Open Call 2026

If you need the Open Call 2026 in plain language or have further questions, feel free to contact us at info@fringify.hamburg.

From 3 to 7 June 2026, the 12th edition of Fringify – Independent Arts Festival Hamburg invites artists from Hamburg and beyond to take part.

Fringify – Independent Arts Festival Hamburg contributes to the cultural and social life of the city and further afield through a wide range of artistic practices and a cross-disciplinary approach. The festival positions itself as a platform for artists and their multiple perspectives. It is characterised by artistic curiosity, experimentation, and collaboration across disciplines, regions, and national borders.

Our core focus lies on the independent performing arts. At the same time, we welcome contributions from other artistic fields and hybrid formats. We are looking for artists and visionaries who challenge boundaries and advocate for an inclusive and equitable society through their work.

You can use the application form on this website to submit your projects. Applications by email cannot be accepted. If you experience any technical difficulties with the form, please contact support@fringify.hamburg so we can ensure that your submission reaches us.

We look forward to receiving your applications and to shaping the 12th edition of Fringify together!

Participation Conditions for the Open Call 2026

Application Deadline

5 January 2026 at 18:00 (CET)

You can submit your application until 5 January 2026 at 18:00 (CET). Productions premiering in December 2025 may submit their documentation video until 11 January 2026.

Submission Limit

Each lead artist or artistic collective may submit only one production.

Compensation

Fringify Festival pays €400 per person for a performance, including the rehearsal. If additional rehearsals are required, a compensation of €200 per person may be granted by agreement.

Accommodation and Travel Costs

For all invited productions, we cover travel expenses as well as up to 2 nights of accommodation per person for all team members who do not live in Hamburg.
Please list the names of all travelling artists and their respective departure cities in the application form so we can prepare planning and cost calculations accordingly.

Technical Support

If you experience technical problems with the application form, please contact us at support@fringify.hamburg before submitting your application by email. We will do our best to assist you.

Selection Process

An independent jury will make the final selection by mid-February 2026. Selected productions will be notified by email at the end of February.
We will announce the jury members over the course of December.

Further Information

For productions with elaborate sets, special technical requirements, or specific space needs, we kindly ask you to provide the relevant details in the application.

Please note that we cannot guarantee requests for specific venues. However, our experienced technical team will ensure that each production is presented in an appropriate and well-suited space.

Applications from people who have experienced racism, antisemitism, or other forms of marginalisation are explicitly encouraged. Within the limits of spatial accessibility, applicants with disabilities will be given preference when equally qualified.

Apply here

Name of the lead artist/artistic collective:

Postal address

Telephone/mobile number:

Title of the production:

Form of production (e.g., performance, installation, concert):

Short description of the production (max. 1200 characters):

Duration of the production:

Language(s) of the production:

Your production is:

Date and location of the premiere:

Number of people directly involved in the performance (e.g. performer, musician, live video):
(Please indicate which team members live in Hamburg and which live elsewhere. For team members living outside Hamburg, please state their place of residence.)

Additional rehearsal requirements
(If your production has specific requirements that necessitate an additional rehearsal outside the general rehearsal, please provide the details below, including the type of rehearsal and any setup requirements. If no additional rehearsal is needed, please enter "Not required.")

Does the production include a translation into English or German, for example in the form of subtitles and/or German Sign Language (DGS) or audio description?

Content Notes

Accessibility Notes

Other aspects of accessibility

Detailed concept of the proposed production (PDF, max. 5 MB):

Technical requirements of the production (PDF, max. 5 MB):
(Please attach important documents such as the tech rider, lighting plan, and stage plan, and specify if you will be bringing your own technical staff.)

Documentation links for the production (e.g., videos, audio, photos):
(Please provide relevant links to documentation materials related to the production you are submitting. Depending on the nature of your work, this may include video documentation for theatre, dance, or performance pieces; photos for exhibitions; or concert recordings in video or audio formats.
Make sure to include the full web addresses (URLs) for each link and ensure that they are publicly accessible.
Productions premiering in December may send their documentation videos to opencall@fringify.hamburg until 11 January. Please include the name of the production and the artist(s)/collective in the subject line of the email.)

CV/Resume (PDF, max. 5 MB)

Portfolio / Information on previously realised projects

Website:

Social Media:

Data Protection:

I consent to the processing of my data in accordance with the GDPR and allow its use for the application to Fringify – Independent Arts Festival Hamburg 2026.

Jurymitglieder 2026

Susanne Blumentahl

Viktoria Draganova

Kuratorin, Gründerin des Kunstraums Swimming Pool und dessen künstlerische Leiterin. Initiatorin verschiedener Bildungsprogramme und Forschungsplattformen, darunter das Center for Social Vision. Im Jahr 2024 initiierte Viktoria Nine Elephants, ein Mikrofestival für künstlerische Interventionen im urbanen Raum. Darüber hinaus engagiert sie sich in der Entwicklung von Kulturpolitik durch ihre Mitarbeit in Arbeitsgruppen und Ausschüssen. Sie lebt in Sofia, hat in Berlin Jura studiert und promovierte in Rechtsgeschichte.

www.swimmingpoolprojects.org

Ayna Steigerwald

Ayna Steigerwald (she/her) works as a writer and dramaturge in the independent arts scene, organizes readings, and explores questions of solidarity within spaces and events. She was part of the artistic direction of ULF – Das Unabhängige Lesereihen Festival in Nuremberg and the art and discourse festival fluctoplasma in Hamburg. She has contributed to projects such as the photo-text installations mo|men|tos and, most recently, the temporary art lab REMISE. In 2022, she was awarded the Hamburg Literature Prize for Poetry, and in 2024, she received the Adalbert Stifter Fellowship.