4th International Puppet Fringe Festival NYC 2026

The International Puppet Fringe Festival, New York’s only international fringe festival dedicated to puppetry, returns August 12th to 16th, 2026, and will once again feature performances by leading puppet makers and troupes from around the world. Produced by Teatro SEA, and Grupo Morán (The Morán Group) with the support of The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural & Education Center.

The International Puppet Fringe Festival is an open, artist-driven platform to showcase your work in NYC—celebrating both contemporary and traditional puppetry. Unlike a curated festival, a Fringe welcomes bold ideas, emerging voices, and innovative experiments, creating an inclusive space where artists can take risks and audiences can discover fresh, unexpected work.

This edition of the International Puppet Fringe Festival will highlight and celebrate Women in Puppetry. We especially encourage performances created, directed, or led by women and female-identifying artists to apply.

REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES

The festival will only accept applications for performances that exemplify the best in puppetry. Performances can be classical, experimental, or musical and targeting adult or family audiences. There is a non refundable application fee ($25 USD) to all companies submitting an application. The selected companies invited to participate in the festival will receive a stipend as well as a percentage of ticket sales.

• All shows must be between 40 and 80 minutes long
• All shows must be technically appropriate for a fringe style festival  (for example, easy and quick to “get in” and “get out”).
• Performances may be in any language or can simply contain no words/text at all. In an effort to keep this festival international for our audience and artists, we strongly encourage you to include subtitles if your show is not in English. The company is responsible for including the subtitles.

To make sure that IPFFNYC provides a broad selection of high-quality work, when making the selections, we will be weighing a variety of different elements, including the show’s:

• Appeal to a broad audience
• Technical requirements
• Overall quality of the production

IPFFNYC promotes the festival as a whole. The participants are responsible for ensuring patrons are aware and interested in their project by further promoting their own projects. 

If selected, participating productions will perform up to three performances.

PARTICIPATING COMPANY BENEFITS

Benefits to the participating companies include:

• the opportunity to showcase your work in NYC
• technical and production staff
• marketing and publicit
  
• a stipend
• a 60% – 70% of ticket sales
• the venue
• box office services
• inclusion in the Fringe Guide
• an online platform to sell tickets 

INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS

Participating companies will be responsible for covering all of their expenses, including travel, accommodation and meal expenses. Additionally, international artists and companies are 100% responsible for making their own arrangements for their necessary visa. The festival will only provide an official invitation letter to the selected companies and artists. 

TERMS OF AGREEMENT

– IPFFNYC will not provide comments regarding submitted work to any applicant.
– There is a non-refundable application fee ($25 USD) for ALL companies submitting an application which will be paid through our PAYPAL system.
– Venues and performance times will be assigned to all participating companies.
– By submitting your application, you agree to allow the use of your submitted materials for promotion and marketing purposes.
– Participating companies will be responsible for covering all of their expenses, including travel, accommodation and meal expenses. Additionally, international artists and companies are 100% responsible for making their own arrangements for their necessary visa. The festival will only provide an official invitation letter to the selected companies and artists.
– By submitting an application, you’re committing to participate in the festival if accepted.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 16th, 2026.

All paperwork must be completed and your application fee paid. We will not be able to accept applications after the deadline.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Participants will be given time for technical rehearsals of productions. Artists are encouraged to keep technical complication to a minimum, both in the spirit of Fringe and to facilitate this process. Venues will provide a rep lighting plot and a basic sound system.