Montreal Fringe results
and upcoming Canadian Fringes
2021 edition a resounding success with more to come in Fringes across Canada
By Byron Toben
July 7, 2021
“It ain’t over till it’s over.”
– Yogi Berra (1973)
This classic quote from the baseball great popped into my head in researching plans of the other Fringe Festivals in Canada, which, in this COVID year, can be viewed by Montreal Fringeheads for months to come. A list follows below, but first, the results of the recent St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival 2021.
Montreal Results
Highlights include 3000 patrons attending the 30 in-person shows and 1500 viewing ten on-demand shows and 24 digital shorts, the whole generating $30,000 in box office revenues for the performing artists.
In addition, there is an all-summer-long innovation of a Fringebuzz Lab with eight episodes of discussion featuring many well-known Montreal theatre folk. The four in English are Episodes 2, 4, 6 and 8. Click on this link for more information.

Montreal Fringe Festival, La Gauloise Bleue, Marie et Salomé – Image: Louis Longpré
Other Canadian Fringes

Montreal Fringe Festival, Slasher le One-Man-Show, Théâtre Sans Fond – Image: Louis Longpré
Ottawa, like Montreal, is now closed, having run from June 17 to 27.
Winnipeg will run from July 12 to 17. Note that its streamed events are free!
Hamilton, from July 14 to 25
Toronto, from July 21 to 31
Charlottetown, from July 28 to August 1
Saskatoon, from July 29 to August 7
Calgary, from July 30 to August 7
Kingston, from August 7 to 15
Edmonton, from August 12 to 22
Halifax, from September 2 to 12
Vancouver, from September 9 to 19
All of the above are members of CAFF, the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals. You can find out more about each Fringe on their site:
Somehow, Tampa in Florida is also a member, although the dozens of other U.S. cities hosting Fringe Festivals are not. Anyway, to be comprehensive, I add Tampa to my list. Their Fringe will be from July 29 to August 8.
Back to Yogi Berra’s quip at the beginning of this article. The underdog Montreal Canadians defeated the Tampa Lightning, 3-2 in overtime in game 4 of the Stanley Cup last Monday to force a game 5 and hopefully, 6 and 7. Just as the Fringes across Canada keep Fringing available, it truly ain’t over until… (all together now) it’s OVER!
Oh, what a wonder this brave new age of the Internet is, allowing us to selectively see so many shows so easily.
WestmountMag.ca readers, who choose to view one or more of the other Fringes, are welcome to send their findings especially on the in-person and digital splits as the hybrid presentations seem to be something that will persist even as COVID-19 subsides.
Feature image: Montreal Fringe Festival, Spiral, Michegas Theatre, by Louis Longpré
More articles from Byron Toben
Byron Toben, a past president of The Montreal Press Club, has been WestmountMag.ca’s theatre reviewer since July 2015. Previously, he wrote for since terminated web sites Rover Arts and Charlebois Post, print weekly The Downtowner and print monthly The Senior Times. He also is an expert consultant on U.S. work permits for Canadians.
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