That’s right. Debit and Credit Card sales are available at all venues starting July 18. There will be no cash sales at the door this year.

We’re always working hard to improve the experience of checking in to a show. The feedback we’ve gotten from our audiences is that they want as streamlined and swift an experience at venue box offices as possible–so we took action. A cashless system at the door will improve check in times, providing you a smoother process overall.

Cash sales will still be available for advance sales at the incite Fringe Info Hub at Jackson Square (enter at James & McNab) July 18-28 during service hours (see Info Hub hours near the top of this page).

YES! Cash sales will be available for advance sales at the incite Fringe Info Hub at Jackson Square (enter at James & McNab) between July 18-28 during service hours (see Info Hub hours near the top of this page).

A Fringe Benefits Button is once again required for every Fringe patron over the age of 12 needs to access paid indoor shows.The Fringe Benefits Button is a one-time purchase of $4.

Why do we ask patrons to buy a button? Because 100% of the ticket price goes directly back to Fringe artists. You pay for a $14 ticket, and that $14 goes straight into the pockets of the folks on that stage. Which is why the Fringe is so important for independent artists. But it means we have to find other ways to fund the festival.

That’s what makes the purchase of a Fringe Benefits Button so important. It’s how our audiences can support the festival itself. Every Fringe Benefits Button sold helps Hamilton Fringe to create new opportunities for future Fringe artists to share their work with you.

ALSO! Showing your button to participating Fringe Benefits partner businesses around town gets you exclusive deals and discounts! That means more savings for you while you’re supporting the Fringe AND local businesses. It’s a rare win-win-win situation! Check hftco.ca/hamilton-fringe-festival often to see the latest list of Fringe Benefits partners – new shops and businesses will be added right up to Opening Night Kick-Off on July 17!

Buttons will be distributed to patrons beginning July 18. 

If you’ve bought your Fringe Benefits Button online, just show us your email receipt as proof-of-purchase. 

You have a couple options where you can pick your button up:

• Visit us at the incite Fringe Info Hub at Jackson Square (enter at James & McNab) any time during service hours (see Info Hub hours near the top of this page).
• At the venue box office for your first show. We’ll give you your button once we check you in!

YES. Buttons will be available for purchase in-person beginning on the first full day of performances: July 18. 

You have a couple options where you can buy your button:

• Visit us at the incite Fringe Info Hub at Jackson Square (enter at James & McNab) any time during service hours (see below).
• At the venue box office for any show. Buy your button at the same time you buy your ticket(s) to any indoor performance. 

Using your Hamilton Fringe Festival multi-show pass is a two step process: (1) buying your pass; (2) booking your shows. 

If you bought a pass, don’t forget to book your tickets!

When you are logged into your account (the same account/email address you used when you bought your pass) our ticket system will recognize you as a passholder and will automatically make passholder tickets available to you. 

For example: if you bought a Fringe Sampler 3-Show Pass, you’ll see this when you purchase tickets for a show:

Just choose your passholder ticket(s) and add them to your cart.

The ticketing system will track your pass use for you. Once you’ve redeemed all the tickets associated with your pass, you can’t add more passholder tickets to your cart. 

You can also use your multi-show pass for a walk-up ticket at the door–as long as the show is not sold out. Just provide the email address and full name you used when you bought the pass and the venue Box Office can book your ticket. Remember though: booking your tickets in advance is the only way to guarantee a seat!

Passes are non-transferable (the person who bought the pass must be one of the guests)

If your passholder tickets are not appearing in the checkout process, please email boxoffice@hftco.ca or call 289-698-2234 and a Box Office representative will look into the issue.

• Accessibility details for each venue are available on our venues page here.

• For details about complimentary tickets for Support Persons & Personal Support Workers and other info, go to hftco.ca/accessibility.

• You can also contact the Box Office directly at boxoffice@hftco.ca or 289-698-2234. We’re happy to answer your questions and make arrangements to ensure you have the best possible experience.

You will receive a Purchase Reminder Email the day before your event. Your Order Confirmation or Purchase Reminder Email acts as your ticket and contains the Venue, Show Date and Show Time. Please check in with the Box Office at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.

Check your spam/junk folder for an order confirmation from ‘donotreply@eventotron.com’, some inboxes filter out the address

If you still do not see an order confirmation after checking your spam/junk folder, please email boxoffice@hftco.ca and a box office team member will look into the issue.

Reminder emails are sent the day before the scheduled start time of an event. If you purchase a ticket after that time, your order confirmation is all you need.

If you do not have your order confirmation email or a reminder notice, please email boxoffice@hftco.ca and a box office team member will look into the issue.

All shows start ON TIME. Some performances may be able to seat latecomers within the first 15 minutes, but it is not guaranteed — it depends on the venue, the seating location, and whether a company has decided to allow late seating or not. Plan to arrive at least 10 minutes early to avoid disappointment.

You can reach a box office team member by emailing boxoffice@hftco.ca.  If you include your phone number in your email, the box office manager will either reply to your email or phone you (if you would prefer to be contacted by phone, please indicate that in your email).

You can phone and/or leave a voicemail at the Hamilton Fringe office at 289-698-2234 and a box office team member will follow up.

Starting July 28th, the incite Fringe Info Hub will be available from 5PM- 9PM Weekdays, 12PM-9PM Saturdays, and 12PM-8PM on Sundays. 

After July 28th: your email/voicemail will be replied to within three business days.

If you have purchased a multi-show pass, you will need to log in using the email you used when purchasing the pass. You will be sent a verification code which can be used to sign in. Once you have logged into your account, any passes associated with your account will automatically appear in your basket when buying tickets.

At the top of your screen there is a yellow icon that says “Account”. Enter in your email and type in the verification sent to your inbox. This will allow you to set a password, view purchased tickets, your current basket and also your account. You can also enter in any customer vouchers you may have associated with your email!

At the top of your screen there is a yellow icon that says “Cart”. Clicking on this will open a box office popup. This is where you can view the items in your cart, or provide a donation. To change the quantity or remove items from your cart, click the “edit” icon beside your item.

While all ticket sales go directly to the artist, the ticket booking fee helps to cover a small part of the box office system and its maintenance. Per-ticket processing fees are $2.50. Pass price includes a one-time booking fee of $5, and all per-ticket booking fees are waived.

No. All our outdoor events are free, and you can just drop in. That includes all Fringe Club programming (including Opening Night Kick-Off and the Closing Night Awards), Kids Club Family Fun Day, and Fringe On The Streets.

There are 3 ways to Tip The Fringe!

1. While checking out your tickets, there will be a “Tip the Fringe” dropdown section beneath your customer details and the accessibility notes

2. At the performance, you can make a cash donation into the “Tip the Fringe” bucket or by tapping on our debit/credit card reader.

3. You can always choose to donate by heading to our Canada Helps page here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/18995 . Choose to donate monthly for the most impact!

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. Please note that there is an exchange fee of $2.50 per ticket. Ticket exchanges cannot be processed at the door. If you have made an error in the booking process, please email us at boxoffice@hftco.ca and we will do our best to assist you.

This pass for Fringe superfans is back! Double your Fringe, double your fun, with a Fringe Double Frenzy 20-Show Pass. It’s exactly the same as the Fringe Frenzy 10-Show Pass, but DOUBLED! This way, if you are interested in seeing up to 20 shows, you don’t need to buy multiple 10-show passes.

We are pleased to announce our new Fringe Mini Bar partnership happening with RELAY Coffee Roasters, located on 27 King William St. Check out our accessing venues page (https://hftco.ca/accessing-fringe-venues/) for accessibility information. If you have any questions about our Mini Bar series, contact us at boxoffice@hftco.ca!