{"data":{"id":"89dfc20a-1b61-4169-aa20-0c701768dddf","originKind":"SYNDICATED","title":"Edmonton International Fringe Festival announces 2026 holdovers","summary":"The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival wraps up on Sunday, but the curtain isn’t falling on all of the shows.\n\nAs is tradition, a handful of productions will be held over for additional shows this month. Many of these holdovers were critically acclaimed, leading to sold-out performances during their initial runs.\n\nFringe Theatre Holdover Series (Westbury Theatre: 10330 84 Ave.) Lumber (Aug. 26, 27)\n\nJournal reviewer Angela Johnston said, “ You’re guaranteed to laugh, and you might even get misty” at Lumber. Read the review.\n\n650 Light Years Away (Aug. 27, 28)\n\nTom Murray reviewed 650 Light Years Away, saying its “earworms go on for days.” Read the review.\n\nThe Butter Chicken Odyssey (Aug. 28, 29)\n\n“Hilarious and heart-warming” is what reviewer Justin Bell gushed about The Butter Chicken Odyssey. Read the review.\n\nThe Beanstalk Market Crash (Aug. 29)\n\nVarscona Theatre (10329 83 Ave.) Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Robocop: The Musical (Aug. 25-26)\n\nIn his Journal review, Dave Breakenridge wrote Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Robocop: The Musical was “ arguably the show of the 2026 Edmonton Fringe Festival.” Read the review.\n\nMurder Plot (Aug. 25-26)\n\nRamin Ostad wrote in his review that Murder Plot has some of the best laughs of this year’s Fringe Festival. Read the review.\n\nThe Shape of Seamen: A New Comic Opera (Aug. 27)\n\nAccording to Breakenridge, The Shape of Seamen: A New Comic Opera is “as strangely entertaining an hour at sea as you’ll get this Fringe.” Read the review.\n\nA Hellmark Christmas Musical Parody (Aug. 27-28)\n\n“This parody has all the hallmarks of a gosh-darned Christmas show and all the hallmarks of a fringe hit,” wrote Breakenridge. Read the review.\n\nBeing Norwegian (Aug. 28)\n\nReviewing Being Norwegian, Breakenridge described the show as “ sweetness and sadness” with “well-placed laughs.” Read the review.\n\nBetween the Covers (Aug. 29)\n\nGordon’s Big Bald Head: The Fruit of Our Purloins (Aug. 29)\n\nRapid Fire Theatre (10437 83 Ave.) Plays By [Blanks] (Aug. 28)\n\nSwan? – The 100th Show (Aug. 29)\n\nFor more information and to buy tickets, head to fringetheatre.ca/holdovers\n\nRelated Every Journal review from the 2026 Edmonton Fringe\n\nFringe Review: Timothy Felton’s Softie takes stand up to a unnervingly pleasant place\n\nBookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.\n\nYou can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.","url":"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/local-arts/edmonton-international-fringe-festival-2026-holdovers","imageUrl":"https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/edmontonjournal/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/mg_7365.ej_304607559.jpg","publishedAt":"2026-08-21T19:54:52.000Z","sourceLabel":"Edmonton Journal Music","tags":["Entertainment","Festivals","Local Arts","Theatre"],"authorName":"Chad Huculak","contentHtml":"<img alt=\"The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival has announced its list of 2026 holdovers.\" src=\"https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/edmontonjournal/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/mg_7365.ej_304607559.jpg\" title=\"The Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival has announced its list of 2026 holdovers.\" /><p> The <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/every-journal-review-from-the-2026-edmonton-fringe\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival</a> wraps up on Sunday, but the curtain isn’t falling on all of the shows. </p><p> As is tradition, a handful of productions will be held over for additional shows this month. Many of these holdovers were critically acclaimed, leading to sold-out performances during their initial runs. </p><h2>Fringe Theatre Holdover Series (Westbury Theatre: 10330 84 Ave.)</h2><p> <strong>Lumber</strong> (Aug. 26, 27) </p><p> Journal reviewer Angela Johnston said, “ You’re guaranteed to laugh, and you might even get misty” at Lumber. <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/review-lumber-edmonton-fringe\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Read the review. </a> </p><p> <strong>650 Light Years Away</strong> (Aug. 27, 28) </p><p> Tom Murray reviewed 650 Light Years Away, saying its “earworms go on for days.” <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/edmonton-fringe-review-650-light-years-away\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Read the review. </a> </p><p> <strong>The Butter Chicken Odyssey</strong> (Aug. 28, 29) </p><p> “Hilarious and heart-warming” is what reviewer Justin Bell gushed about The Butter Chicken Odyssey. <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/edmonton-fringe-review-butter-chicken-odyssey\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Read the review.</a> </p><p> <strong>The Beanstalk Market Crash</strong> (Aug. 29) </p><h2>Varscona Theatre (10329 83 Ave.)</h2><p> <strong>Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Robocop: The Musical</strong> (Aug. 25-26) </p><p> In his Journal review, Dave Breakenridge wrote Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Robocop: The Musical was “ arguably the show of the 2026 Edmonton Fringe Festival.” <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/edmonton-fringe-review-rodgers-and-hammersteins-robocop-the-musical\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Read the review.</a> </p><p> <strong>Murder Plot</strong> (Aug. 25-26) </p><p> Ramin Ostad wrote in his review that Murder Plot has some of the best laughs of this year’s Fringe Festival. <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/edmonton-fringe-review-murder-plot\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Read the review.</a> </p><p> <strong>The Shape of Seamen: A New Comic Opera</strong> (Aug. 27) </p>  <p>According to Breakenridge, The Shape of Seamen: A New Comic Opera is “as strangely entertaining an hour at sea as you’ll get this Fringe.” <a href=\"http://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/edmonton-fringe-review-the-shape-of-seamen\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Read the review.</a></p>  <p> <strong>A Hellmark Christmas Musical Parody</strong> (Aug. 27-28) </p><p> “This parody has all the hallmarks of a gosh-darned Christmas show and all the hallmarks of a fringe hit,” wrote Breakenridge. <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/fringe-review-a-hellmark-christmas-musical\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Read the review.</a> </p><p> <strong>Being Norwegian</strong> (Aug. 28) </p><p> Reviewing Being Norwegian , Breakenridge described the show as “ sweetness and sadness” with “well-placed laughs.” <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/edmonton-fringe-review-being-norwegian\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Read the review.</a> </p><p> <strong>Between the Covers</strong> (Aug. 29) </p><p> <strong>Gordon’s Big Bald Head: The Fruit of Our Purloins</strong> (Aug. 29) </p><h2>Rapid Fire Theatre (10437 83 Ave.)</h2><p> <strong>Plays By [Blanks]</strong> (Aug. 28) </p><p> <strong>Swan? – The 100th Show</strong> (Aug. 29) </p><p> For more information and to buy tickets, head to <a href=\"http://fringetheatre.ca/holdovers\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">fringetheatre.ca/holdovers</a> </p><h2>Related</h2><ul><li><a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/every-journal-review-from-the-2026-edmonton-fringe\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Every Journal review from the 2026 Edmonton Fringe</a></li><li><a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/theatre/fringe-review-timothy-feltons-softie-takes-stand-up-to-a-unnervingly-pleasant-place\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Fringe Review: Timothy Felton’s Softie takes stand up to a unnervingly pleasant place</a></li></ul><p> <strong>Bookmark our website and support our journalism:</strong><em>Don’t miss the news you need to know — add <a href=\"http://edmontonjournal.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">EdmontonJournal.com</a> and <a href=\"http://edmontonsun.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">EdmontonSun.com</a> to your bookmarks and <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/newsletters/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">sign up for our newsletters here.</a></em> </p><p> <em>You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/subscribe/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Edmonton Journal</a> | <a href=\"https://edmontonsun.com/subscribe/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Edmonton Sun.</a></em> </p>","slug":"edmonton-international-fringe-festival-announces-2026-holdovers","publicPath":"/news/2026-08-21-edmonton-international-fringe-festival-announces-2026-holdovers"}}