Festival Lottery FAQs

Minnesota Fringe Festival shows are chosen by random lottery. Each application is assigned a number, we put the numbers on ping-pong balls, then draw the balls out of a bingo cage as a public event.

Touring Lotteries - Late January / Early February 2026

Our first drawing of the year will be for the two artists selected to participate in Border Buddies, and exchange program between Green Bay Fringe and Minnesota Fringe Festivals. The second drawing will be for the three artists participating in the Midwest Touring Trifecta. Applicants will choose their desired tour from four potential stops: BorderLight Theatre Festival, KC Fringe, Minnesota Fringe, and IndyFringe Festivals.

Specialty & General Lotteries - Late February / Early March 2026

Minnesota Fringe will gather at a public space to hold drawings that determine slots for the BIPOC Lottery winners (10% of festival participants); the Touring Artist Initiative (5% of festival participants); the Never Have I Ever Lottery (5% of festival participants) and the Platinum Lottery (11 artists). Once those slots are full, the remainder of the BIPOC, Touring Artist, Never Have I Ever and Platinum Lottery ping-pong balls will be separated out into their respective tiers and mixed in with the general applicants to be selected by tier.

There are three separate tiers based on venue seating capacity. Once productions are chosen and a tier is full, the remaining ping pong balls in that tier will be drawn for slots on a wait list. This will be repeated for all three tiers.

If you apply for multiple tiers and your show is randomly chosen in more than one, you will be contacted after the lottery and be asked to select ONE tier. (Once you make your choice, your remaining applications -- whether chosen in a separate tier or on a wait list -- will then be discarded.) All empty slots are then filled by the remaining respective wait list on a rolling basis.

There are several combinations of acceptable applications. Please read all of this info before you apply. You will be required to check a box on the application form stating that you understand these guidelines. If you have any questions, please contact our Artist Liaison, Amber Bjork.

Lotteries

First, understand the General and Specialty Lotteries and which ones you are eligible for:

• General Lottery: All artists are eligible for this lottery. If you do not qualify for the following special lotteries, apply for general. Artists not selected in the BIPOC, Touring Artist, Never Have I Ever, and Platinum lotteries will be automatically included in the General Lottery. 
• Touring Artist Initiative Lottery: Special lottery for artists residing outside the 11-county Minnesota Metro area, including greater Minnesota, national, and international residents. 5% of our festival will be chosen through this lottery. Artists not selected will have a second chance to be selected from the General Lottery.
• BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color) Lottery: BIPOC producers, writers, directors, and choreographers are encouraged to apply in this category. 10% of our festival will be chosen through this lottery. Artists not selected will have a second chance to be selected from the General Lottery.
• Never-Have-I-Ever Lottery: Artists who have never previously produced in the Minnesota Fringe Festival. 5% of our festival will be chosen through this lottery. Artists not selected will have a second chance to be selected from the General Lottery.

Minnesota Fringe has partnered with other Midwestern Fringe Festivals to help create Touring Lotteries to give artists opportunities to tour their shows. Selected artists participate in multiple festivals. If an artist has a strong desire to perform in one of the Midwestern partner festivals, we suggest you also apply directly to their general (or specialty) lottery in case they are not selected for the tour.

• Midwest Touring Trifecta Lottery: Artists wishing to create a Midwestern Tour of their show, selecting 3 festivals at application from 4 partners [BorderLight (Cleveland, OH), KC Fringe (Kansas City, MO), Minnesota Fringe (Minneapolis, MN) or IndyFringe (Indianapolis, IN)]. 3 artists will be chosen through this lottery.
• Border Buddies Lottery: Wisconsin and Minnesota artists wishing to to produce their show in both the Green Bay and Minnesota Fringe Festivals. 2 artists will be chosen through this lottery.

Tiers

Next, understand the tiers, determined by venue capacity:

• Bronze Tier: ~70-85 seats. Best for smaller casts and intimate shows; Accessibility between audience and stage is limited; Dance is not encouraged in this tier; Due to limited seating, big payouts are unlikely.
• Silver Tier: ~100-125 seats. Stage configurations are in-the-round or proscenium, no thrust, at least one theater can accommodate dance.
• Gold Tier: ~170-235 seats. This tier includes proscenium, thrust, and in-the-round stages; Includes a venue suitable for dance; Cast size of 20+ should consider in this tier.
• Platinum Tier: up to 460 seats. Best for companies who require a large-size stage area, have a large cast, and/or confident in your abilities to draw a large audience. Cast size of 20+ should consider this tier. Artists not selected will have a second chance to be selected from the General Lottery Gold Tier.

Apply

Finally, complete the application procedure:

• Determine your eligibility. EXAMPLE: If you are travelling from out of state, never produced at Minnesota Fringe before, and you’re a BIPOC producer. Great! You’re eligible for any and all of the different lotteries!
• Determine which tiers you’d like to apply in. IMPORTANT RULE: No matter which lotteries you choose, you can only apply once per tier. You can take a discount to apply for all tiers at once in one particular lottery. Or, you can mix and match depending on which lotteries you qualify for. 
• Fill out the application form(s) of your choice.

SPECIAL NOTES:

Midwest Trifecta and Border Buddies Lotteries: While you will be placed in the Bronze tier if you win the Border Buddies lottery or the Silver Tier if you win a Midwest Trifecta slot, you can still apply in the Bronze and Silver tiers in the other lotteries. This means it is possible to win two spots in these tiers, but you will need to choose between your special tour package or just the Minnesota Fringe slot.

Platinum Tier: To incentivize folks to apply to the largest venue, this tier has a special perk. Artists not chosen in the Platinum tier lottery, that number will be added to the Gold Tier for another chance. Applying for the Platinum Tier does not preclude you from also applying to the Gold Tier. This means it is possible to have two numbers in the Gold Tier Lottery…as long as one of them started as a Platinum Tier number.

If you win with multiple numbers/tiers/lotteries, you will be asked to choose one.

If you apply to more than one tier and are only chosen in one, you are guaranteed a festival spot, but that will be your assigned tier and your waitlisted numbers on all other tiers will be voided. You do not get to hold out for another tier. Please only apply for the tiers you wish to accept.

A Fringe Festival is a different producing environment than a 'normal' production. The festival pace is faster, the timeline more compressed, and there is less control over venue choice, tech, ticketing, and schedule. Requests that might be reasonable in a single-show venue can prove much more challenging to accommodate in a festival environment with up to 100 productions. Guidelines and rules are in place to keep the big picture running smoothly - which is also what makes it fun!

We believe there's a place for everyone in the Fringe Festival and welcome participation from anyone along the entire artistic spectrum. But the Festival may not be right place for every kind of production. Dream big, but know there are limitations to consider:

• Keep it short: All shows must be no longer than 60 minutes long including curtain call and/or audience discussions.
• Keep it simple: You must be able to load in and set up your show in 10 minutes. Likewise, you get ten minutes to load out once your show is finished. Storage is never guaranteed, so you may need to transport your set and costumes in and out for every performance. Venues are shared by up to 11 companies, so lighting configurations will be general to serve many different shows. Projection equipment (video or still) is available in some venues, but not guaranteed. NOTE: There is no rigging, fire, or glitter allowed in Fringe-managed venues.
• Keep it inside: Merchandise sales are permitted inside the theater space -- not the lobby -- during your allotted show time.

Application Deadlines:

• January 15, 2026: Midwest Trifecta and Border Buddies lottery deadline (see Trifecta and Buddies page for more information on these special multi-festival touring lotteries)
• February 15, 2026: Application deadline for all other lotteries AND Producer Funding applications.

Lottery / Registration Dates:

• Late January / Early February, 2026: Midwest Trifecta and Border Buddies Lottery drawings
• Late February / Early March, 2026: General and Specialty Lottery drawings
• March, 2026: Independent Producer registration opens)
• March 20, 2026: Producer fees due to secure registration.

Production Dates:

• May 18 - 21, 2026: All-producer online meeting. You will be scheduled a mandatory 1-hour slot with other producers in your venue.
• August 2 - 5, 2026: Tech week. You will be scheduled a mandatory 3-hour tech in your venue.
• August 6 - 16, 2026: Minnesota Fringe Festival. You will be scheduled for 5 performances, no more, no less.
• August 20 - 23, 2026: Fringe Encore at the Phipps (this is an at-will performance slot. For more information, see Producer Handbook).

Minnesota Fringe constructs programs and platforms that empower artists across the artistic spectrum to take creative risks in, expand their notions of, and engage a wide variety of Minnesotans in  the performing arts. We throw the theater doors wide open for performers and patrons alike, cultivating a rich performing arts community in the process. 

Producer responsibilities include:

• Finding or creating a script; acquiring any necessary rights or permissions for existing scripts/music.
• Procuring necessary costumes, props, set pieces, and sound cues for your show.  
• Arranging/contracting actors and director (and other necessary personnel).
• Arranging necessary visas and work permits if coming from outside the United States.
• Abiding by the Fringe Festival rules and deadlines (see the Producer Handbook for details).
• Providing marketing language (including photos or graphics, appropriate age and genre specifics, and accurate descriptions of your show) to help promote your show on the Fringe website.
• Actively marketing your show to your own networks.
• Attendance at all mandatory meetings, technical rehearsal, and performances (see dates under “What are the dates I need to know?”).

Minnesota Fringe provides:

• A professional-grade, well-equipped accessible venue (with additional wheelchair access or other accommodations for artists, available by request).
• Drawings and photos of your Fringe-managed venue.
• Professional technicians to run the board for your show, including one lighting designer to set cues.
• Customizable individual page for your show on our website.
• Ticket sales (advanced and in-person), box office staff, and front-of-house services.
• 70% of box office revenue returned to artists from direct ticket sales.
• Access to workshops on marketing, budgeting, preparing for technical rehearsals and more, as well as weekly one-on-one help sessions.
• Publicity distribution to major press outlets and regional producers/presenters.
• Artist passes for you and your cast to see festival shows for free.
• Fringe Producers' Handbook—a comprehensive written guide to our festival.

After 3 decades of festivals, producers will also find that Minnesota Fringe audiences are adventurous, supportive, and savor discovering new, adventurous, and innovative artists. Audience reviews on our custom website provide artists feedback for their shows and directly connects producers to patrons.

As a laboratory of artistic experimentation for the performing arts, Minnesota Fringe provides one of the most economically accessible ways to produce live performances in the state. Low production fees and options to defer payment (no cost up-front) or receive Festival Artist Grants (producing at no cost) gives artists an opportunity to stage work during a time when precarious arts funding and several theater closings have made it increasingly difficult for independent companies to fund and find performance space.

Application Fees 

A fee for each application is due at submission. If your show is randomly selected in multiple tiers during the lottery, you will be asked to choose ONE tier. If you have no preference on venue size and you just want to make sure you are in the festival, you can apply to all three tiers at a discounted price. Application fees are graduated based on application date (see below).

• $35 per tier application / $90 to apply to all tiers (December 1 - 31)
• $40 per tier application / $105 to apply to all tiers (January 1 - 31)
• $45 per tier application / $115 to apply to all tiers (February 1 - 15)

For more information about the tiers and the number of applications you can submit, see “How do I apply to the lottery?”

Producer Fees

Producer pay a nominal fee to participate in the festival based on the tier and venue where they are performing. Tiers are designated based on venue capacity. If fees are prohibitive, please check out our Producer Funding Opportunities.

*Border Buddies lottery winners will be placed in Bronze venues; Midwest Trifecta lottery winners will be placed in Silver venues.

Producer Payments

Minnesota Fringe tracks tickets for every patron and whether they paid full price or entered through one of our discount options.  Producers receive 70% of their direct box office receipts, ranging from $8.40-$11.90 per seat. In 2025, the average producer payout totaled $1930.

Funding Opportunities

Minnesota Fringe offers some fee deferments (no producer payment up front) and artist grants (no producer payment) each year. Check out Producer Funding Opportunities to learn more!

NEW: Ed Tyler Touring Fund administered by Capital Fringe. The Tyler supports artists touring their productions to open-access Fringe Festivals across the United States and Canada. Two awards of $10,000 each will be distributed annually to individual artists or companies planning multi-city Fringe Festival tours. The fund uplifts original, live performance rooted in experimentation, accessibility, and community, values central to the Fringe movement. We encourage you to consider this tremendous opportunity if you are touring in 2026. Applications close on November 30.

Each year, Minnesota Fringe receives over 500 applications to fill less than 100 available slots in our festival. However, everyone who applies to the lottery (or lotteries) will be selected out of our bingo cage, have their artist/company name read to hundreds of attendees and viewers so their efforts can be publicly acknowledged.

Once a tier is full, we create a Wait List of artists with the remaining applicants. Artists who applied to multiple lotteries may be on multiple waitlists. Artists selected for the festival will have all other applications / wait list spots discarded. This means the wait list will shift considerably in the first month after the lottery.

The artist at the top of a wait list will be contacted if a producer in their tier drops out of the festival to be offered the opportunity to take the slot. If that artist is no longer available, our Artist Liaison will move to the next person on the wait list, etc.

On July 1, all wait listed artists can opt in to be on a final list of artists willing to step in at any tier to produce their show if another producer cannot perform. This happens every year, sometimes just days before the festival. If you have a show ready to go, then Minnesota Fringe and eager audiences await your performances!

Does your show include rigging or fire? Is it shorter than 40 minutes or longer than 60 minutes? Do you need a permanent set? Do you want to customize the audience space? Do you have very limited availability for performances?

While we can't provide accommodation for these requests in Fringe-managed venues, you may be a great candidate for an Independent Production.

Check into registering as an Independent Production (IP) (aka B.Y.O.V. or Bring Your Own Venue or Site Specific Shows) to guarantee your place in the festival. Registration for IP shows opens in March.

It is STRONGLY ADVISED that you have produced your own work before taking on the responsibility of registering as an IP in the Fringe Festival.