NZ Fringe Festival Closes 36th Year With A Bang

The 36th New Zealand Fringe Festival came to an end on Saturday 7th of March in classic fashion. Bangers and Mash Ups – A Jukebox Singalong gave an electrified performance at The Hannah Playhouse, closing the festival with unmatched energy. This was a fitting end to another year of creativity, innovation, and the rise of emerging talent from Pōneke, across the motu, and beyond. For the past three weeks, the city has come alive with events spanning theatre, dance, cabaret, circus, comedy, music and more. With over 20,500 tickets sold across 590 performances generating over $395,000 in ticket income for artists. 40 performance spaces, including the new The Gods Paramount, as well as 27 international productions were also highlights of this year. Fringe also awarded $91K in grants given directly to artists along with 22 awards. The 36th year of NZ Fringe was buzzing with a huge array of talent that attracted both new and veteran audiences. The NZ Fringe thanks every single person who has been a part of the festival, we could not do without you.

NZ Fringe Festival and Melbourne Fringe Festival are also thrilled to announce a new Indigenous exchange initiative: the Melbourne Fringe Indigenous Exchange Award. The Indigenous tour-ready award is an exchange between festivals where, in addition to NZ Fringe sending an artist over the Tasman, Melbourne Fringe will also select a winner and send an indigenous work from Australia to New Zealand Fringe in 2027. Made possible with generous support from Creative New Zealand through the Te Hā o ngā Toi fund, and developed in association with Deadly Fringe, the award will create international touring opportunities for Māori artists, supporting them to present their work in Australia and connect with Indigenous artists across the Tasman. The initiative champions Indigenous storytelling and creativity, sharing powerful cultural narratives with new audiences, while strengthening the long-standing relationship between the two festivals. Building on the success of other NZ Fringe Tour Ready Awards, which connect artists with other festivals such as Adelaide Fringe, Sydney Fringe, and San Diego Fringe Festival. This new award represents an important step in deepening trans-Tasman Indigenous collaboration and opening pathways for Māori artists to share their work on international stages.

“We’re thrilled and honestly overwhelmed to receive these awards. Fringe is such a special space for artists to take risks, and it means the world to have this work recognised. We are excited to expand this story for an overseas audience! Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini / Success is not the work of an individual, but the work of many.” said Waikamania Seve from The Remaining, Melbourne Fringe Indigenous Exchange Award winner.

On Sunday 8th of March the Wellington Airport NZ Fringe annual awards ceremony was held at The Hannah Playhouse, one of the festival’s venues. After careful deliberation by a panel of judges, award winners were announced in celebration of the art and talent that was widespread at the 2026 festival. Twenty two awards were given out in a variety of categories. Thanks to the generous support of sponsors and funders, NZ Fringe was able to offer artists recognition for their hard work, ending the festival on a high.

The awards for this year’s festival span from ‘Best in Fringe’, sponsored by His Worship the Mayor Andrew Little, to the turbulently-wonderful ‘Spectacular Organised Chaos’ sponsored by BATS Theatre, and to ‘Momentous Music Award’, sponsored by Orchestra Wellington.

“The New Zealand Fringe blew us away with the warmest welcome a touring artist could receive. The generosity of spirit that our new friends showed us during their performances, our shows, and just hanging out renewed our love for the arts. The fact that the Best of Fringe award came from such an incredibly talented and kind group of artists makes it all the more meaningful. Thank you New Zealand Fringe and San Diego International Fringe Festival for providing us with this unforgettable experience.” said Cam Porter from Just To Be Close To You, Best in Fringe Award winner.

The full list of awards and their 2026 recipients are listed below

Best in Fringe — Supported by His Worship the Mayor

Nominees: The Fijian Flying Circus, Motion Sickness, D’ Things N Such, The Remaining, Just To Be Close To You, Embarrassed Naked Female, The Cardinal Rules

Winner: Just To Be Close To You

Most Innovative Work — Supported by Wellington Airport

Nominees: Sadomusical, Dune But Worse, Motion Sickness

Winner: Dune But Worse

People’s Choice Picnic Table Design — Supported by Resene

Winner: Jthan Morgan

The Grand Design Award — Supported by Inject Design Agency

Nominees: Motion Sickness, Once Upon a Time in Homowood, Our Dreaming Bodies

Winner: Motion Sickness

Best Emerging Solo Performance — Supported by Tahi The Festival of Solo Performance

Nominees: The Immortal Jellyfish, “Eat, Sleep, Dance, Repeat”, Pōneke Gangster

Winner: Pōneke Gangster

Most Promising Emerging Company — Supported by The Hannah

Nominees: D’ Things N Such, Four Questions, Please Let Me Remain

Winner: D’ Things N Such

Most Promising Emerging Artist — Supported by Creative Capital Arts Trust

Nominees: Millie Hanford, Rachel Brebner, Peggie Barnes

Winner: Rachel Brebner

Spirit of the Fringe Award — Supported by Southward Distilling

Winner: Georgia Kellett

Memorable Marketing — Supported by Phantom Billstickers

Nominees: Jak Darling – Floozy, Bug Songs Not Love Songs, Dune But Worse, Once Upon a Time in Homowood

Winner: Jak Darling – Floozy

Most Promising Pasifika Artist — Supported by Creative New Zealand Pacific Arts Strategy

Nominees: Heinrich Muller, Ocean Manututila, Monet Faifai-Collins

Winner: Monet Faifai-Collins

Most Promising Emerging Ngā Toi Artist — Supported by Creative New Zealand Te Hā o ngā Toi Māori Arts Strategy

Nominees: Waikamania Seve, Zody Takurua, Parekawa Finley

Winner: Waikamania Seve

Spectacular Organised Chaos — Supported by BATS Theatre

Nominees: Crush The Bug, Skate or Die, Stupid Stupid

Winner: Stupid Stupid

Momentous Music Award — Supported by Orchestra Wellington

Nominees: TNT!, Bug Songs Not Love Songs, Motion Sickness

Winner: Bug Songs Not Love Songs

Best Emerging Technician — Supported by Grouse Lighting Aotearoa

Nominees: Jessie McKenzie, Alex Quinn, Asha Barr

Winner: Jessie McKenzie

Outstanding Ensemble Award — Supported by an Anonymous Benefactor

Nominees: The Fijian Flying Circus, The Remaining, Once Upon a Time in Homowood, As You Like It, 2b or nt 2b

Winner: Once Upon a Time in Homowood

Dunedin Fringe Tour Ready Award — Supported by Dunedin Fringe & NZ Fringe

Nominees: Skate or Die, Spoon Show, “Eat, Sleep, Dance, Repeat”

Winner: “Eat, Sleep, Dance, Repeat”

Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award — Supported by Melbourne Fringe & NZ Fringe

Nominees: Prophecy Girl, Dune But Worse, Just To Be Close To You

Winner: Dune But Worse

Sydney Fringe Tour Ready Award — Supported by Sydney Fringe & NZ Fringe

Nominees: Decadunce, Stupid Stupid, D’ Things N Such

Winner: Decadunce

Adelaide Fringe Tour Ready Award — Supported by Adelaide Fringe & NZ Fringe

Nominees: Alice May Connolly’s Box, Crush The Bug, Jak Darling – Floozy

Winner: Alice May Connolly’s Box

San Diego Fringe Tour Ready Award — Supported by San Diego Fringe & NZ Fringe

Nominees: Motion Sickness, Sadomusical, Stupid Stupid

Winner: Stupid Stupid

The Parkin Development Award — Supported by Chris and Kathy Parkin & BATS Theatre

Nominees: Frank. The Musical, El Colibrí, The Immortal Jellyfish, Sosisi Tales

Winner: El Colibrí

Melbourne Fringe Indigenous Exchange Award — Supported by Melbourne Fringe & Creative New Zealand Te Hā o ngā Toi Māori Arts Strategy

Nominees: Pōneke Gangster, The Remaining, El Colibrí

Winner: The Remaining

If you would like to support NZ Fringe and the emerging artists that make it happen, please consider making a donation. Donations can be made via the NZ Fringe website at www.fringe.co.nz/donate.