The Isle of Wight’s award-winning summer arts festival, Ventnor Fringe, has unveiled a packed programme spanning circus, comedy, theatre and music for its sixteenth instalment, taking place from 18th - 27th July 2025.
Spanning 10 days and over 150 performances, Ventnor Fringe offers a miniature Edinburgh experience at the opposite end of the UK, attracting a mix of artists looking to preview work before they head to Scotland or those seeking a more intimate alternative in a unique coastal setting.
Ventnor’s Botanic Garden will be the setting of Circus Trail, a new promenade performance featuring a fully international cast with exhilarating acrobatics taking place throughout the tropical gardens after hours. The newly unveiled Ventnor Exchange Arena will host Edinburgh and West End smash hit, Murder, She Didn’t Write, Finnish physical comedy Receptionists, Gorilla Circus’ spectacle on a giant conveyor belt, RPM, as well as Sunny Side, a raw portrayal of modern masculinity informed by the voices of over 750 young people across the UK presented by esteemed company Northern Rascals.
Comedy is well represented at the festival with Simon Brodkin, Ahir Shah, Josie Long, Geoff Norcott, Russell Hicks, Janine Harouni, Jessica Fostekew, Derek Mitchell, Glenn Moore, Ania Magliano, Rob Auton and BBC New Comedy Award and Edinburgh Best Newcomer Joe Kent Walters, AKA Frankie Monroe, among the many making the trip to the Island.
Other notable performances include Darkfields’ ARCADE, an immersive experience in a completely dark shipping container, a live recording of hit podcast Drunk Women Solving Crime and the anarchic Fishing 4 Chips, who will preview their new comedy It’s Gunna Blow! Audiences will also be delighted by impressionist Jess Robinson, improv troupe Impromptu Shakespeare, crowd favourite The Elton John Story and cabaret legends Le Gateau Chocolat and Big Quiffy Bingo.
In total, over 150 shows will be held across a variety of unique venues including a 1930’s Parisian bus, a vintage Dutch ‘kermis’ tent and even a trail to the Island’s highest point. Alongside this programme, the wider ‘Free Fringe’ features hundreds more artists performing in Ventnor’s hilly streets and scenic parks. Highlights will include Head Over Wheel’s Anchored In Air, Luke Brown Company’s Walk of the Dandelion and 15ft6’s roller-skate show Les Patineurs.
The Isle of Wight is connected by more than 75 ferry crossings daily from Southampton, Portsmouth and Lymington. Set in the heart of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the festival offers a great base from which to explore a stunning coastline.
Tickets are available at: vfringe.co.uk.
Josie Long picture by Matt Crockett
