Guildford Fringe Festival has announced its 2026 programme, launching with a free outdoor concert from West End favourites The Barricade Boys as part of The Big Free Fringe Weekend.
The headline concert will take place on Saturday 15 August at 6.30pm, with The Barricade Boys performing live from the Guildhall on Guildford High Street.
Audiences can expect a mix of iconic musical theatre numbers including Les Misérables and Jersey Boys alongside pop, rock, swing and Motown hits, as well as personal stories from the group’s West End careers.
Earlier that day, the High Street will host a full programme of free family entertainment from 11am to 4pm.
Visitors can enjoy street theatre, live music, arts and crafts, face painting and drama workshops, along with performances from Anton and Bubble Bees.
The main Guildford Fringe Festival runs from 4 to 19 September and marks the event’s thirteenth year.
The open-access festival brings together comedy, theatre, music, cabaret, poetry, visual arts and workshops across venues including pubs, churches, Guildford Institute and Clandon Wood Nature Reserve.
The Back Room of The Star Inn returns as the festival hub, with comedy highlights including Juliette Burton: Villain Era, Adam Flood: Life and Death of the Party, Michael Brunström: William Tell versus the Algorithm, Jack Barry: Let’s Get Barried and Comedy Shomedy.
Improv fans can enjoy shows including Adult Panto [Unscripted], CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation and Space Planet Mission: The Improvised Sci-Fi Epic.
The theatre programme includes Alan Bennett’s An Englishman Abroad and Lady Bracknell’s Confinement, alongside gothic-inspired productions such as One Man Poe: The Black Cat and The Raven.
Other productions include From the Dawn of Time to the Last Battle at Christ Church Guildford, Behind Closed Doors, Ghost Light and Pandora: The Musical, an original rock and folk retelling of the Greek myth.
Music highlights include the free Opera on the Balcony concert and Café De Swing at Clandon Wood Nature Reserve, while cabaret offerings feature Glitter, Guilt and Good Intentions, Keys and Tease and Vince Taylor: Punk to Pension Plan.
Community events return with the Rock Choir on Guildford High Street and a free UkeJam at the Britannia Pub.
Family audiences are also catered for with The Wow Bubble Show for Kids and The Smallest Sardine of the Seven Seas, alongside the outdoor production In Juliet’s Garden by Judy Elliot McDonald.
Most ticketed events are priced at £12, with several performances offered free of charge.
Charlotte Wyschna, Managing Director of Guildford Fringe, said: “The 2026 programme is one we’re really proud of. There’s so much variety and so many brilliant performers coming to Guildford this September and, as if that wasn’t enough, we’ve got The Barricade Boys back for The Big Free Fringe Weekend. There’s nothing quite like seeing families and friends filling the High Street, picnic blankets and deckchairs out, all enjoying a free concert together. At the heart of everything we do is a belief that great arts should be accessible to everyone, and this year’s programme is a real reflection of that.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
