There are more than 300 artistic experiences on tap for the month-long celebration happening all over Philadelphia this September.
"We have everything from Broadway actors around town to people making shows for the very first time from scratch, and that's what I love about the Fringe Festival," says Nell Bang-Jensen, FringeArts CEO and Producing Director.
That unique, immersive, one-of-a-kind art has been the heartbeat of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival for three decades now.
"I think people are really hungry for these kinds of unique, immersive, interactive experiences that are a little bit off the beaten path," says Bang-Jensen.
For this anniversary, the 30th year, organizers say the festival is bigger than ever.
"The Fringe Festival this year will feature over 330 different performances happening all around the city. We have hubs in new neighborhoods," says Bang-Jensen.
There are also exciting new venues.
"This year our goal was really to be out in the city and all around," she says. "We actually have developed some amazing partnerships at Philly institutions. We're staging a piece of theater in the Planetarium at The Franklin Institute, which I'm very excited about. We will be at the Athenaeum, the historical library."
Some performances may parade by your front door.
"We have another show that's actually happening on the streets of Philadelphia," says Bang-Jensen. "It's a procession happening on September 3rd.
This year, she says, it's about taking risks.
"There's some theater, some dance, some circus, some performance art," says Bang-Jensen. "What I love is Philly, it's a city of artists, and people come out of the woodwork to make an original show for the festival."
Original, she says, and something you truly can't see anywhere but here.
"Sometimes you see a show in someone's basement at the Fringe Festival that goes on to travel the world, and you get to say: 'I saw it there first, and be part of something from the beginning.' There's a lot of pride in Philadelphia."
The Philadelphia Fringe Festival runs September 8 through September 27.
Tickets for FringeArts Members go on sale July 15. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on July 18.
For tickets and more information, visit PhillyFringe.org.