Spring Showers Bring Fringe Flowers

Create your own Fringe Hot Spot!

Earlier this week the clocks went forward and since then we have had sun, rain, wind and hail! So, its official, British Summer Time has arrived.

This can only mean one thing, the countdown to the Buxton Festival Fringe 2026 has started in earnest and it won't be long till our annual Springboard Party. So I'm sitting in my kitchen filling small envelopes with orange flower seeds ready to give away at the party to all our green-fingered supporters.  

We will also be out and about at the Spring Fair promoting the Fringe - if you see us do say hello. It's hard to miss us as we will be wearing our Tango orange tee-shirts and sporting our new rather smart caps and bucket hats, which, for the stylish amongst you, will be available to purchase at our Springboard event and during the Fringe itself.

Plans are underway to fill the Opera House Planter with over 130 orange flowers again this year. Members of the team are filling our greenhouses and windowsills with seed trays and planning trips to the local plant nurseries. 

We would really love it if members of the public, community groups and local businesses would help us paint the town orange by planting your own orange floral displays. Marigolds, calendulas and nasturtiums are all easy to grow.  If you do plant some flowers, post a photo on the socials and don't forget to tag us in on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @buxtonfringe.

Our Springboard event is on Saturday 11th April, at The Pump Room, from 7 pm to 9 pm (free entry) offering a chance to see some mini tasters from a few of this year's nearly 200 entrants.

If you would like to know more about our Orange Hot Spots or want to get involved in the Fringe, email Carole, our vice chair, on vicechair@buxtonfringe.org.uk.

Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: @buxtonfringe
Bluesky: @buxtonfringe
Instagram: @buxtonfringe

BAFA Conference, Birmingham

Fringe Events co-ordinator, Rob Harrison, reports on an exciting networking opportunity for the Fringe…






I have just got back from two days in Birmingham at the British Arts Festivals Association conference.


BAFA is an umbrella organisation representing over 70 members covering a broad swathe of the festivals’ industry, including individual, single art-form and multi-arts festivals, festival groupings, individuals, universities and associated organisations.


Over 100 people attended over two days in the STEAMhouse in Birmingham where we were well looked after by the University of Birmingham.


A variety of festival industry people gave talks and chaired roundtables on a range of subjects from fundraising to accessibility and activism in festivals


What was really great was the opportunity to network with other festivals.


At the end of the first day we went down the road to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for a welcome from Stephen Maddock OBE and the launch of a BAFA exhibition curated by Naomi Taylor, Festival Footprints, which looked back at the long history and development of festivals in the UK.


In the evening over 50 of us took over the upstairs of Browns restaurant for a chance to catch up and socialise. It was great to meet Holly from World Fringe, which represents over 300 fringe festivals around the world.


We then had another day where we again took on a range of subjects from fundraising to the year of reading and ending on a great recap on Bradford's City of Culture last year.


The whole experience offered a chance to catch up and to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities.


It also offered a chance to realise there are people around the country with great enthusiasm and passion for the arts who are using that to help curate so many great festivals for people to enjoy.


Long may this continue!


Rob Harrison

Fringe Events Co-ordinator



Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe
Instagram: @buxtonfringe