Orlando Fringe has officially unveiled the complete schedule for its 2026 “Winter Mini-Fest,” marking the 10th anniversary of the festival’s fun-sized winter edition. The event runs January 7–11, 2026, inside Orlando Shakes, bringing back a curated collection of local, national, and international performances in true Fringe style.
The winter event serves as a bridge between Orlando Fringe’s major May festival and offers a more intimate, centralized experience. This year’s Winter Mini-Fest features more than 20 shows across four days, including returning favorites, new works from acclaimed Fringe artists, and productions sourced from Fringe festivals around the world.
Organizers also shared key dates for the year ahead, including:
Colin Mochrie & Friends: A Fab Fringe Fundraiser – April 6, 2026
The 35th Annual Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival – May 12–25, 2026
A Compact Festival With Big Variety
Winter Mini-Fest stands apart from the larger May event by offering a curated schedule that spans genres from comedy and drama to dance, storytelling, multimedia works, and experimental art. Many productions run multiple times, giving audiences more flexibility to explore different performances.
Below is a summary of the 2026 programming lineup.
LOCAL SHOWS
Orlando-based productions include science fiction, immersive comedy, improvised late-night TV, historical narratives, and experimental storytelling. Highlights include:
Portal: A Sci-Fi Fairy Tale (Homicidal Orphans) – Jan. 8 at 7:30pm; Jan. 10 at 2:25pm
Spin on Truth LP: Live Play Experience (SPINdian) – Jan. 8 at 8:20pm; Jan. 10 at 10:30pm
ART(er) SPACE (2SleepyRatGuys) – Jan. 9 at 6pm; Jan. 11 at 5:30pm
It’s Alive! LIVE (Anomalo Labs) – Jan. 9 at 6:40pm; Jan. 10 at 9:35pm
The Fabulous King James Bible (New Generation Theatrical) – Jan. 9 at 8pm; Jan. 11 at 6:10pm
The Rooms We Carry (Quantum Leap Productions) – Jan. 9 at 8:10pm; Jan. 11 at 4:15pm
DK Does Movie!!! (DK Live! Productions) – Jan. 9 at 8:25pm; Jan. 11 at 9:40pm
Impersonators (Musetta’s Waltz Productions) – Jan. 10 at 1:10pm; Jan. 11 at 5:45pm
NATIONAL SHOWS
Artists from across the U.S. will bring dance collaborations, memoir-driven comedy, thrillers, interactive shows, and award-winning storytelling to Orlando. Notable performances include:
CLYMOVE X RAMBÜS – Jan. 10 at 3:30pm; Jan. 11 at 6:20pm
CRACKS (Claire Lochmueller) – Jan. 8 at 6:20pm; Jan. 10 at 4:10pm; Jan. 11 at 9:40pm
1 Small Lie (Martin Dockery) – Jan. 8 at 6:50pm; Jan. 10 at 5:50pm
ANATOMICA (Amica Hunter) – Jan. 8 at 7:50pm; Jan. 10 at 5:40pm; Jan. 11 at 1:15pm
Full of Grace (Andrea Barello) – Jan. 8 at 9pm; Jan. 10 at 5:25pm; Jan. 11 at 8:30pm
Vampira: A Hollywood Horror Story (Ingrid Garner) – Jan. 8 at 9:20pm; Jan. 10 at 2:40pm; Jan. 11 at 8:10pm
Funny Fortunes with Mercado de la Fortuna – Jan. 9 at 6:30pm; Jan. 10 at 6:55pm; Jan. 11 at 1:40pm
The Goodlucks – Jan. 9 at 9:30pm; Jan. 10 at 3:55pm; Jan. 11 at 4:40pm
The Best Man Show (Mark Vigeant) – Jan. 9 at 9:40pm; Jan. 10 at 8:05pm; Jan. 11 at 2:45pm
Jon Bennett: THIS WILL ONLY EVER HAPPEN ONCE – Jan. 10 at 2pm; Jan. 11 at 8:10pm
Softie (Tim Felton) – Jan. 10 at 8:50pm; Jan. 11 at 2:20pm
INTERNATIONAL SHOWS
Global storytelling and performance art return to the Orlando stage with works from Canada and the United Kingdom:
Private Parts: The Secrets We Keep – Jan. 8 at 6pm; Jan. 10 at 9:15pm; Jan. 11 at 3:10pm
The Event – Jan. 8 at 9:50pm; Jan. 9 at 8:50pm; Jan. 10 at 12:25pm
Shirley Gnome: Live, Bare & Natural – Jan. 9 at 7:20pm; Jan. 11 at 4pm
No Worries If Not – Jan. 9 at 5:50pm; Jan. 10 at 7:20pm; Jan. 11 at 12:50pm
FRINGE FAVORITES & SPECIAL PROGRAMMING
Winter Mini-Fest also features a selection of festival traditions and community events:
Winter Mini-Fest Teaser Show – Jan. 7 at 7:30pm
THE JONBENET CABARET: Flashlight Cabaret – Jan. 9 & 10 at 11:30pm
Kids Fringe Mini-Morning Fest – Jan. 10 from 10am–12pm
Visual Fringe Art Market – Open throughout the festival
Winter Mini-Fest Awards – Jan. 11 at 11pm
All performances are 70 minutes or less and tickets are $15, with a required $3 button for festival entry.
Festival Leadership Shares a Milestone Message
“Welcome to the 10th Orlando Fringe Winter Mini-Fest!” Tempestt Halstead, Artistic Director of Orlando Fringe said in a press release. “Curating this milestone year meant honoring a decade of bold, intimate, risk-taking work while lifting up the new voices shaping our future. This lineup brings together emerging creators and brand-new work from returning favorites. Each piece will leave you wanting more. A heartfelt thank you to our staff and volunteers for their dedication, and to our audiences for joining us and for supporting the kind of fearless, independent art that keeps Fringe thriving and our community creating. I invite everyone to lean in, explore and try something new. Curiosity is the heart of this festival.”