Preview: Durham Free Fringe: A New Stage for All This July

 

Durham Free Fringe: A New Stage for All This July

This summer, Durham’s creative calendar expands with the arrival of the Durham Free Fringe, a brand-new festival running 23rd–27th July 2025. Inspired by the ethos of the Edinburgh Free Fringe, this grassroots initiative aims to make performing more accessible for artists—and watching more affordable for audiences.

Running alongside the established Durham Fringe, this new offshoot offers free, unticketed performances in informal venues like pubs, where acts such as stand-up comedy, storytelling and poetry can shine without the need for costly technical setups. Audiences are invited to support performers with voluntary donations at the end of each show.

Curated by Aadil Kurji (comedy) and Chris Neville-Smith (theatre), the festival will be centred at The Holy GrAle, with The Station House hosting additional performances on Saturday 26th July.

Durham Free Fringe 2025 Highlights

• Philosophy Storytime: Erotic Tales of and for Lovers of Wisdom
  Kathrine Cuccuru brings her acclaimed Dundee Fringe show to Durham—a playful, thoughtful solo piece combining storytelling and philosophical musings.
  Wed 23rd & Thurs 24th, 6.00 p.m. at The Holy GrAle

• It’s Not Cluedo!
  A madcap comedy game show from Chris Neville-Smith where the audience invents the murder mystery. A hit from Brighton’s Rotunda Theatre.
  Wed 23rd, 7.30 p.m. at The Holy GrAle

• (Just off the) Bailey Banter
  Aadil Kurji hosts an inclusive stand-up comedy night featuring a rotating bill of new and seasoned acts. Expect anything and everything!
  Thurs 24th & Fri 25th, 7.30 p.m. at The Holy GrAle

• Caitriona Dowden: Dance Like Everyone's Dancing
  A joyful comedy show about existential dread and the 1518 dancing plague, from an award-nominated rising star.
  Fri 25th, 6.30 p.m. at The Holy GrAle
  Sat 26th, 2.00 p.m. at The Station House

• Doctor Coppelius
  Neville-Smith returns with a haunting solo storytelling play exploring the tragic backstory of the villain from the ballet Coppélia.
  Sat 26th, 3.00 p.m. at The Station House
  Sun 27th, 4.00 p.m. at The Holy GrAle

With no tickets required, and a welcoming, accessible approach, the Durham Free Fringe is set to become a vibrant new fixture in the region’s summer arts scene.

Venues: https://www.facebook.com/theholygraledurham/

https://www.stationhousedurham.co.uk/