Greater Manchester Fringe 2024

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

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Greater Manchester Fringe 2024

The Fitzgerald, Manchester HOME Manchester, Manchester The Kings Arms, Chapel Street and other venues...
1-31 July 2024

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Greater Manchester Fringe Festival 2024
Image courtesy of Amy Webber/ Greater Manchester Fringe Festival.
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This July, Greater Manchester Fringe Festival returns for its 13th year. A huge celebration of theatre and performance in the North, we love that the festival offers a fascinating and diverse programme of performance with ticket prices that won’t break the bank.

A creative hotbed of new work, the festival brings some of the most up-and-coming writers and performers to the region – many to showcase their work ahead of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Springing up in a number of venues across the city, festival-goers will find an eclectic programme of drama, comedy, music, mime, children’s shows, storytelling, visual arts, spoken word and stand-up on offer. Most pleasingly, the festival comes with affordable ticket prices, offering access to a non-traditional theatre-going audience.

Spilling out across Greater Manchester, performances will take place in several different venues including HOME Manchester, Salford Arts Theatre, The Fitzgerald, The Edge, Chorlton, Whitefield Garrick and The King’s Arms.

Faith by Mike Heath at HOME
Faith, a new play by Mike Heath at HOME. Image courtesy of Greater Manchester Fringe.

Highlights of the 2024 festival include Faith, a brand new play by the award-winning writer Mike Heath, telling the story of a gay couple who clash with a devout Catholic mother at their wedding. We’re also championing Red Brick Theatre’s Moult, a darkly comic monologue revealing the inner workings of a person who has escaped the challenges of modern life by living in a commercial waste wheelie bin. In contrast, we’ve also got our eyes on Amy Lever’s Lost Girl – a fresh new show exploring Jewish-Arab heritage, connection and family – that previews in Manchester before heading to Edinburgh Fringe.

Lost Girl by Amy Lever at the King's Arms, Salford
Lost Girl by Amy Lever. Image courtesy of Amy Lever/ Greater Manchester Fringe.

We’re thrilled that Manchester Fringe audiences are the first in line to see brand-new theatre by some of the UK’s sharpest creatives. Furthermore, many of the Fringe’s past productions have gone on to be performed in some of the North’s established theatres, such as the Royal Exchange, Octagon Theatre Bolton and The Lowry.

With a performance for everyone, Greater Manchester Fringe Festival offers a delightful chocolate box of theatre.

Where to go near Greater Manchester Fringe 2024

DoES Liverpool event space
Cinema
DoES Liverpool

DoES Liverpool is a vibrant community makerspace, co-working hub and creative tech venue in the heart of Liverpool’s Fabric District.

shop
Stretford
Shopping Centre
Stretford Mall

Stretford Mall has undergone a major transformation, turning a 60s shopping centre into a vibrant, community-led town centre. Led by Trafford Council and Bruntwood Works.

Penistone Hill Country Park
Bradford
Park
Penistone Hill Country Park

As part of Bradford 2025’s UK City of Culture programme, Penistone Hill plays host to outdoor events that celebrate the enduring connection between landscape, identity and creativity.

Threshold is an artist-led project space for sculpture, located in the front garden of a traditional back-to-back house in Burley, Leeds. Exhibitions are open for all to view. Encounter sculpture on your daily walk, or way to work or school.
Leeds
Event venue
Threshold Leeds

Threshold is an artist-led project space for sculpture, located in the front garden of a traditional back-to-back house in Burley, Leeds.

The Engine Room Notice Board
Southport
Event venue
The Engine Room

The Engine Room is a creative community hub in Southport’s Wayfarers Arcade, offering co-working space, cultural events and collaborative opportunities for artists, freelancers and educators.

Leeds
Gallery
The Mill Gallery

The Mill Gallery is an artist-run space in Leeds, supporting emerging artists to develop and showcase their work authentically.

What's on: Comedy

Until
ComedyManchester
XS Malarkey

Providing award-winning Comedy since 1997, XS Malarkey is a not-for-profit comedy club, hosted every week by Toby Hadoke.

From £3
Until
ComedyManchester
Comedy Balloon

Every Wednesday at Ape & Apple, Manchester’s official underground comedy club, Comedy Balloon’s friendly and warm comedy night takes place.

Free entry
Until
ComedyManchester
The Comedy Vault

Every Monday night upstairs at Fierce Bar, The Comedy Vault hosts an outrageously funny open-mic night. Come and try your hand or just to watch and laugh.

Free entry
Until
ComedyManchester
Creatures of the Night Comedy Club

An insanely committed seven-nights-a-week, Creatures of the Night Comedy Club opens its doors (20.30-22.30 typically, though please check) for evening after evening of side-splitting comedy.

From £5.00

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