Community Series:
Free Fringe Programming

Wed Jun 17/ Soirée
Doors: 7:00PM / Show: 7:30PM

Need help deciding which shows you’re checking out at this year’s Fringe? Join us at Preview Night – hosted by Rose-Ingrid Benjamin – where performers have two minutes to pitch their show. This event always fills up, get to La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins early!

Fri Jun 19
6:30pm to 7:30pm

Sangitha is an indie-folk and soul artist blending folk, pop, Carnatic, and soul influences into a sound that is intimate, and emotionally resonant. Joined by the talented fiddler Erin Okrainec, their music fuses classical nuance with modern indie storytelling. Their set features a mix of originals and beloved covers that move seamlessly between soulful intimacy and uplifting energy.

Fri June 19
6:30 – 9:30 / Club SAW

CAKE is a gender-inclusive dance party that encourages people to show off their ass-ets!

This edition will be focused on Y2K, so come ready with your scrunchies, crop tops and velour tracksuits. Not only will our incredible DJs Knafeh and Hibo Lagerfeld bring you the anthems of the millennia, we’ll have performances from Caligula, Edith Puthie, Sia Shadow and Elle Faekwa to get you immersed in the Y2K realness.

There will be a coat check for people to leave their extra layers at. This event is 18+. SAW is physically accessible. There will be masks and ear plugs available at the door.

Sat Jun 20 
6:30PM to 7:30PM

TwoSols is a classical crossover duo blending Nikolas Labossiere’s eclectic electric guitar compositions with Alireza Tarviji’s beautiful violin melodies. We love to mix ethereal atmospheres of expansive harmonies with musical storytelling which engages our audiences to perk up their ears and join us for little sonic excursions.

Sat Jun 20 
9:30PM to 1:00AM

Slip on a pair of silent headphones, choose your channel, and vibe to the beats that move you. Two different channels will feature three DJ’s- DJ AL Connors, PR!NCESSPEACH and K2 – all on one dance floor. Let’s boogie!

Sun Jun 21
6:30PM – 7:30PM

Peniel Yares is a Filipina-Canadian pop singer-songwriter based in Ottawa. Her sound is often described as optimistically heartbreaking. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Lorde and Billie Eilish, Peniel aims to channel that through her existential diary-like lyrics and gentle vocals. Check out her debut EP — Proud, available on all streaming platforms!

Sun Jun 21
4:30PM – 7:00PM

Welcome to Ballroom! An Introductory Session and Workshop by the Kiki House of Greta Constantine

In this session, we open the doors to a world shaped by resilience, creativity, and unapologetic self‐expression. It is an invitation into a living culture built by Black and Latinx queer & trans communities who carved out space to be seen, celebrated, and free.

The Kiki House of Greta Constantine will guide you through this journey. Whether you’re stepping into ballroom for the first time or deepening your connection to it, this session is designed to ground you in the history, values, and artistry that make ballroom a global force of joy and resistance.

You’ll learn the language, the categories, and the heartbeat of the scene, and yes, you’ll get moving. Expect community. Expect laughter. Expect to be challenged. Expect to be inspired. Most importantly, expect to be welcomed exactly as you are.

Wed Jun 24
6:30PM – 9:30PM

RHOZE Garden Sound Café is a free courtyard listening lounge centered on music, memory, and community sound. Rooted in Afro-Caribbean sound culture and inspired by cafés, yard gatherings, sound systems, and third spaces, the event invites people to come through, hear music, add a song, leave a memory, and connect in a relaxed summer setting.

The evening will feature DJ sets, curated open decks, a community playlist, a song memory wall, cozy hangout energy, and a live-painted sound system mural inspired by Caribbean sound culture. Guests will be invited to contribute to a shared playlist and write down songs or sound memories connected to home, family, summer, culture, and the music that raised them. The goal is to create a warm, low-pressure space for music lovers, DJs, producers, dancers, artists, Fringe-goers, students, and community members to gather around sound in a way that feels playful, accessible, and meaningful.

Thurs Jun 25

Four teams. Twenty-four hours. One glorious challenge.

Ottawa Fringe’s inaugural 24 Hour Theatre Project invites four teams to create an original 30-minute play in the span of two twelve-hour days. Writing, rehearsing, and creating entirely on the clock.

Each team will be made up of one lottery-selected playwright, four lottery-selected acting teams, and up to four additional collaborators.
All in the name of creating a 30-minute play in just… 24 hours.

24 Hour Theatre Project Handbook (Read First)

Artist Signup

Thurs Jun 25th
6:15PM – Arrival
6:30PM – 24 Hour Theatre Challenge Playwrights Chat
7:00PM – CBC Radio recording begins / Club Saw
Free Ticketed Event

On June 25th, the latest edition of the always-surprising All In A Day Book Club (hosted by Alan Neal) will be taking over Club SAW, right in the midst of Fringe!

It’s a discussion of Ottawa-based author Kagiso Lesego Molope’s “We Inherit the Fire”, and author Kagiso will be there, chatting with Alan and audience members both in the crowd and those joining in by Zoom. The whole discussion is recorded for broadcast on CBC Radio.

Arrival is at 6:15, followed by the “opening act” at 6:30; a first-peek of the 24 Hour Theatre Challenge, where playwrights will share a bit about the pieces they’re creating using your prompts. Then, we jump into the Book Club at 7:00pm.

In-Person Tickets

If they’re all gone, don’t panic! Join the waiting list. You never know who might cancel or if more seats will become available!

Join by Zoom

Fri Jun 26
9:00PM – Late

What can a group of artists create in just 24 hours? Come find out!

The 24 Hour Theatre Showcase features four brand-new theatrical works making their world premiere, only being a few hours old. Come see what happens in the minds of playwrights and actors with just 24 hours to create a brand new piece of theatre. Once you’ve seen all four pieces, you’ll vote for your favourite and help determine this year’s 24 Hour Theatre Champions.

Sat Jun 27 
9:00PM – 1:00AM

Back for a second year, Cabar-Oke is Ottawa Fringe’s late-night mashup of karaoke, drag, and burlesque. Hosted by the iconic China Doll, Fringe’s beloved karaoke queen, this event takes your standard sing-along to a whole new level. Every few rotations, guest burlesque and drag performers will crash the mic to dance, dazzle, or lip sync for their lives – right alongside the singers. Expect the unexpected, and don’t be shy: this mic is open to everyone.

Featuring Ruby Foxglove, Shea Muah, Mx. Tique, Victoria Vermouth, Oliver Easy, and Miss Patience Plush.

Sun Jun 28
10:00PM / Arts Court Theatre

Stay tuned for more info on our 29th annual Ottawa Fringe Awards Night!