Hamilton Fringe

05/31/2026

CALLING ALL FILMMAKERS!

Hamilton Fringe Festival's Shorts Showcase competition is seeking short films (24 minutes or less) by Canadian filmmakers to screen at the eighth annual Films on the Fringe: Shorts Showcase event in July, presented by Downtown Hamilton BIA. ⁠
The short list of submissions will be chosen by a jury of industry professionals and revealed live on Fringe Boulevard (King William St at James St N). The winning film will be screened in full, with the filmmaker receiving a $400 screening fee.⁠ Second and third place will each receive a $100 honorarium and a Fringe Binge 6-Show Pass for use at the Hamilton Fringe Festival.⁠

Deadline to apply is Monday, June 16 at 11:59 PM. Click here for more details and to apply:

Please click the link to complete this form.

05/30/2026

Mark your calendars - only 50 days 'til the Hamilton Fringe Festival!

Video: Anonymous Bat Productions

05/29/2026

Calling all filmmakers!

We are currently seeking short film submissions by Canadian filmmakers to screen at the seventh annual Films on the Fringe: Shorts Showcase event during the Hamilton Fringe Festival this year, July 15-26, 2026,

The Shorts Showcase competition offers Hamiltonians a FREE opportunity to enjoy short films under the stars at the Fringe Boulevard, located on King William Street (between James St N and Hughson St) on Thursday, July 16, 2026.

The long list of submissions will be considered by a jury of industry professionals and revealed live at the Fringe Boulevard. The winning film will be screened in full, with the winning filmmaker receiving a $400 screening fee.⁠ Second and third place will each receive a $100 honorarium and a Fringe Binge 6-Show Pass for use at the Hamilton Fringe Festival.
All shortlisted filmmakers will have a short clip shown at the Shorts Showcase.
There is a non-refundable application fee of $35 to support coordination of this project.

Deadline to apply is Monday, June 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM. For more details and to apply, click here!

Please click the link to complete this form.

05/26/2026

Now’s your chance to be part of the volunteer team this summer for the 2026 Hamilton Fringe Festival!⁠
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Volunteers are at the heart of all HFTco festivals and events and we absolutely couldn’t do what we do without you.⁠
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Whether you're looking to help out in your local neighbourhood, or want to get involved in Hamilton's art scene, or want to complete your high school community involvement hours, volunteering at the Hamilton Fringe Festival is a great way to make a real difference in our community.

Plus, you get to work with a team of passionate, friendly, and fun people, make new friends, and see free Fringe shows—all while supporting local independent artists!⁠
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Interested? Come join the fun and volunteer with us this summer! Sign up at HFTco.ca/volunteer

📸1&4: Photos by Dave Pijuan-Nomura
📸2&3: Photos by Creative Guild

05/21/2026

CALLING ALL FILMMAKERS

Hamilton Fringe Festival’s Shorts Showcase is now open!⁠
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We are seeking short films (24 minutes or less) by Canadian filmmakers to screen at the ninth annual Films on the Fringe: Shorts Showcase event at Fringe Boulevard this July, presented by Downtown Hamilton BIA.⁠
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The shortlist of submissions will be chosen by a jury of industry professionals with selections screened live at our outdoor festival hub – Fringe Boulevard – located on King William St in downtown Hamilton. The winning film will be screened in full, with the winning filmmaker receiving a $400 screening fee.⁠ Second and third place will each receive a $100 honorarium and a Fringe Binge 6-Show Pass for use at the Hamilton Fringe Festival.⁠
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Deadline to apply is Monday, June 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM at https://form.jotform.com/HamFringe/ShortsShowcase26

📸: 2025 Films On The Fringe: Shorts Showcase, photo by Dave Pijuan-Nomura

05/21/2026

Check out the 2026 Visual Fringe lottery winners!

Visual Fringe gives artists a chance to have their artworks on the walls of Relay Coffee Roasters and Vintage Coffee Roasters.⁠ 11 artists have been selected from our random draw to have their art on display this summer:

Siobhán Aislinn
Andria Ali
All Han Made
The Crafty Killjoy
G’Mornin’ Sunshine Comics: Mykola Paskaruk
Kali Hodgson
Teryn Lawson
Shayne Hobbs-Primitive Outlines
Kevin Sooley
William Thomson
Wheeldon Dog Photography

This is also the 3rd annual Kids Visual Fringe. Two artists 16-years-old or under have their artwork on display in the lobby of Dundas Valley School of Art. Congratulations to this year’s cohort:

Kadidja Canisius
Stephanie Stancheva

Be sure to pop by to see what could be their first art exhibition!

HUGE thank you to our Visual Fringe partners for making this all possible: Relay Coffee Roasters, Vintage Coffee Roasters, and Dundas Valley School of Art!

05/20/2026

Visual Fringe is a city-wide exhibit of visual arts, part of the Hamilton Fringe Festival. In true Fringe Festival spirit, our Visual Fringe artists are chosen randomly via lottery – giving every one who applies an equal opportunity to take part.

Confirmed venue partners in 2026 include Relay Coffee (27 King William St), Vintage Coffee Roasters (977 King St E), and may include others to be confirmed.

In true Fringe spirit, Visual Fringe features work from no fewer than 9 regional artists selected by random draw to have their artwork on display at & , and 2 Kids Visual Fringe artists will have their work on display at Dundas Valley School of Art in July.

05/16/2026

You have a few extra days to apply to the Visual Fringe Lottery!

If you’ve ever dreamed of having the opportunity to display your artwork on the walls of local cafés and galleries, then Visual Fringe might be right up your alley!
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In true Fringe spirit, Visual Fringe features work from no fewer than 9 regional artists selected by random draw to have their artwork on display at &
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We’ve also partnered with Dundas Valley School of Art to bring you Kids Visual Fringe! Specifically for artists 16 years old and under, this free lottery will give two randomly selected young artists the opportunity to display their works of art in the lobby of .ca⁠
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The Visual Fringe Lottery application deadline has been extended to Tuesday, May 19 at 11:59 PM and artists will be drawn live on Wednesday, May 20 at 1 PM.

Visit HFTco.ca for more details and to apply!

Slide 1: photo of K. Swackhammer with artwork, 2025 Visual Fringe
Slide 2: artwork by Haylie Maria Dittrich, 2025 Visual Fringe
Slide 3: art by Kevin Sooley, 2025 VisualFringe
Slide 4: art by K. Swackhammer, 2025 Visual Fringe
Slide 5: plate art by Wolf Dottir, 2025 Visual Fringe
Slide 6: Kids Visual Fringe display, 2025
Slide 7: photo of Haylie Maria Dittrich, 2025 Visual Fringe

05/13/2026

The city’s biggest, boldest 12-day arts festival is BACK!
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Save the date: July 15-26, 2026 ⁠
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Thanks to Ver Sands (Jacqui Oakley) for the illustration and Twin Design for the design of this absolute GORGEOUS poster!⁠ You’ll be seeing lots more of our foxy little pal around town in the coming weeks.
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Follow our social channels or sign up to our newsletter to stay tuned when tickets go on sale.

Check us out at https://HFTco.ca/