Curtain falls on Regina International Fringe Festival this summer: organizers

"The Greatest Guitarist in the World," Colin Godbout, speaks at the kick-off event for the eighth annual Regina International Fringe Theatre Festival on Wednesday.

A storied annual tradition for Regina theatregoers is hitting the pause button.

The Regina International Fringe Festival says on its website that this summer’s fringe has been cancelled but is to return next year.

Board member William Hales says the curtain fell on this year’s event because the organization missed the deadline for a large grant and learned one of its prime venues would be under renovation.

Artists who applied to appear at the festival have had their application fees refunded.

Hales says the plan is for the fringe to return in July 2026 and that the board is looking at new venues to host shows.

It marks the second arts festival to be cancelled in the city after the Regina Folk Festival announced it wouldn’t go ahead due to financial constraints and reduced operational capacity.

-This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2025.