BSR: Four Big Takeaways from the 2025 Philadelphia Fringe Festival

September 30, 2025

“There is no better antidote to political despair and feelings of powerlessness than to remember you are part of a real-world community that needs your support. Authoritarians are terrified of the way artists reject censorship, expand minds, and build empathy between strangers. Art is protest. Art is free speech. Art is how we create our own futures. Tens of thousands of Philadelphians who showed up for this year’s Fringe know that.”
—Alaina Johns