The Fringe is back

In Greenbelt’s 51st year, we’re really excited to be bringing back The Fringe. It’s not a new idea, of course. It’s an old one.

This year, instead of an open call for submissions, we specifically asked for applications to perform on our returning Fringe stage. We received 130 or so wide-ranging pitches from bands, singer-songwriters, poets and comedians.

It was great fun wading through them all, listening to material and watching videos. We were reminded what a creative, innovative and talented bunch we humans are – and how deep and rich the culture of our country runs.

In the end, we had to make some tough calls, narrowing the applications down to just 24 acts to perform on The Fringe this summer. And what was so heartening and humbling was the repeated mention that applicants made of their desire to play at a festival whose values they were really attracted to. Time and again, acts said that to be part of the space we make would be really special for them.

So, from 12 noon through until 8pm each day, we’ll platform eight acts on each of our main festival days, each playing 30-minute sets in The Fringe venue, which will sit at the heart of our campsite Hub cluster of venues and provision, next door to our new campsite bar, The Parched Pilgrim, which will operate the same opening hours as the Fringe Stage – from 12 noon til 8pm.

It’s Year One. It’s a pilot. Who knows where this journey might lead us – both for the artists who perform on the Fringe and for the venue itself. But it feels great to have a recognisable stage in the temporary village we make each summer that this year provides a foothold for artists to start their Greenbelt performing journey.

The venue will be run by a brand new team of Greenbelt volunteers all weekend and the kit for the venue will be put in by the good folks from TEC, at Nottingham University Student Union, who put all the production in on the Rebel Rouser stage for us. So we’re keeping the whole vibe grassroots and community focussed.

And here, at last, is who you’ll see on The Fringe Stage at Greenbelt this summer …

FRIDAY

12.00 / MADDIE THORP

13.00 / JAMES PENDLE

14.00 / BRUT

15.00 / JOSIE FIELD

16.00 / REV21

17.00 / MAGERISON

18.00 / SIMON HOWARD

19.00 / MELISSA JAMES