A ‘riskier’ Philadelphia Fringe Festival is coming to town this September

A year into her role as FringeArts’ CEO, Nell Bang-Jensen is ready to bring in more “daring art” to Philadelphia for one of the city’s most celebrated arts events.

This year’s Philadelphia Fringe Festival will be the largest in the organization’s nearly 30-year history.

“It’s a place where new work happens and artists live,” she said. “It’s exciting to lean into that as Philly’s identity.”

The four-week event will take place from Sept. 4-28, and will feature 331 shows helmed by Philly artists and international performers.

“It’s a really fun balance,” said Bang-Jensen, who directed Fringe Festival shows years before taking over as CEO in 2024. She joined the organization after Philadelphia Fringe Festival founder Nick Stuccio announced his departure after 27 years as president and producing director, in 2023.

Rather than relying on recycled theatrical titles or familiar shows, she says she’s embracing fresher, “riskier,” and more interactive forms of creative expression.

“The job is a dream come true, and it’s exciting to foster opportunities for artists like the ones I had while being in the arts and culture scene here,” she said.

Among the festival’s lineup of signature events is a Zimbabwean-inspired work called Dambudzo by Nora Chipaumire that explores cultural identity and colonial legacies.

Other works include the play La Otra, written and directed by award-winning Philly performing artist Tanaquil Márquez, revolving around three Colombian sisters who gather in Bogota to celebrate their father’s 80th birthday.

Another well-known Philly artist, dancer Rennie Harris (whose American Street Dancer premiered in March) will be presenting the world premiere of the “evening-length solo dance performance,” Beautiful Human Lies: Chapter 4. It will be performed by Megan Bridge.

The festival will also host interactive programs like the live video game asses.masses, a crowd-based experience about donkeys losing their jobs to machines.

“It’s pretty incredible that there is an audience for this kind of daring and new artistic work that feels different from the mainstream stuff that’s being seen,” Bang-Jensen said. “And it’s happening all over the city.”

This year, the festival is also expanding further into Philly neighborhoods, including Fishtown, Germantown, and others across West and South Philly. The decision to expand, Bang-Jensen said, is to shine a brighter light on Philly’s artistic talent and encourage more residents to support the city’s creative offerings.

Festival favorite Cannonball will return, with performances at Icebox, The Drake, and Asian Arts Initiative.

Additional funding will be allocated to these participating venues, called Fringe Festival “hubs,” to cover any operational costs or other related expenses required to spearhead their programs.

Pig Iron Studios will host Dumb Hub with programming focused on clowning and alternative comedy; South Philly’s Sawubona Creative Project will be a hub for “family friendly comedy performances.” West Philly’s Studio 34 will be one of the new hubs.

As the first Fringe Festival Bang-Jensen has put together from scratch nears, she’s thrilled to see these new artistic risks and community-centered approaches pay off.

“I’m excited to solidify Philly as a place for daring art,” she said. “There’s a lot of amazing artistic work happening in Philly, and I think Fringe Festival is about celebrating that new work.”

Tickets for FringeArts members go on sale on Tuesday. General tickets will go on sale starting Friday. For more information, visit fringearts.com.