Nelson Fringe Festival 2026

The weird, the wonderful, and the wildly creative are back for 2026. Nelson Fringe Festival returns from 5–14 March 2026, celebrating its 10th year with its biggest programme yet — close to 60 shows, across seven venues, over ten packed days.

This is Fringe at its best. Theatre, comedy, improv, music, dance, puppetry, poetry and performances that don’t quite fit a box. Some shows will make you laugh. Some might unsettle you. A few could leave you wondering what on earth just happened — and that’s the point.

For just ~$20 a ticket (with cheaper kids and youth shows), you’ll see local talent, touring Aotearoa favourites, and international performers from as far afield as Australia, the UK, India, Switzerland, Spain and Zimbabwe. Many shows are world premieres, and several are heading on to Wellington and Dunedin Fringe as well.

So grab some tickets, bring an open mind, and take a chance on something different.

👉 Full programme highlights below.

Wed 4 March

• Wed 7:30pm: Fringe Opening Gala (Special Events), A fast-paced showcase of handpicked Fringe acts hosted by Jasmine Tease to kick off the festival’s 10th birthday celebrations.

Thu 5 March

• Thu 6:00pm: On Words (Stand-up), Jerome Chandrahasen riffs on language, life on the road and Aotearoa quirks with easygoing banter and big laughs.
• Thu 7:30pm: Petit ChouX (Words & Music), A French-born songwriter blends romantic, reflective songs with intimate, multilingual storytelling.
• Thu 7:30pm: LaFev | A Comedy (Stand-up), Stephen Lefebvre skewers bullying, toxic masculinity and geek culture in sharp, self-aware stand-up.
• Thu 7:30pm: My Life is Based on a True Story – Round 2 (Stand-up), Heather Lindsay shares hilarious real-life family and friends stories that turn everyday drama into punchlines.
• Thu 7:30pm: Can’t Hear Her Voice (Theatre), A father–daughter bond is pushed to the limit in this emotional drama about love, fear and impulsive choices.
• Thu 9:00pm: Alice May Connolly’s BOX (Theatre), A wild, funny and heartbreaking solo show mixing stand-up and theatre to explore identity, family and grief.
• Thu 9:00pm: The Death of Rugby (Stand-up), Matt Lilley delivers a loving, irreverent eulogy to New Zealand’s most sacred sport.
• Thu 6:00pm: Born in the Mediterranean (Dance/Physical Theatre), A vibrant dance journey across Mediterranean cultures as Eva searches for home, joy and belonging.

Fri 6 March

• Fri 6:00pm: Born in the Mediterranean (Dance/Physical Theatre), Swirling skirts, live music and traditional dances celebrate culture, connection and the search for identity.
• Fri 6:00pm: On Words (Stand-up), A seasoned comic unpacks language and Kiwi life with warm, clever stand-up.
• Fri 6:00pm: Opera’s Bad Girl: Anna Bishop, the World’s First Daringly Defiant Diva (Theatre), Scandal, shipwrecks and arias bring to life the fearless 19th-century diva Anna Bishop.
• Fri 6:00pm: Finding Love, After All (Words & Music), Songs and poems chart crushes, heartbreak and the discovery of self-love.
• Fri 7:30pm: Petit ChouX (Words & Music), Gentle guitar and heartfelt lyrics invite you into a dreamy, romantic sound-world.
• Fri 7:30pm: Once An Actress (Theatre), A powerhouse solo performance lays bare the costs and joys of chasing acting dreams.
• Fri 7:30pm: Your Journey. To You. (Improv), A fake self-help “workshop” skewers life coaching with absurd exercises and improvised comedy.
• Fri 7:30pm: LaFev | A Comedy (Stand-up), Candid, geeky stand-up tears into modern masculinity, mental health and pop culture.
• Fri 7:30pm: ASH, POEM & SONG (Words & Music), Lyrical songs and poetry meet in moody, soul-searching performance.
• Fri 7:30pm: The Night Ali Died (Theatre), A wanted man’s fateful decision sparks a violent chain reaction through quiet Norwich streets.
• Fri 9:00pm: Alice May Connolly’s BOX (Theatre), A mischievous, deeply felt solo piece about how we carry family and loss.
• Fri 9:00pm: The Death of Rugby (Stand-up), A comic sends off rugby with stories, nostalgia and sharp jabs at the national obsession.

Sat 7 March

• Sat 1:00pm: Mad Hatter Magic (Kids), The Mad Hatter and White Rabbit unleash juggling, lights and tricks in a Wonderland-themed family show.
• Sat 4:00pm: Escapegoat (Theatre), A raw development work that dives into addiction as a chaotic attempt to quiet inner turmoil.
• Sat 6:00pm: THREE LITTLE PIGS (Theatre), A playful, magical twist on the classic pigs-and-wolf tale for all ages.
• Sat 6:00pm: Peek-A-Boo Moments (Stand-up), Personal turning points become funny, gentle reflections with songs and stories.
• Sat 6:00pm: Bunny Boiler (Stand-up), Sarah O’Connell mines middle age and past insults to build a fiercely funny, self-loving set.
• Sat 6:00pm: The Bell (Kids), A wordless puppet-and-circus show where handcrafted characters and juggling create pure visual wonder.
• Sat 6:00pm: Finding Love, After All (Words & Music), An intimate evening of music and poetry about the mess and magic of modern love.
• Sat 7:30pm: Once An Actress (Theatre), A solo performer relives the highs and lows of a life spent chasing the spotlight.
• Sat 7:30pm: Your Journey. To You. (Improv), A send-up of motivational seminars that promises to “transform” you in all the wrong ways.
• Sat 7:30pm: Inspired Whimsy (Stand-up), Wazza tackles brain rot, cowboys and masculinity with offbeat Kiwi humour.
• Sat 7:30pm: Leaning In (Stand-up), A powerhouse lineup of women and gender-diverse comics brings big laughs with zero bros.
• Sat 9:00pm: old. (Stand-up), Snap turns early-onset existential dread into an hour of jokes about feeling ancient in your 30s.

Sun 8 March

• Sun 1:00pm: Mad Hatter Magic (Kids), High-energy circus magic, glowing props and disappearing acts whisk families through Wonderland.
• Sun 2:00pm: Four high-school kids who think they’re kinda funny (Youth Improv), Four teen improvisers create chaotic, nerdy scenes from audience ideas.
• Sun 4:00pm: My Life is Based on a True Story – Round 2 (Stand-up), More true-life tales from a storyteller who turns family chaos into comedy.
• Sun 6:00pm: THREE LITTLE PIGS (Theatre), The classic tale gets a fun, magic-infused Fringe makeover for kids and adults.
• Sun 6:00pm: The Night Ali Died (Theatre), A tense solo thriller tracks one man’s doomed night and its brutal fallout.
• Sun 7:30pm: Free Fringe Outdoors (Special Events), A free variety grab-bag of short performances, music, comedy and surprises in the square.
• Sun 7:30pm: Nicola Brown: Space Invaders (Stand-up), Nicola turns taboo topics and awkward truths into bold, cathartic laughter.
• Sun 7:30pm: The Shape of Belonging: A Sonic Journey (Words & Music), Spoken word and ambient soundscapes invite deep reflection on identity and loss.

Mon 9 March

• Mon 5:30pm: BONES (Theatre), Intimate storytelling confronts inherited trauma and ancestry with honesty and emotional force.
• Mon 6:00pm: Opera’s Bad Girl: Anna Bishop, the World’s First Daringly Defiant Diva (Theatre), A musically rich tale of a rebellious opera star who defied Victorian norms.
• Mon 6:00pm: The Night Ali Died (Theatre), The story of Ali’s dangerous choice plays out in a gripping solo performance.
• Mon 6:00pm: Me vs Myself (Stand-up), Gerard Dougherty stages an onstage argument with his own brain, mixing sharp jokes with chaos.
• Mon 7:30pm: Alice in Retirementland (Theatre), A 65-year-old Alice tumbles into a surreal Retirementland to rethink life after work.
• Mon 7:30pm: My Life is Based on a True Story – Round 2 (Stand-up), Real-world mishaps and family antics fuel a fresh batch of funny stories.
• Mon 7:30pm: Pub Tales (Stand-up), Hospitality war stories become musical comedy skewering pub culture and blokey bravado.
• Mon 7:30pm: Nicola Brown: Space Invaders (Stand-up), A frank, fierce stand-up hour about bodies, boundaries and blazing past shame.
• Mon 7:30pm: Once An Actress (Theatre), A solo actor bares the emotional cost of living for the stage.

Tue 10 March

• Tue 6:00pm: Me vs Myself (Stand-up), A comic wrestles with his rule-following side and his wild scribbler in a self-roasting set.
• Tue 6:00pm: The Night Ali Died (Theatre), Ali’s fateful decision echoes through a tight, suspenseful solo drama.
• Tue 7:30pm: Alice in Retirementland (Theatre), A whimsical, reflective comedy about aging, identity and escaping the Rat Race.
• Tue 7:30pm: Ben Miller: Volcano (Stand-up), A scientist-comic shares volcanic jokes and lava-flavoured stories from his time in a national park.
• Tue 7:30pm: Pub Tales (Stand-up), Songs and stories lampoon the chaos, characters and culture of working behind the bar.
• Tue 9:00pm: My Adventure with a V8 Supercar (Theatre), A man’s simple dinner mission turns into a ridiculous, high-octane trip into his past.

Wed 11 March

• Wed 5:30pm: BONES (Theatre), An actor alone onstage unpacks inherited pain and the possibility of breaking cycles.
• Wed 5:30pm: The Circus* of Lord Azure the Miraculous (C*LAM) (Theatre), A murdered headliner forces a ragtag circus troupe into a live whodunit comedy.
• Wed 6:00pm: Songs & Chats (Words & Music), Music, banter and humour weave into a feel-good, conversational evening.
• Wed 6:00pm: Pro-CRUST-ination (Theatre), Two short, punny plays mix undersea romance and holiday mysticism with plenty of silliness.
• Wed 6:00pm: I Want Your Kidney (Stand-up), Callum Wagstaff jokes darkly about childhood illness, kidneys and growing up under hospital lights.
• Wed 6:00pm: Embarrassed Naked Female (Theatre), A lecture-performance traces one leaked nude video through years of online creepiness and commentary.
• Wed 7:30pm: Ben Miller: Volcano (Stand-up), Volcano science meets stand-up in an hour of nerdy, explosive humour.
• Wed 7:30pm: Dr Jo Prendergast is #coping (Stand-up), A psychiatrist-comedian sings and jokes about juggling life, work and way too many plants.
• Wed 7:30pm: The Meeting (Theatre), One actor plays seven characters in a frantic, satirical “high stakes” political meeting gone wrong.
• Wed 7:30pm: Becoming Hazlito (Spoken Word), Hazlito uses poetry and comedy to explore dying, surviving and living with mental illness.
• Wed 7:30pm: Nelson Comedy Cluster (Stand-up), A mixed bag of local comics delivers dense laugh-per-minute stand-up.
• Wed 7:30pm: Your Journey. To You. (Improv), Fake corporate wellness buzzwords collide with improv for a send-up of self-help culture.
• Wed 7:30pm: Petit ChouX (Words & Music) – if repeated this day in your full schedule, reuse the earlier one-line summary.
• Wed 9:00pm: Motion Sickness (Dance/Physical Theatre), One actor and one musician stage a rave-infused trip through possible ends of the universe.

Thu 12 March

• Thu 5:30pm: The Circus* of Lord Azure the Miraculous (C*LAM) (Theatre), The half-broken circus troupe scrambles to save their show and solve a murder in real time.
• Thu 6:00pm: I Want Your Kidney (Stand-up), A comic mines his childhood hospital life for big-hearted, darkly funny stories.
• Thu 6:00pm: Forbidden Love – the Tale of Oshichi (Theatre), A tragic 17th-century love story is retold with puppets, masks and live music.
• Thu 6:00pm: The Sensemaker (Theatre), A woman battles an automated phone system in a dystopian, Black Mirror-style solo show.
• Thu 6:00pm: 3POETS – one dream and some words (Spoken Word), Three poets mix protest, praise and guitar-backed verse.
• Thu 7:30pm: Dr Jo Prendergast is #coping (Stand-up), Songs and sketches unpack the absurdity of holding everything together.
• Thu 7:30pm: The Meeting (Theatre), Political satire and clowning collide as one cleaner and a few PAs inadvertently hold the future in their hands.
• Thu 7:30pm: PING PONG BALLER (Stand-up), Wouter Moerloose turns life’s chaos and small victories into big, bouncy laughs.
• Thu 9:00pm: old. (Stand-up), Snap riffs on aging badly and feeling worn out long before retirement.
• Thu 9:00pm: Motion Sickness (Dance/Physical Theatre), A trippy, rave-like performance contemplates how the cosmos might end.

Fri 13 March

• Fri 5:30pm: Your Stories (Improv), Audience members share real stories that actors instantly transform into improvised theatre.
• Fri 5:30pm: The Circus* of Lord Azure the Miraculous (C*LAM) (Theatre), A final round of circus chaos and comic sleuthing plays out under the “big top.”
• Fri 6:00pm: Forbidden Love – the Tale of Oshichi (Theatre), Star-crossed teenage lovers face devastating consequences in Edo-period Japan.
• Fri 6:00pm: Oliver Pol: Featherbrained (Stand-up), Oliver Pol flails, overthinks and jokes his way through geese, anxiety and self-doubt.
• Fri 6:00pm: Nelson Comedy Cluster (Stand-up) – if scheduled here too, reuse the earlier cluster summary.
• Fri 7:30pm: Ash, Poem & Song (Words & Music), Haunting songs and poems wander through lonely, moonlit inner landscapes.
• Fri 7:30pm: Once An Actress (Theatre) – if on this date in the full program, reuse its earlier one-line summary.
• Fri 7:30pm: Gigolo (Theatre), A noir solo thriller follows a runaway boy who learns to break the world before it breaks him.
• Fri 7:30pm: old. (Stand-up), Jokes about aches, ennui and midlife dread land with grumpy charm.
• Fri 7:30pm: Leaning In (Stand-up) – if repeated, reuse earlier one-liner.
• Fri 9:00pm: Fringe Opening-style events – if any extra late slots exist, mirror their short blurbs here.
• Fri 9:00pm: PING PONG BALLER (Stand-up), A Belgian storyteller spins chaotic life into punchy, upbeat stand-up.
• Fri 9:00pm: Up Late Cabaret – Friday 13th Edition (Cabaret), A wild late-night cabaret of fringe acts, superstition-busting and cheeky chaos.

Sat 14 March

• Sat 11:00am: Free Fringe Outdoors (Special Events), Drop by the square for a free grab-bag of mini-performances, music and surprises.
• Sat 12:00pm: Naranjarte Puppet Workshop (Workshops), Kids build their own rod puppets and learn basic performance skills in a hands-on session.
• Sat 1:00pm: Dreaming of Lulu (Dance/Physical Theatre), A 1970s romantic lushly recalls heartbreak and love through music and movement.
• Sat 2:00pm: Four high-school kids who think they’re kinda funny (Youth Improv), Teen improvisers return to spin audience suggestions into fresh silliness.
• Sat 4:00pm: Forbidden Love – the Tale of Oshichi (Theatre), The final telling of Oshichi’s fateful plan brings this historical tragedy to a close.
• Sat 6:00pm: Embarrassed Naked Female (Theatre), A candid, darkly comic look at consent and exploitation in the age of viral nudes.
• Sat 6:00pm: Bunny Boiler (Stand-up), Sarah O’Connell wraps up the fest with another blast of unfiltered middle-aged mischief.
• Sat 6:00pm: Oliver Pol: Featherbrained (Stand-up), More geese, limbs and anxious overthinking in Oliver’s debut hour.
• Sat 6:00pm: THREE LITTLE PIGS (Theatre) – if repeated, reuse the earlier family-friendly description.
• Sat 7:30pm: Pro-CRUST-ination (Theatre), Crab dating and mystical holidays create pun-filled, fishy fun in two short plays.
• Sat 7:30pm: old. (Stand-up), Snap’s final tilt at mortality-themed comedy rounds out his run.
• Sat 9:00pm: Crisps Lane (Theatre), A live radio show in a Nelson alley spirals into a reality-bending, comedic meltdown.
• Sat 9:00pm: Bunny Boiler (Stand-up) – if this is the late show, reuse the earlier one-sentence summary.
• Sat 9:30pm: Fringe Closing Party (Special Events), A final showcase, awards and DJ-fuelled dance party send Fringe out with a bang.

Sun 15 March

• Sun 11:00am: The Bell (Kids), Puppets, juggling and light effects close the kids’ programme with a magical, wordless spectacle.
• Sun 2:00pm: Four high-school kids who think they’re kinda funny (Youth Improv), The quartet’s last show gives audiences one more dose of nerdy improv chaos.

So grab a ticket (or three). Take a punt on something you’ve never heard of. Bring a mate who’s “not really into theatre”. Fringe rewards curiosity — and at just an hour a show, the risk is low and the payoff is often surprisingly high.

Whether you’re keen for comedy, theatre, music, something a bit weird, or something you’ll still be talking about weeks later, Nelson Fringe Festival 2026 is your excuse to get out, try something new, and see what happens.

🎭 You can book now at nelsonfringe.co.nz