The Istanbul Fringe Festival is preparing to take place for the seventh time this year, bringing together stages, streets, and every corner of the city. Taking place between September 19 and 27, 2025, the festival promises participants an interdisciplinary experience with dance, performance, and theater shows, as well as workshops, talks, and nighttime events.
Named after the Latin verb fringere, the festival continues its tradition of defying definitions, resisting boundaries, and inviting audiences to explore the alternative. Questioning dichotomies such as mainstream and alternative, center and periphery, inside and outside, the festival seeks to pursue a third possibility beyond all these oppositions.
26 Performances, 6 Workshops, 10 Countries
This year, the Istanbul Fringe Festival will host a total of 20 performances, 10 from Turkey and 10 from abroad, bringing together artists from a wide geographical area stretching from France to Palestine and from Canada to Slovenia in Istanbul. The program, which includes a total of 26 performances, 6 workshops, various meetings, and parties, creates an open platform for creative expression.
The festival will open on September 19 at Kadıköy Municipality Alan Kadıköy. As part of the festival’s classic section, “Fringe Shorts,” two performances, The World Behind and PE**E*, will meet the audience this year. At the closing, on September 27, as part of “Long Saturday” at Arter, Kaçak Çay Saati, a joint production of Istanbul Fringe Festival and Moussem, will be back on stage with the interpretation of Fatih Gençkal and Mustafa Zeren.
The Spirit of Fringe in Every Corner of the City
This year, the festival is spreading across Istanbul. Venues such as Alan Kadıköy, Paribu Art, BarınHan, Paşa Han, Zorlu PSM, Arter, Kadıköy Cinema, Komünite, TheraPera, İMÇ Workshop 5554, ENKA Auditorium, and MSGSÜ’s Bomonti campus will host the diverse spirit of Fringe.
Throughout the program, participants are invited not only to watch but also to become part of the experience through workshops, talks, and parties. The festival prioritizes direct interaction between artists and audiences, creating a space that is not just watched but shared.
