From Wednesday, July 16 to Sunday, July 27, 2025: Hamilton Festival Theatre Company (HFTco) presents it 21st Hamilton Fringe Festival program, with 50+ shows in 350+ performances at over a dozen venues around the city. This year’s festival includes live comedy, theatre, musicals, dance, art, film, family fare and more!
The largest theatre festival in the Greater Hamilton Area
Welcoming nearly 20,000 attendees over 12 days, Hamilton Fringe will host a dynamic range of theatre and performance, including a dozen shows by LGBTQ2S+ artists, over eight shows by artists over the age of 50, four shows written and/or performed by artists who are disabled or neurodivergent, and three shows about horses and the people who love them: Pony Girls, Horseface and Men Love Horsies: The Musical .
2025 program highlights include:
At The Player’s Guild of Hamilton.
Häus of the Holy Spirit presents a drag-infused dramatization of the Bible’s Easter story with a surprise musical twist. An anti-colonial love letter, this play comes to life with a cast of alternative drag artists dedicated to shaking up “Canadian” conversation. Presented as part of FringeXchange, a knowledge-exchange program supporting emerging and equity-deserving artists.
Presented in the Theatre Aquarius Studio.
Winner of the Hamilton Fringe New Play Contest, Crane Girl (Falling Iguana Theatre) follows a woman who walks out of her life and climbs a crane. Inspired by a real GTHA event, it explores rage, women’s bodies, reproductive rights and what it means to find your voice in a patriarchal nightmare.
The Fruits that Rot in our Bellies
Presented as part of FringeXchange in the Theatre Aquarius Studio.
After agreeing to be a surrogate for their sister, Fimi is haunted by who or what is growing inside them. Darren Aronofsky’s Mother meets Jordan Peele’s Us in this Afro-surrealist ghost story about a young non-binary person coming face to face with the spirit realm.
Presented at Mills Hardware.
This solo show featuring Riel Riddick-Stevens uses Hip Hop/R&B, comedy and heightened storytelling to explore the relationships between power, bodily autonomy and sense of self in a patriarchal world. Sex Goddess will also appear at Montreal, Toronto and Victoria Fringe through the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals touring lottery.
Visiting My Mother and Other Repetition Compulsions
Presented by Afterlife Theatre, the Company-in-Residence of HFTco’s ALERT program, in the Theatre Aquarius Studio.
A therapy session, a family dinner, a hospital visit, the unbearable tension of the ordinary. Witness a show about the burden of unsaid inheritances, the pathology of familial love and the tragedy of unconscious repetition.
Kids Club Fun Day
Presented at Fringe Boulevard (the festival hub), King William Street at James Street North.
Come out on Saturday, July 26 (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM) for a big day of free family-friendly Fringe events! Do you know someone 2-12 years old who loves making art and performing? With music, dance, painting and tons more, there’s something for every curious kid to enjoy. In addition to kids’ workshops, there’s a Family Fringe show featuring local favorites, face painting, arts & crafts, and a 4:30 PM ET performance by the Spark Teen Performance unit.
Free outdoor performance walking tour & festival hub
Returning this year by popular demand is Fringe On The Streets, the free outdoor performance tour presented in partnership with the City of Hamilton, with support from the incite Foundation for the Arts, Downtown Hamilton BIA and Keeping Six. Fringe On The Streets is an immersive, hop-on-or-off, 75-minute walking tour of live art and performance along York Blvd. and James St. Stops will feature music and avian sculpture at the Farmers’ Market, sidewalk burlesque, the women of vaudeville behind the Tivoli, a puppet show with a historical twist, a condo realtor presentation from the great beyond, and a dancing grand finale on King William St.
Hamilton Fringe is excited to announce Fringe Boulevard, their new festival hub! Fringe Boulevard will transform King William St. at James St. N. into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly hub filled with free programming on an outdoor stage, plus Kids Club Fun Day. Fringe Boulevard will be the heart of the festival with the incite Fringe Info Hub at the Lister Block, the Relay Outdoor Patio, a local artisans Marketplace, and exclusive Fringe deals at partner businesses and restaurants along the strip – the perfect place to celebrate the weird, wild and wonderful Hamilton Fringe community.
“We can’t wait to share what Hamilton Fringe 2025 has to offer, lighting up our incredible city with performances, new connections, community, and fun. Happy Fringing!”
– Christopher Stanton, HFTco Executive Director & Franny McCabe-Bennett, HFTco Managing Director
About Hamilton Festival Theatre Company & Hamilton Fringe Festival
Hamilton Festival Theatre Company (HFTco) is a not-for-profit charitable organization committed to training, platforming and amplifying Hamilton’s theatre artists and storytellers. Since 2003, they’ve been building a community for artists and arts lovers, and cultivating work that is accessible, innovative and artistically adventurous.
Hamilton Fringe Festival is a member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF). They adhere to CAFF’s Guiding Principles, which includes that: artists are selected on a non-juried basis through a lottery system, artists receive 100% of the ticket prize in box office revenue, Fringe festival producers do not interfere with artistic content of each performance, and that the festival provides accessible opportunities for all audiences and artists to participate in the Fringe festival.
(Photo credits: Hamilton Festival Theatre Company.)
Event details
Hosted by: Hamilton Festival Theatre Company (HFTco)
Type of event: performance festival
Featured artists/productions: See the full list here.
Dates & times:
- The Festival runs from Wednesday, July 16 – Sunday, July 27, 2025 with performances from approximately 1:00 PM – 11:00 PM ET daily. Please refer to the schedule for exact performance dates and times.
- Kids Club Fun Day: Saturday, July 26, 2025 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM ET
Duration: Varies – please refer to individual performances for running times.
Cost for single tickets:
- General admission: C$14.00 (+ fees + a one-time $5 Fringe Benefits Button purchase to support the festival)
- Kids under 12: C$5.00 (+ fees)
- Shows at Fringe Mini Bar: C$8.00 (+ fees)
Costs for passes:
- Fringe Sampler 3-Show Pass: C$36 (+ fees)
- Fringe Binge 6-Show Pass: C$66 (+ fees)
- Fringe Frenzy 10-Show Pass: C$100 (+ fees)
- Fringe Double Frenzy 20-Show Pass: C$200 (+ fees)
- Fringe Mini Bar Pass: C$30 (+ fees) redeemable on Mini Bar shows only
Please note: All Fringe patrons ages 12+ (including passholders) must make a one-time purchase of a Fringe Benefits Button for $5 to access all ticketed indoor events. Hold onto that button – you can’t get into the show without it! This operations-supporting button helps cover the cost of HFTco’s programming year-round!
Location:
- Performances take place at various venues around Hamilton, ON, Canada. Please refer to the schedule for exact performance locations. Venues for this year’s festival include: Mills Hardware, The Players’ Guild of Hamilton, Theatre Aquarius Studio, The Westdale, Ringside, The Staircase (Studio Theatre, Bright Room, Elaine May), Hamilton Theatre Inc., The Gasworks, and Centre for the Talking Arts.
- Fringe Boulevard (festival hub), 41 King William St., Hamilton, ON, L8R 1A2, Canada
Trailer: Watch the trailer
Booking link: Book your tickets here by clicking on the show(s) you want to see.
Contact details: Hamilton Festival Theatre Company; (289) 698-2234, info@hftco.ca, hftco.ca
Content warning: Some shows are child-friendly. Please refer to individual performances.
Accessibility: Please refer to individual venues. All staff, volunteers and board members are AODA trained. They welcome artists, audiences, staff and volunteers of all abilities and lived experience. They recognize that they may not currently offer what you need to fully access HFTco events or programs. If you’d like more information or to share feedback, please email them or call them at (289) 698-2234. Info here.
Refund policy: All ticket sales are final. There are no refunds. Exchanges may be made for a different date of the same show by contacting boxoffice@HFTco.ca or calling (289) 698-2234 at least 48 hours in advance. There is an exchange fee of C$3.00 per ticket. Ticket exchanges cannot be processed at the door. If you have made an error in the booking process or something doesn’t look right in your Order Confirmation Email, please contact them at boxoffice@HFTco.ca and they will do their best to assist you.