San Diego Fringe Festival This Week

San Diego International Fringe Festival is in the middle of its 2026 run this week, with performances continuing Tuesday, May 19, through Thursday, May 22, as part of a festival that opened May 12 and runs through May 24. The festival describes itself as a global, cross-border celebration of unjuried, uncensored and artist-driven work, with programming spread across San Diego and Baja California. Organizers say the 14th annual edition includes theater, comedy, dance, music and circus acts. Festival listings show performances running daily, with tickets sold show by show and a one-time Fringe tag required for most ticketed events. ### When is the festival running this week? May 19 falls in the second week of the festival’s May 12-24 schedule, according to the event’s homepage. The festival said it launched with previews on May 12 and continues through Sunday, May 24. An awards event is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on May 24 at Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park, according to the schedule page. (sdfringe.org) Festival event listings show multiple productions with runs that include May 18-24 or May 18-23, meaning audiences this week are seeing the main stretch of the festival rather than a single opening night. Among the shows listed for this week are “Serving Can’t,” “Safety Stew,” “Don’t Kill Daisy,” “Re:Re:Reincarnation,” “A MAGICIAN,” “MAN.,” “The Fairy Tale Monologues,” “Alisha’s Light” and “An Audience With Robinson Crusoe.” (sdfringe.org) ### How big is the 2026 lineup? KPBS reported on May 11 that the 2026 festival features more than 40 shows by artists from the United States, Mexico, Australia, Japan and India. The same report said the event is being staged at 16 venues throughout San Diego and also in Tijuana. The festival’s own venues page currently lists 20 venue entries, including Baja Fringe locations, suggesting the footprint extends beyond a single central campus. (sdfringe.org) The festival homepage says 2026 also includes a Baja California pilot program and is preparing to host the World Fringe Congress. Organizers describe that expansion as part of a broader cross-border creative corridor stretching south toward Ensenada and east toward Mexicali. ### Where are the performances happening? San Diego venues listed by the festival include Centro Cultural de la Raza, Golden Corpse Theatre, Les Girls Theater, Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre, Mockingbird Improv, School for Creative Careers, SDSU Experimental Theater, SDSU MainStage and SDSU Prebys Theater. (sdfringe.org) Other listed locations include New Destiny and No Limits in Lincoln Park, Tap Fever Studios, Finest City Improv and BoxCar Lot at Old Poway Park. (sdfringe.org) Baja Fringe sites listed by the festival include CEART Rosarito and the Gertrude Pearlman Theatre in Ensenada. The spread of venues means audiences need to check each show page rather than rely on a single box office location. The official schedule page includes a map, and the festival says Fringe tags can be picked up at any Fringe venue. ### What kinds of shows are onstage this week? Festival listings identify this week’s shows across several genres. “Serving Can’t” is listed as comedy at SDSU MainStage, “Safety Stew” as theater at Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theatre, and “Re:Re:Reincarnation” as comedy at Centro Cultural de la Raza. “The Fairy Tale Monologues” and “An Audience With Robinson Crusoe” are listed at SDSU Prebys Theater, while “Alisha’s Light” and “Guilty Pleasure: A Cumming Out Story” are at Golden Corpse Theatre. (sdfringe.org) (sdfringe.org) KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando highlighted several productions in a May 11 preview, including “Re:Re:Reincarnation,” “The Fairy Tale Monologues,” “Life’s a Drag,” “Ghost Train,” “An Audience With Robinson Crusoe,” “Rhythm Delivered,” “Alisha’s Light” and “Serving Can’t.” Her preview also noted new venues and international participation in this year’s festival. (sdfringe.org) ### How do tickets and access work? The festival says a one-time $7 Fringe tag is required for ticketed shows and that 100% of ticket sales go directly to performing artists. The homepage says tags are not required for Family Fringe, Street Theatre or free programming. Tickets are sold through individual performance pages on the festival website. Daily schedules, show listings and the venue map remain posted on the festival website as performances continue through May 24. (kpbs.org) The next named milestone after this week is the awards event at 8:30 p.m. on May 24 at Centro Cultural de la Raza. (sdfringe.org) (sdfringe.org)