Edmonton Fringe draws to a close with 'staggering' success says organizer

Sunday was the last day for the 2023 Edmonton Fringe Festival, which organizers said was well-attended and back to pre-pandemic energy levels. (Darcy Seaton/CTV News Edmonton)

It was "one heck of a festival year" for the Fringe.

The 42nd Edmonton International Fringe Festival wrapped up Sunday, closing the curtain on an event that organizers said felt for the first time like old times.

"There was an energy that started this festival that I have not felt in some years," said Fringe artistic director Murray Utis.

Despite some soggy days, Utis said attendance was strong across the board. More than 114,000 tickets were sold and 365 shows sold out as of Sunday morning.

"The numbers that we have right now, are staggering when you consider it," he added. "We're at like $1.2 million back to artists with 185 shows."

That compares to 2019's festival, which raised $1.4 million with 256 shows.

"The audience overall in people's shows, way up," Utis said.

In addition to attendance, Utis said he was proud of this year's Fringe team and how they brought the festival together with the community.

"Our team has worked such amazing efforts of helping those living rough," he said. "We have a community care team and a security team that are unlike anything that's happening now in the way that they cared for people so that we could all be together."

A day full of shows remained Sunday, but for anyone who is looking for a Fringe fix beyond that can check the Holdover Series.

It's four of the Fringe's "most interesting" shows curated by Utis.

"We have four holdovers that are absolutely incredible in their own right and they fit together so well as a cohesive look at what Fringe is," he said.

"Tickets are available on our website everybody, get at them because they're selling already."

For more information on the shows, you can click here.