Orlando Fringe will not use the Shakespeare Center's theaters for its May 18-31, 2027 festival

The Orlando Fringe Festival will not stage its 2027 shows in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, home of Orlando Shakes. The Orlando Sentinel reported on Oct. 20, 2026: "the nonprofit that runs the Orlando Fringe Festival will not stage its shows in the theaters of the Lowndes Shakespeare Center this May." The festival stays in Loch Haven Park, with "a slate of new and returning partners that will not include Orlando Shakes."

What changed

• The partners. "Orlando Fringe has secured partnerships with Orlando Family Stage, Orlando Museum of Art, the Orlando Science Center and Orlando Ballet to keep the fest — the oldest Fringe in the U.S. — at Loch Haven Park."
• Returning and new. "Orlando Family Stage has provided the festival with theaters for years, including four venues in 2026." "New to the group is the Orlando Science Center, which also has an auditorium and will host two venues in 2027."
• A theater on the lawn. The Sentinel reports that Fringe "plans to build a temporary indoor theater on the lawn of Loch Haven Park, which means the festival will still have the same number of venues as usual." The Community Paper reports that "Fringe organizers have also announced a venue (that is air-conditioned) on the Loch Haven Park lawn called Citron."
• Why. Fringe left its offices in the center in August, and "subsequent talks about renting the building's theaters for the festival, which attracted more than 60,000 patrons this year, also failed to reach an agreement."
• Orlando Shakes can still apply. The Sentinel reports that "Orlando Shakes was welcome to apply for the Fringe's bring-your-own-venue program".

When

• Announced: Oct. 20, 2026, in the Orlando Sentinel.
• Takes effect: at the festival, May 18-31, 2027.
• Before then: the Winter Mini-Fest runs Jan. 6-10, 2027, "hosted at Orlando Family Stage", per the Community Paper.

Where

The Community Paper names each venue by colour. - Orlando Family Stage: "the Silver, Peach, Green and Scarlet venues". - Orlando Museum of Art: "the Gold venue". Its "SunTrust Auditorium will be home to Fringe shows in 2027", per the Sentinel. - Orlando Science Center: "Across the lawn, the Magenta and Aqua venues will be in Orlando Science Center." - Harriett's Orlando Ballet Centre: "the Lavender venue will be a short walk down the street at Harriett's Orlando Ballet Centre." - The lawn: Citron. - Kids Fringe is at the Orlando Garden Club, on May 22, 23, 29 and 30, 2027, per Fringe's site.

Before this

• The Shakespeare Center was the festival's hub, "hosting the primary box office, a bar and up to seven theatrical venues in one place", per the Sentinel.
• The office move came first. In June 2026 Watermark reported that "Orlando Fringe will relocate to 634 Virginia Drive, a slightly smaller space of 1,300 square feet", and the Sentinel reports that Fringe vacated the center in August. That was Fringe's offices; the Oct. 20 change is the festival's theaters.

What it means if you live here

• Fringe's own venues page has not caught up. It still lists the Shakespeare Center, under "All venues subject to change". Use the venue names above and check Fringe's site closer to May.
• Artists: applications for 2027 close "NOVEMBER 15, 2026 AT 11:59 PM EST", and the lottery is drawn Dec. 7, 2026.