The 21st edition of the St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival descends upon the city next week for 3 weeks of theatre, dance, comedy, live music, and street parties. From May 30th to June 19th, over 500 local and international performers will take over the Plateau to celebrate creativity.

Because Fringe acts are drawn by lottery, amateurs and professionals have an equal shot at being chosen for the fest. The lottery selection system, combined with the Fringe’s “No Artistic Direction” and “No Censorship” mandate leads to a wide variety of shows, from diamond in the rough (weirdo with homemade, ramshackle ventriloquist dummy) to uber-polished (30 person dance troupe with moves that would make Martha Graham weep for joy). With over 120 shows to choose from, you’re sure to find something incredible – and as for those less-than-wonderful acts – well, watching train wrecks is all part of the Fringe Fest fun.

Important dates to keep in mind:
May 30: The fest kicks off with Fringe-for-All (7pm @ Café Campus, 57 Prince-Arthur Est. FREE), where all Fringe artists will get 2 minutes or less to take the stage to show you what they’ve got! Get a sneak peek at what’s coming your way!

June 9-19: Every night for 10 days, the Parc des Ameriques (corner of St-Laurent and Rachel) will transform into an outdoor stage for Fringe Park, featuring free musical performances, workshops, and cinema, all washed back with cold St Ambroise from the nearby beer tents. All Fringe Park events are free (except the beer!).

June 16-June 19: Fringe teams up with Pop Montreal for Fringe Pop, featuring 4 nights of free musical performances at Parc des Ameriques (corner of St-Laurent and Rachel), including shows by UN (June 16 @ 7pm); Pop Winds (June 16 @ 8pm), Citizenship (June 17 @ 5pm); Adam & the Amethysts (June 17 @ 9pm) and many more.

The St Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival runs May 30-June 19. For a complete listing of the 120+ shows, schedules and ticket info, visit http://montrealfringe.ca/