The Atlanta Fringe Festival has announced its biggest lineup yet – featuring 28 performance groups from seven different states and Thailand – presenting live theater, dance, puppetry, comedy, storytelling, and more.

This year’s festival, which takes place June 3-9 across seven local venues, will also feature a free performance venue for family-friendly shows and activities; a free outdoor festival featuring Atlanta street performers; a variety benefit featuring local Atlanta talent; and audio artists whose work will be available exclusively on the Atlanta Fringe podcasting network.

The festival includes performances to suit every taste, with entertainment taking over venues around Little Five Points, East Atlanta Village and Old Fourth Ward. This year’s traditional and converted performing spaces include 7 Stages, The Marianna at Wrecking Bar Brewpub, Limelight Theater, Metropolitan Studios and Dynamic El Dorado.

“We can honestly say this is one of the most dynamic line-ups we’ve ever hosted,” said Atlanta Fringe Festival Executive Director Diana Brown. “We have put together a group of exceptional artists from across the globe ready to engage audiences for days of eccentric, inspiring performances. It’s overwhelming… but in the best way!”

Per festival tradition, the 28 companies in this year’s lineup were primarily chosen through an unjuried lottery of approximately 100 global submissions. As in years past, the 12th Annual Atlanta Fringe Festival will boast live performances across the theatrical spectrum, from burlesque-based monster cabarets to ensemble comedies, modern dance, puppetry and magicians. Festival artists will be eligible for cash prizes for excellence in various categories as selected by the audience, staff and a panel of judges from the Atlanta arts community.

In addition to the live performance core of the festival, additional programming will include:

• FREE family-friendly performances at East Atlanta Kids Club starting Saturday, June 8 at 10 a.m. Featuring puppetry, storytelling, games, crafts and more, these performances are appropriate for children ages 0-18.
• FREE preview performance at 7 Stages on Wednesday, June 5 at 7 p.m. All 28 shows will get three minutes each to wow the audience at 7 Stages, allowing them to get to know the artists. This is usually a standing-room-only event, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early.
• FREE Atlanta Street Fringe taking place June 7-9 around Little 5 Points Village. Street Fringe is a platform dedicated to busking and street performers of all kinds! Activations around Little 5 will allow performers to engage with pedestrians in one of the coolest, quirkiest and most beloved neighborhoods in Atlanta.
• Benefit Show – Five/5ths of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure will kick off the festival Monday, June 3 at 7 p.m. at 7 Stages. By splitting this classic film into five parts and giving the parts to five very different performance groups, we get the most unique (and triumphant) re-telling of all time.

In addition to live performances, the Atlanta Fringe Festival will once again host an audio component: Fringe Audio. The only podcasting network of its kind on the fringe circuit, Fringe Audio will feature pieces of storytelling and radio theater – most of them world premieres – by local and national artists. Streaming at AtlantaFringe.org on May 20, the shows are free, and a $200 cash prize will be offered to the winner of the Critics’ Choice Award, recognizing excellence in podcast production.