2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival Main Lottery and Indie Venue Applications are now CLOSED!
Stay tuned for upcoming artist opportunities including Fringe On The Streets, Visual Fringe, and Shorts Showcase
Lottery Results
Congratulations to the 2025 lottery winners! Watch a livestream of the event HERE, or scroll down for a downloadable PDF with the companies drawn in the lottery, waitlisted, and the winner of the New Play Contest! The categories that were drawn at the lottery party included:
- Hamilton 60-Minute
- Ontario 60-Minute
- National 60-Minute
- International 60-Minute
- General 90-Minute
- FringeXchange BIPGM Artist
- FringeXchange Disability Justice Artist
- Fringe Mini Series
2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival applications for all lottery categories and the Indie Venue category are now CLOSED.
Stay tuned for information about Fringe On The Streets, Visual Fringe, and Shorts Showcase.
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Hamilton Fringe is a member of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF). That means instead of being selected by a jury (or programmed by an artistic director), shows at the Hamilton Fringe are selected via lottery draw, or on a first-come-first-served basis. This ‘unjuried’ process creates a more level playing field for performance makers, where newcomers and established creators alike have the same chance to be included in the festival.
Together with other CAFF festivals, Hamilton Fringe has taken measures in recent years to strengthen this spirit of equal access. We recognize that festival stages in Canada and the United States have historically been dominated by artists of European/colonial descent, and we seek to support a broader cultural representation of our community in Fringe Festival spaces. As a response to cultural inequity across our stages, and to better reflect the cultural makeup of our region, 25% of every lottery category each year is reserved for BIPGM-led companies (Indigenous artists, Black artists, and artists who are People of the Global Majority).**
But seriously – don’t click until you’ve AT LEAST read the “How to Apply Via Eventotron” section.
You're Invited! 2025 Lottery Party
The Staircase + Livestream on YouTube and Facebook
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
FREE event, 7:30 PM
Join HFTco staff, Fringe Festival hopefuls, and community members at this fun and FREE event. The following lottery categories will be drawn LIVE:
- Hamilton 60-Minute
- Ontario 60-Minute
- National 60-Minute
- International 60-Minute
- General 90-Minute
- FringeXchange BIPGM Artist
- FringeXchange Disability Justice Artist
- Mini Bar Series
The 2025 New Play Contest WINNER will also be announced at the Lottery Party.
Instructions for How to Apply Via Eventotron (our application platform) can be found at the bottom!
Key Dates
November 5, 2024
Applications open for the 2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival lotteries and Indie Venue series (Indie/Bring-Your-Own-Venue applications are first-come, first-served until all spots filled or deadline date).
January 13, 2025 (11:59PM ET)
Applications for the 2025 Fringe Festival Lottery close and application fees due.
January 15, 2025
2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival Lottery Party takes place in-person at Staircase Theatre (27 Dundurn St N, Hamilton). Results are posted on hftco.ca and social media platforms (@hamfringeHFTco) within 24 hours, artists contacted via email or by phone within 24 hours, participation fees due IMMEDIATELY for successfully drawn companies.
March 1, 2025 (11:59PM ET)
Deadline for Indie Venue applications, or when all slots are filled, whichever comes first. Final due date for Application Fees. You must contact the Hamilton Fringe Festival Executive Director Christopher Stanton (christopher@hftco.ca) BEFORE submitting an Indie/BYOV application.
March 7, 2025
Participation Fees will be processed for all participating Indie/BYOV companies, or upon confirmation of acceptance, whichever comes first.
March/April 2025 (TBC)
Indie Venue box office/front of house check-ins.
Early March 2025 (TBC)
Tech Questionnaire due (EXCLUDING Mini Series & Indie/BYOV).
March 15, 2025
Indie Venue schedules shared with Hamilton Fringe Festival for our feedback and/or approval.
April 2025 (TBC)
Mini Series & Indie Venue Tech Information Form due.
April/May 2025 (TBC)
Publicity Questionnaire due.
Early May 2025 (TBC)
Box Office/Program Listing Form due.
April/May/June 2025 (multiple dates)
Festival prep seminars (publicity, box office, tech, etc.).
July 16-27, 2025
2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival, shows begin on July 17, 2025.
Main Series Lotteries
Main Series lottery categories include Ontario 60-Minute (including Hamilton 60-Minute), National 60-Minute, International 60-Minute, and General 90-Minute. These categories represent our flagship performance series. Shows presented in these categories are presented in live theatre venues equipped with theatrical lighting and sound equipment and an audience capacity no less than 50. (NB: If public health guidelines in place at the time of the Hamilton Fringe Festival dictate that fewer than 50 people are permitted in any venue associated with these categories, the Hamilton Fringe Festival will reduce the application fees of affected companies on a pro-rata basis.)
The Hamilton 60-Minute Lottery is designed to encourage local companies to participate in the festival, with a small number of slots in the main lottery reserved especially for them. All companies not selected in the Hamilton 60-Minute draw are automatically entered into the Ontario 60-Minute draw.
- Lottery Application Fee:
- Non-refundable fee of $30 for all applicants*
- Participation Fee (due if your company is successfully drawn in the lottery):
- All 60-Minute categories: $675
- General 90-Minute category: $775
For further details please see these sample agreements:
2025 Ontario 60-Minute Sample Agreement
2025 Hamilton 60-Minute Sample Agreement
2025 National 60-Minute Sample Agreement
2025 International 60-Minute Sample Agreement
2025 General 90-Minute Sample Agreement
FringeXchange: Disability Justice Artist Lottery
Designed in partnership with the Disability Justice Network of Ontario (DJNO), the Disability Justice Lottery category is designed to serve an artist who identifies as Deaf, hard of hearing, sick, living with a mental illness/mental disorder/mad, and/or living with a disability.
Hamilton Fringe Festival endeavours to address the financial, attitudinal, informational, and environmental barriers in the application, selection, planning, practice, and performance processes.
The Disability Justice Artist category includes:
- FREE 60-minute performance slot at the 2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival ($30 Application Fee and $675 Participation Fee waived)
- $1,000 cash bursary to assist with production costs
- Personalized accessibility plan (including venue and production accommodations)
- Tailored professional and/or artistic mentorship
- Regular meetings with Executive Director
- Production and administrative guidance from Hamilton Fringe Festival core staff
In order to increase your chances of taking part in the 2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival, applicants in the FringeXChange program – Disability Justice Artist category may OPTIONALLY choose to also apply in the Hamilton 60-Minute category. If you choose to ALSO enter the Hamilton 60-Minute category, you will be required to pay the $30 application fee and IF you are selected in that lottery, the $675 participation fee associated with that category.
To be eligible for this category, the primary contact for the production must self-identify as Deaf, hard of hearing, sick, living with a mental illness/mental disorder/mad, and/or living with a disability and reside in Hamilton, Ontario.
•••
NOTE: Although applicants may only apply to ONE category, HFTco acknowledges the intersectionality between many artists who are BIPGM artists living with disability. These FringeXchange categories as not mutually exclusive, and each FxC program will be tailored to the artist’s unique needs.
•••
For further details please see the sample agreement:
2025 FringeXchange Disability Justice Artist Sample Agreement
If you need any help completing the application, additional support is available by phone at 289-698-2234, email at christopher@hftco.ca, or in-person by appointment at 41 King William St., Suite 206, Hamilton between 10:30am and 4:30pm Monday to Friday.
FringeXchange: BIPGM Artist Lottery
Designed in partnership with Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, the FringeXchange BIPGM Artist Lottery is designed to serve an artist who is Black, Indigenous, or and/or a Person of the Global Majority.
The BIPGM Artist category includes:
- FREE 60-minute performance slot at the 2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival ($30 Application Fee and $675 Participation Fee waived)
- $1,000 cash bursary to assist with production costs
- Tailored professional and/or artistic mentorship
- Regular meetings with the Executive Director
- Production and administrative guidance from Hamilton Fringe Festival core staff
In order to increase your chances of taking part in the 2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival, applicants in the FringeXChange program – BIPGM Artist category may OPTIONALLY choose to also apply in the Hamilton 60-Minute category. If you choose to ALSO enter the Hamilton 60-Minute category, you will be required to pay the $30 application fee and IF you are selected in that lottery, the $675 participation fee associated with that category.
To be eligible for this category, the primary contact for the production must identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or an artist who is a Person of the Global Majority and reside in Hamilton, Ontario.
•••
NOTE: Although applicants may only apply to ONE category, HFTco acknowledges the intersectionality between many artists who are BIPGM artists living with disability. These FringeXchange categories as not mutually exclusive, and each FxC program will be tailored to the artist’s unique needs.
•••
For further details please see the sample agreement:
2025 FringeXchange BIPGM Artist Sample Agreement
If you need any help completing the application, additional support is available by phone at 289-698-2234, email at christopher@hftco.ca, or in-person by appointment at 41 King William St., Suite 206, Hamilton between 10:30am and 4:30pm Monday to Friday.
Additional Categories (Family Fringe & Fringe Mini Series)
Do you have a family-friendly show between 40 and 60 minutes? Throw your hat in the ring for the 2023 Family Fringe! Companies drawn in this lottery perform on the Fringe Club Outdoor Stage and get seven (7) performances with times ranging between 9:30am and 5:00pm weekdays and weekends. The primary audience for Family Fringe shows is 12 and under. (Children’s tickets are $5—this should be taken into account when budgeting for your production.) The festival organizes group bookings for Family Fringe shows with local daycares and summer programs.
For further details please see the sample agreement:
2023 Family Fringe Sample Agreement
Fringe Mini Bar Series Lottery
Do you like your theatre short and sweet? Then the Fringe Mini Bar Series is for you! The Fringe Mini Bar Series is “Pub Theatre” presented on small indoor stages at a downtown Hamilton bar. With show times of 20 minutes or less, this is a great opportunity to show off a shorter work in a more intimate space. Each company will be scheduled for no fewer than six (6) performances. Shows in this series should embrace the “less is more” philosophy; you must have NO or LOW technical requirements (lighting, sound, video, etc.)
For further details please see the sample agreement:
Fringe Mini Bar Series Category Sample agreement
Additional Categories (Fringe Mini Bar Series)
Fringe Mini Bar Series Lottery
Do you like your theatre short and sweet? Then the Fringe Mini Bar Series is for you! The Fringe Mini Bar Series is relaxed theatre presented in a small indoor space at a downtown Hamilton bar or café. With show times of 20 minutes or less, this is a great opportunity to show off a shorter work in a more intimate space. Each company will be scheduled for no fewer than six (6) performances. Shows in this series should embrace the “less is more” philosophy; you must have NO or LOW technical requirements (lighting, sound, video, etc.)
For further details please see the sample agreement:
2025 Fringe Mini Series Category Sample agreement
Catégorie FrancoFringe
Le Festival Fringe de Hamilton 2025 se déroulera du 16 au 27 juillet 2025. Le Hamilton Fringe est un festival de taille moyenne avec un public très engagé, attirant ces dernières années environ 17 500 spectateurs. En 2024, nous avons distribué 96 241 $ de revenus de billetterie à 43 compagnies locales, nationales et internationales.
La catégorie FrancoFringe est présentée en partenariat avec le Centre Francophone Hamilton. C’est la première année que cette catégorie est offerte au Hamilton Fringe. Bien que nous ferons de notre mieux pour fournir des services et une assistance en français chaque fois que possible, la langue principale de communication au festival est l’anglais.
Ce processus de candidature a été conçu pour être aussi simple que possible.
Pour être éligible au tirage au sort du Hamilton Fringe 2025 dans la catégorie FrancoFringe 60 minutes, vous devez répondre aux critères suivants :
- Votre compagnie doit s’identifier comme « dirigée par des francophones ».
- Votre spectacle doit être joué en français (à 50 % ou plus).
Les candidatures qui ne répondent pas à ces critères seront retirées de la considération et perdront les frais de candidature de 30 $. Veuillez contacter le directeur général Christopher Stanton à l’adresse christopher@hftco.ca AVANT de soumettre votre candidature si vous avez des questions sur l’éligibilité de votre compagnie.
IMPORTANT: La catégorie FrancoFringe ne s’applique pas via Eventotron.
Indie Venue Series
Indie Venue Category (formerly ‘Bring Your Own Venue’ or ‘BYOV’)
The Indie Venue category is for companies who want to use a venue or location not included in the list of Fringe main venues. If you were not drawn in the Fringe lottery, or if your performance is better suited for an unconventional space, the Indie Venue category might be the right fit for you!
Applications are due Saturday, March 1, 2025 or once all slots have been filled, whichever comes first. ALL companies considering an Indie Venue application MUST contact Hamilton Fringe Executive Director Christopher Stanton BEFORE applying: christopher@hftco.ca.
Please note that preference is given to venues with 2 productions or more. We STRONGLY recommend partnering with other companies to share an Indie Venue. Acceptance of Indie Venues and productions remains at the sole discretion of Hamilton Fringe. Each venue is required to provide a single Indie Venue Coordinator. If multiple Box Office locations are required at a single venue, each Box Office location will be considered a separate “venue.”
For further details please see the sample agreement:
2025 Indie/BYOV Category Sample agreement
Rules and Regulations
- Only ONE application per company is allowed.
- Companies applying to the FringeXchange slots may CHOOSE to be entered in the Hamilton 60-Minute category ($30 Application Fee applies).
- Companies applying to the Hamilton 60-Minute category who are not drawn in that lottery are automatically entered in the Ontario 60-Minute category.
- The Company Name, Primary Contact, and Secondary Contact cannot be changed once submitted.
- The Primary and Secondary contacts of a company cannot be the Primary and/or Secondary contacts for a second company.
- If an individual/company submits more than one application, ALL relevant applications will be removed from the lottery. Application fees will be forfeited.
- If the Primary Contact cannot continue with a production, Hamilton Fringe Festival reserves the right to withdraw that production from the festival.
- Companies are not allowed to sell or transfer their slot to another company. If we find that they have, both companies will be removed from the festival and will forfeit 100% of their fees.
- 25% of all categories will be reserved for companies led by artists who are Black, Indigenous, and/or People of the Global Majority (PGM). To enter the lottery for these reserved slots, please indicate that your company is Black/Indigenous/PGM-led when prompted in your application. Eligible companies will be drawn by lottery until all reserved slots are full or until all eligible applicants in that category have been exhausted (whichever comes first). Those companies not chosen in the lottery for the reserved slots are automatically entered in the general lottery for their category. These reserved slots are separate from the “FringeXchange BIPGM Artist” category, which is its own discrete category with additional supports and benefits.
If you have any questions about the FringeXchange Global Majority Artist or the reserved slots for Black/Indigenous/PGM-led companies, please contact Executive Director Christopher Stanton at christopher@hftco.ca BEFORE submitting your application.
How to Apply Via Eventotron
- Go to Eventotron.com. If you have applied to the festival before, log in using the same email and password. If you have never applied through Eventotron before, you’ll need to create a profile. Enter your email under ‘New User’ and hit ‘Register.’ You will be sent an email with further instructions.
- After logging in, click ‘Festivals’ at the top left-hand corner of the screen. Scroll through the list of festivals until you find ‘Hamilton Fringe Festival 2025.’ Click ‘Apply’ to be taken to the 2025 application form.
- Once you’re at the application form, complete all the information. Please note: questions appearing in RED text are REQUIRED questions. You must answer all required questions, or you will be unable to submit your application.
- The Hamilton Fringe application process includes confirming that you have read and understood your Artist Agreement in full. By submitting an application, the Primary Contact agrees to abide by said Agreement.
- If your application is successfully drawn on January 15th, 2025, you will be required to provide a signed copy of your Agreement to Hamilton Fringe within 48 hours of being notified.
- Application Fees must be received within 10 days of online application submission or Monday, January 13, 2025, whichever comes first.
Sponsors and Partners
