For the first time in its history, Fusebox Festival will be held over a course of five days instead of the usual 12 days. The festival will also be entirely free to attend for the third year in a row under an initiative called Free Range Art. Attendance is expected to be over 25,000 this year.

Ron Berry, founder and Artistic Director of Fusebox, described the new approach to the festival schedule as “an exciting experiment.” He continues, “We are packing the same amount of art that we would have in 12 days into five. We are hoping this shift will attract more out of town audiences and colleagues while creating an even more vibrant, temporary community around the festival.”

Fusebox is offering free, advance reservations for festival events starting Feb. 8, 2016 on its website. Tickets will also be available at the door.

The 12^th annual Fusebox Festival welcomes diverse artists from all over the world. Adventurous artists from Angola, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Russia and the U.K. will share their work with Austin.

National artists from Los Angeles to New York City will join local artists, such as Rude Mechs, Steve Parker and Los Outsiders to create a one-of-a-kind cultural event.

There will be a nightly festival hub located at Austin Saengerrunde Halle where festival-goers can go after 8 p.m. to connect with festival artists, crew and other attendees. This pop-up bar will feature nightly performances, free bowling and a roof-top patio. It will become the heart and soul of the festival.

Fusebox is supported at the local, national and international level. Supporters include: Austin Cultural Arts Division, Texas Commission on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, National Performance Network, The Japan Foundation and the British Council.

Fusebox has grown over the past decade from a largely underground phenomenon into an internationally significant arts event.  It is a unique addition to Austin’s rich lineup of annual festivals.