Performer Applications

The Texas Burlesque Festival returns May 1-3rd, 2025 in Austin!

Texas Burlesque Festival will be accepting performer applications for its 18th annual raucous hoedown & showdown celebrating all things burlesque/cabaret starting on September 1st.

2025 dates are:

The festival is presented by Texas Burlesque Productions – a Texas Not For Profit Corporation that celebrates the renaissance of all performances burlesque, cabaret and vaudeville in nature and strives to foster a supportive community among performers in Texas and across the United States and the World through networking and professional performance opportunities. Get ready for some real Texas hospitality!

The Texas Burlesque Festival is aimed at the local, regional, national as well as international community of burlesque artists. This will be a great opportunity for a limited number of selected performers to showcase their bump and grind skills at a weekend featuring audience choice and in-house performer awards, workshops, parties, and a performer brunch/roundtable with our Legend on Sunday May 4th. Headliners and Legend TBA soon!

Be a part of an impressive cast! Texas Burlesque Festival is becoming a little more selective, with only 6 slots for the opening night event and 12 performance spots per night Friday and Saturday! We’re looking for an amazing mix of solos, duets, trios, and ensembles to fill each showcase. Friday and Saturday performers may opt out of the competition each night without it affecting their application status.

All performers can attend the workshop taught by our headliner on Saturday and Sunday Legends and Headliner Brunch for free! We will be doing in-house performer awards again! These fun and frivolous categories are voted on by your peers will be presented at the brunch.

In our continued commitment to making the festival more inclusive and financially accessible to ALL performers, especially those of marginalized groups who historically have had to navigate extra obstacles to their success, TXBF has a FREE application period!

Fee Schedule

  • September 1-15, 2024 — NO APPLICATION FEE!
  • September 16 – November 30, 2024 — $25
  • December 1-31, 2024 — $35

Application fees are due at time of submission.

Performers experiencing economic hardship can request a fee deferral or waiver by emailing texasburlesquefest@gmail.com.

All applicants will be notified on or before Feb 20, 2025, if they have been accepted or declined.

We currently cannot accept aerial or fire acts.