TAURANGA FRINGE FESTIVAL
Brought to you by the Incubator Creative Hub
A Manifestation of Creativity!
24 OCTOBER 2026
WHAT IS TAURANGA TAURANGA FRINGE?
Tauranga Fringe Festival is a one-day extravaganza of strange creativity, alternative art, live music, Pasifika performance, puppetry, fashion, poetry, circus and everything gloriously in between. It's a realm where mind-bending artistic experiences are bestowed upon the community — a whirlwind affair where artistic visionaries showcase their talents, captivating audiences and igniting creative energies across seven stages.
Leave the politics at the gate. The Fringe is a neutral space where joy and experience prevail — one extraordinary day away from everything that's heavy in the world right now.
Embrace your inner performer, adorn yourself flamboyantly, unleash your creativity, and join this grand artistic carnival. This is grassroots arts at its most alive — built by Tauranga, for Tauranga, with every dollar going straight back into the artists and community that make it happen.
THE DAY AT A GLANCE
Saturday 24 October 2026
10am – 4pm
The Historic Village, 159 17th Avenue, Tauranga
$20 gate | $15 presale | Children under 10 free
Seven stages of live performance
Live music, Pasifika performance, puppetry, fashion, circus, poetry and more
Markets and makers
Garden of Earthly Delights — outdoor garden bar
The Catwalk — Live fashion showcase
Presented by The Incubator Creative Hub in collaboration with some groovy others!
).png)
One $20 ticket. One whole day of extraordinary.
Presale tickets are available now for just $15 — grab yours before they sell out. Children under 10 enter free. This is one of the best value days on the Tauranga arts calendar and we intend to keep it that way.
PERFORMER REGISTRATIONS
Calling all performers — Registrations now open
Tauranga Fringe Festival is open access — a place where performers of every genre, every flavour and every level of weird and wonderful are welcome. Musicians. Poets. Puppeteers. Dancers. Circus acts. Comedians. Fashion Designers. Magicians. DJs. Buskers. Beatboxers. Street artists. The genre-defying and the gloriously unclassifiable.
This is a not-for-profit, community-powered festival built on open participation and the goodwill currency of artists who believe Tauranga deserves something genuinely different.
Lets be Straight up about the bucks
This is a not-for-profit, community-powered festival built on open participation and the goodwill currency of artists who believe Tauranga deserves something genuinely different.
We are actively working on funding and sponsorship, and any gate surplus goes directly back to our performers and crew — transparently and fairly. Right now we ask that you come for the love of it, the audience, and the thrill of being part of something that keeps growing into something really special.
What you get as a Fringe performer:
\\A Sh*t tonne of Aroha
-
A real, warm, enthusiastic audience who came specifically for the unexpected
-
A full day as part of an eclectic, electric lineup across six stages
-
Free entry to the whole festival — soak up every stage, every act, every moment
-
Manaakitanga from a community that genuinely values what you do
-
The goodwill currency that comes from being part of something people talk about long after the day is done
-
A share of gate surplus if funding targets aren't met — fairly and transparently distributed
CRINGE FEST POETRY REGISTRATIONS
THE MIDDAY FRINGE CATWALK SUBMIT YOUR COLLECTION
The Tauranga Fringe Festival Midday Catwalk is the most gloriously unhinged runway in the Bay of Plenty — and we want your collection on it.
If you are a fashion designer, a wearable art creator, a costumier, a textile artist, a maker of the magnificent and the monstrous, a curator of the downright bizarre — this is your stage.
We are calling for collections that provoke, delight and dazzle. Avant-garde. Conceptual. Theatrical. Sustainable. Pasifika. Punk. Fantastical. Sculptural. If it makes people stop, stare and feel something — we want it walking our Catwalk at noon.
Who should apply:
-
Fashion designers at any stage of their career
-
Wearable art and textile artists
-
Costumiers and theatrical designers
-
Students and graduates pushing the boundaries of what fashion can be
-
Collectives, collaborators and creative duos
What you'll get..
-
A runway moment in the heart of the Fringe programme
-
A live audience hungry for the extraordinary
Submit your collection now — fill in the form below and let's talk about what you're making.
We can't wait to see what you've been dreaming up.
GETTING HERE
TAKE A BUS
Buses number 55 and 59 have stops on 16th Avenue, close to the Historic Village. If you are driving, brace yourselves for the chaotic traffic and parking madness that can be Saturdays in the city - plan to leave early.
Enter through the main gates near the Village Hall, follow the cobblestone paths to lead you to all of our main attractions and be sure to check out galleries and stores tucked away on side streets too.
IF YOU DRIVE
If you do drive, there's free on-street car parks along 17th Avenue (including some mobility parking) outside the Historic Village front gates and also along the surrounding avenues. There's usually loads of parks free by Tauranga Boys College during the weekend
Bring your water bottle (there are taps on site where you can refill these), a hat (we've ordered a sunny day), and be ready to join in the fun and frivolity
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Tauranga Fringe Festival?
Tauranga Fringe Festival is a one-day grassroots arts festival held at the Historic Village in Tauranga, New Zealand. Founded and presented by The Incubator Creative Hub, it features open participation which may include live music over our six stages, performance, fashion, pasifika performance, visual art exhibitions, activations, puppetry, circus acts, street performance, poetry buskers, markets and more across the wonderful village grounds.
When is Tauranga Fringe Festival 2026?
Saturday 24 October 2026, 10am–4pm. Labour Weekend.
How much are tickets?
$20 at the gate. $15 presale — available now online. Children under 10 enter free.
Where is it held?
The Historic Village, 159 17th Avenue, Tauranga South, New Zealand.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes! The Fringe is a family-friendly event. Children under 10 enter free. The festival does feature a wide range of art forms including some that may be avant-garde or unexpected — that's the whole point. It's a great way to expose young people to diverse creative expression.
What is the dress code?
There is no strict dress code but flamboyant, creative and expressive is always celebrated. This is your day to go all out.
Is there food and drink available?
Yes — the Garden of Earthly Delights is our outdoor licensed garden bar with refreshments and great tunes. Markets and food vendors will also be on site throughout the day.
How can I perform at the Fringe?
Register your expression of interest using the form on this page. The Fringe is open access — all genres and art forms are welcome.
How can I volunteer?
We'd love to have you as a Friend of the Fringe! Get in touch at info@theincubator.co.nz to register your interest as a volunteer.
How can my business get involved?
We welcome sponsors, partners and collaborators who share our kaupapa. Get in touch here to find out about stage sponsorship and partnership opportunities.
OUR PARTNERS & COLLABORATORS
.png)
Tauranga Fringe Festival is built on collaboration, community and the belief that when like-minded people come together, something extraordinary happens. We are proud to be growing our whānau of partners for 2026.
Our current partners include the Historic Village, Med Lounge & Garden, Euphoria Events, Fatu Pasifika, Capitol Arts Trust, Little Big Markets — with more exciting collaborations to be announced soon.
If your organisation shares our kaupapa — open access, diversity, community joy and the belief that Tauranga deserves something genuinely different — we'd love to talk. Get in touch here.
