatre), Father-daughter drama with consequences.
- Fri 7:30pm: Double Bill: Silly Skitts / Once On A Winter’s Night (Theatre), Silly taboos + a mysterious castle.
- Fri 7:30pm: Rampage (Stand Up), A hospital meltdown of paranoid delusions.
- Fri 9pm: My Life is Based on a True Story (Theatre), True family tales from a Moth winner.
- Fri 9pm: BOTTOM SURGERY (Cabaret), Glittery show about surgery + identity.
- Fri 9pm: Robert Haley – ELIXIR (Magic), You gain special mind-bending abilities.
Sat 8 March
- Sat 6pm: Spinster (Stand Up), A comic embraces cat-lady singledom.
- Sat 6pm: For My Family, And Yours (Words & Music), Poetic storytelling + heartfelt music on family.
- Sat 6pm: Frankenstein Abridged (Theatre), Crew improvises Frankenstein for missing cast.
- Sat 7:30pm: Cheese Wraps & Blueberries (Theatre), Motherhood’s messy reality with comedic flair.
- Sat 7:30pm: What did you do in the War, Daddy? (Theatre), Father-son delve WWII German secrets.
- Sat 9pm: Up Late Cabaret (Cabaret), Late-night burlesque + comedic chaos.
- Sat 9pm: Rubber Gloves: The Glad Rags Story (Theatre), Retro-sexy comedic cleaning chaos.
- Sat 9pm: A Stand-up Show! (Stand Up), Get offended or scarred for life.
Sun 9 March
- Sun 4pm: Nilguen Yalay: When the Dragonfly Emerges (Theatre), Personal soul quests in comedic storytelling.
- Sun 4:30pm: The Extra (Youth), Bizarre couples + an unwanted knight’s quest.
- Sun 6pm: Frankenstein Abridged (Theatre), Crew improvises Frankenstein for missing cast.
- Sun 6pm: Tell Tales Collective (Improv), Improv theatre spun from audience stories.
- Sun 7:30pm: Cheese Wraps & Blueberries (Theatre), Motherhood’s messy reality with comedic flair.
- Sun 7:30pm: What did you do in the War, Daddy? (Theatre), Father-son delve WWII German secrets.
- Sun 9pm: BOTTOM SURGERY (Cabaret), Glittery show about surgery + identity.
Mon 10 March
- Mon 6pm: The Extra (Youth), Bizarre couples + an unwanted knight’s quest.
- Mon 6pm: Jessie and Other Stories (Words & Music), Gentle humour + violin stories.
- Mon 7:30pm: A Year and a Day (Theatre), A cursed man leaps through time each sleep.
- Mon 7:30pm: Passing Through (Theatre), A comedic waiting room for life + afterlife.
- Mon 7:30pm: Midlife Crisis (Stand Up), Nearly 50? Laugh instead of cry.
Tue 11 March
- Tue 6pm: The Uber-cool Musical (Theatre), One-man musical inside a parked party van.
- Tue 6pm: I’m Proud of You (Improv), A comedic father figure shares memories.
- Tue 6pm: Songs and Chats (Words & Music), Songs, jokes, and chat to stir your soul.
- Tue 7:30pm: What you didn’t know about physics (Stand Up), A funny spin on quantum weirdness.
Wed 12 March
- Wed 6pm: I’m Proud of You (Improv), A comedic father figure shares memories.
- Wed 6pm: The Uber-cool Musical (Theatre), One-man musical inside a parked party van.
- Wed 7:30pm: I Was a Teenage Racist (Stand Up), Owning up to past ignorant thinking.
Thu 13 March
- Thu 6pm: VOID – work in progress (Stand Up), A brand-new comedic experiment.
- Thu 7:30pm: My Life is Based on a True Story (Theatre), True family tales from a Moth winner.
- Thu 9pm: Laser Kiwi – Good Time (Cabaret), Surreal comedic circus tries new madness.
Fri 14 March
- Fri 6pm: blip (Theatre), Sci-fi clowning with live looping + projection.
- Fri 7:30pm: Tekau (10) (Improv), 10 years of audience-inspired spontaneity.
- Fri 9pm: Laser Kiwi – Good Time (Cabaret), Surreal comedic circus tries new madness.
Sat 15 March
- Sat 11am: Zeelowsguys Kids Show (Little Kids), Alien family + pony in a colour-filled ride.
- Sat 4:30pm: FunnYouth (Youth), Quick-witted improv from Nelson’s youth troupe.
- Sat 5:30pm: Nilguen Yalay: When the Dragonfly Emerges (Theatre), Personal soul quests + warm storytelling.
- Sat 6pm: blip (Theatre), Sci-fi clowning with live looping + projection.
- Sat 7:30pm: Tekau (10) (Improv), 10 years of audience-inspired spontaneity.
- Sat 9pm: Up Late Cabaret (Cabaret), Late-night burlesque + comedic chaos.
With ten days of creativity, comedy, and chaos, there’s something for all Nelsonians.
So, what’ll it be? A quirky theatre piece? A late-night cabaret? A show so absurd you’ll still be thinking about it next year?
Don’t wait too long—tickets are just $18, so they won’t last.
🎭 You can book now at nelsonfringe.co.nz