Today, Friday 13 May, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society launched Fringe Days Out, its flagship community engagement programme, for the fifth year.
Generously supported by Baillie Gifford, Fringe Days Out involves partnerships with 33 schools, community groups, charities and organisations around Edinburgh, and provides Fringe vouchers, bus tickets and additional support to help marginalised communities engage with the festival.
Since starting as a pilot programme in 2017, nearly 10,000 people have been given the opportunity to have a Fringe Day Out at one of the world’s greatest celebrations of arts and culture – right on their doorstep.
Commenting on the launch, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “It is so important to us that Fringe Days Out is back for another year.
“This project started out as a modest thank you to people in Edinburgh for hosting the Fringe. We feel it only makes sense that Fringe Days Out should make the festival available to those who feel on the fringes of the city and the arts, no matter their background or circumstances.
“This project is about breaking through the barriers that stand in the way of people and communities in Edinburgh engaging with the arts. And while there is undoubtedly more work to do in making the Fringe fully inclusive and accessible, I am proud of this step along the way.”
Testimonials from some of our partner organisations:
The Broomhouse Hub (Youth and Families): A community hub providing services in Southwest Edinburgh
“We are all delighted that Fringe ’22 is taking place and we can’t wait to get involved. The young people and families we work with will again soak up what is a great atmosphere.
“We have been involved with Fringe Days Out from the beginning, and we receive great support from the Fringe Society.”
Vintage Vibes: An Edinburgh-based charity tackling loneliness and isolation
“Fringe Days Out has allowed the removal of barriers for people to engage with the Fringe. Some of our VIPs [Vintage Vibes’ over-60s community members] had lost a bit of confidence to go along or decided it was no longer for them – which certainly isn’t the case!
“We had one VIP who attended a show with her volunteer a few years ago; she said afterwards that getting along to a show like that again, such as she had in her youth, had made her feel herself for the first time in years, and brought her back to the ‘land of the living’!”
Capability Scotland: Delivering care, support and education for disabled adults and children across Scotland
“It’s great having different people of different cultures from all over the world visit and perform.”
“What an amazing journey: watching our service users choose what they would like to go and see, trying new things and having an adventure with their friends… enjoying themselves, talking about what they saw at the Fringe and writing about it in their newsletter.”
“It’s been great seeing the performers, dancers and musicians put smiles on our service users’ faces and getting them to interact with each other, all with fun and laughter!”
Background:
Fringe Days Out launched in 2017 as part of our Fringe Blueprint, a series of commitments published to mark the festival’s 70th anniversary. The Fringe Society wanted to say thank you to the people of Edinburgh for hosting the Fringe, and to ensure that every single resident felt welcome at the festival; as such, we carried out research to discover which communities might have typically felt excluded from the festival.
Working from the results of this research, we made initial contact with 26 community organisations and charities to help us better foster local connections; five years on, the programme has grown to include 30 community groups and three schools.
How does it work?
The Fringe Society provides Fringe Days Out partner organisations with free ticket vouchers for the Fringe and bus passes, so that cost is not a barrier to participation and engagement with the Fringe.
By providing people with Fringe ticket vouchers, we empower them to explore the full Fringe programme, inviting them to see any show at the Fringe.
Some Fringe Days Out participants are often unfamiliar with the city centre; this programme gives them the support and opportunity to travel outside their immediate neighbourhood, developing their confidence and experience of the city, without the potential barrier of paying for transport. For groups that experience challenges around bus and tram access, we also now include some budget for taxis.
The community organisations we work with are long-term partners of the Fringe Society, enabling the groups to take the time they need to build up knowledge, experience and confidence in the festival. Community members may go on an organised group trip one year, feel confident in attending alone the next, and end up organising group trips themselves by the third. The stories we hear and the numbers we saw grow each year between 2017 and 2019 reflect this.
Fringe Days Out 2017 – 2021 (including schools)
2021*
2019
2018
2017
Visits (estimated)
524
3,805
3,009
2,585
*Excluding schools as these couldn’t visit the festival in 2021. Instead, we facilitated digital shows in the classroom with our school partners; these numbers are not included.
Purpose of Fringe Days Out:
Our aim for this project is simple: to ensure that everyone involved has a good day out at the Fringe. The success of the Fringe relies on Edinburgh and its residents, and we are committed to finding more ways for even more local people to engage with and enjoy the arts.
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves through creativity and experience the thrill of live performance, and that the Fringe is an incredible opportunity to do this. No matter who you are or where you come from, everyone is welcome.
About Fringe Days Out Partners:
The Fringe Society works with a broad range of individuals and groups including young people, single parents, isolated elderly people, disabled people, ethnic minority communities, refugees and asylum seekers, LGBTQIA+ people and many more.
Examples of some of our partner organisations include Citadel Youth Centre, Vintage Vibes, Multi Cultural Family Base and Dads Rock.
The groups we work with are trusted partners in their communities who have built long-lasting relationships with their members. These relationships are crucial to the success of Fringe Days Out: by having open conversations with people they know and trust, participants can feel encouraged to take more risks in whether they choose to go and what they choose to see.
These conversations also help the Fringe Society better understand what else they can do to open doors and enable communities to celebrate culture and creativity on their own terms.
Pictures:Lesley Martin & Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society
More shows to be announced monthly, as the world’s greatest celebration of arts and culture returns for its 75th anniversary this August
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has announced that the first set of shows for the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe are available to book atedfringe.com.
The 75th anniversary of the Fringe takes place from 5th – 29th August 2022 and will feature an exciting range of shows, with theatre, comedy, music, dance, circus, musicals, variety, cabaret, events and more all represented in the programme.
Tickets for 283 shows have now been released, with more shows set to be announced on Thursday 07 April, Thursday 05 May and Thursday 09 June.
The official launch of the festival, including the reveal of the iconic printed programme, will take place in early July.
Below is a small representative sample of shows available to book now. The full list of shows released this month can be found atedfringe.com.
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “It’s always a hugely exciting moment when the first set of Fringe shows are announced, and this year, it feels more important than ever to celebrate the breadth of creativity and freedom of expression that these shows represent.
“We know that so many artists are still recovering from the impact of the pandemic, and getting your tickets early is a brilliant way to support them at this vital time. It’s also an important investment in the value of culture and creativity, and with some shows offering free and Pay What You Can options, the Fringe remains an essential access point to culture for many.
“I can’t wait to see the programme continue to unfold as we get closer to August, and to see Edinburgh filled with live performance once again as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of this magnificent festival.”
Theatre
At theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, acclaimed mystery maestros Highly Suspect return to the Fringe “with a new duo of hilarious and interactive murder mysteries, which you – the audience – must solve”. At the same venue, UK Underdog is a solo show based on true events in a London, Jewish boy’s life. “Bullied and humiliated at school, Steve Spiro realises his strength to move forward, but that ultimately comes at a price”.
BAFTA award-winner Jack Docherty is at Gilded Balloon with Nothing But: a darkly comic tale which grapples with lost youth, love, fatherhood, sex, secrets and truth.
At Underbelly, My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?) is the “joyous, chaotic, autobiographical story of actor, writer and social-media sensation Rob Madge”.
Assembly has a range of theatre to book from today, including Watson: The Final Problem, in which Sherlock Holmes’ pal tells his tale of long-buried secrets; and Myra’s Story, in which a middle-aged, homeless Dublin street drinker relives her back story.
Comoedia at Greenside is a celebration of traditional Italian masked theatre, as the most famous characters of Commedia dell’arte come together in a one-man show. At the same venue, two women use nothing but their imaginations, a skull and some fancy scarves to bring together A Two WomanHamlet.
At theSpace on North Bridge, GirlPlay is “an exploration of love and sex spun out in slam”. On a night of firsts, Lucy opens the door to a world of relationships and sex that she had only ever dreamt about. But is the reality all she had hoped it would be?
Online, Transatlantic is a true story of the French immigrant experience. “Cookie is taking care of the last of her uncle’s estate in New Mexico. As she goes through her family’s belongings, she goes on an emotional journey that echoes the many trips back and forth that she and her family have taken between France and the US.”
Plus, from award-winning writer Lita Doolan comes Audrey’s Art Club. “Audrey wants to know what doodling’s got to do with love and goes back to her lover’s childhood home to find answers.”
Comedy
The Stand has a wide roster of shows on sale today, including Seann Walsh: Is Dead, Happy Now? and Stewart Lee: Basic Lee – a work-in-progress show in which “Lee enters the post-pandemic era in streamlined stand-up mode”. Also catch rising Scottish star Gareth Waugh with Doozy and Jo Caulfield with Bad Attitude.
At Assembly, Fern Brady will be tackling big issues such as “death, shagging, marriage and ageing” in her show, Autistic Bikini Queen.
David O’Doherty is back with his show whoa is me and “all of the misplaced confidence of a waiter with no pad”, while Susie McCabe returns with a brand-new show. In Born Believer, the comedian has decided to leave cynicism behind to be an “all-new positive Susie (optimistic at best, positive is pushing it)”.
Jason Byrne is at Underbelly with Unblocked, as “the constipation of Covid has been cleared, live entertainment has been colonically irrigated and readied up for us all”. At the same venue, Foil, Arms and Hogg return to the Fringe with a mix of sketch comedy, audience participation and improvisation. Plus, Richard Stott: Afterparty sees the stand-up contemplate whether he’s missed the boat. “His friends have families, six-figure salaries and houses. He has a level-two food hygiene certificate and acid reflux.”
Gilded Balloon is home to double Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Andrew Maxwell’s Krakatoa, as well as Justin Moorhouse’s brand-new show Stretch & Think, which “may contain yoga, getting older, Madonna, shoplifters, labradoodles, middle-aged cyclists, The Menopause, running, hating football fans but loving football, not drinking, funerals” and a lot more. Plus, catch Sian Davies,winner of Best Debut Show at Leicester Comedy Festival 2020 and Funny Women runner-up. Her show is all about time, growing up and finding your place in the world.
There’s a range of Laughing Horse shows available to book from today. Shows including Annie and Angela’s Disco Divorce Party: “a drag-infused comedy of musical mirth celebrating friendship and new beginnings”, and Comedy Queers: “a spicy late-night mix of outrageous queer comedians, cabaret and drag acts”. Plus, there’s stand up from the likes of Nathan Cassidy and Dave Chawner.
Fringe stalwart Nina Conti returns to Pleasance with The Dating Show, in which “finding true love can’t be promised, but big laughs are guaranteed”. And after a UK and Australia tour and an Amazon special, Taskmaster runner-up and accidental YouTube cult leader Mark Watson brings his show This Can’t Be It back to where it began (at last year’s “mini Fringe”).
Also on Pleasance’s bill is Angela Barnes: Hot Mess (“trying to live your best life, as it turns out, is really bloody hard”); Ivo Graham: My Future, My Clutter (“bumbling wordsmith and tripe factory returns to discuss three years of heavy-duty pranking / parenting / procrastinating since Dave’s 2019 nominations for Best Comedy Show and Joke of the Fringe”); and NewsRevue, which will return to the EICC to “parody politics in a post-pandemic world”.
At Just the Tonic, Daniel Sloss and Kai Humphries bring their hit podcast, Sloss and Humphries On The Road, to the festival. Plus, Fringe veteran Craig Hill returns with I Always Knew I Had It In Me, and rising Scottish star Connor Burns isat the festival with his show, Live, Laugh, Loathe.
At Queen’s Hall, Henning Wehn returns with It’ll All Come Out in the Wash: a show that promises to “give everything a good rinse and witness him wring sense out of the nonsensical”.
Music
At theSpaceTriplex, California-based Hip-Hop Orchestra, Ensemble Mik Nawooj (EMN), presents music from their new album, Death Become Life, which fuses hip-hop and classical (think full strings, woodwind, French horn and soprano).
There’s also a range of Night Owl Shows to choose from, including 007 Voices Of Bond (featuring hits such as Goldfinger, Skyfall, Diamonds are Forever, Live and Let Die and many more); Back to Black: The Music of Amy Winehouse (which promises to take you on a moving journey through a modern legend’s career); and California Dreams (featuring an immersive trip through California in the late 60s and 70s, with hits by The Mamas & The Papas, The Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, The Byrds and more). All are happening at theSpace UK.
Acoustic Music Centre has a range of shows on sale from today. Acts include The Willow Trio: a band of three clarsach players – Sophie Rocks, Sam MacAdam, Romy Wymer – who will be presenting a mix of Gaelic music and original new work.
The Strange Valentines are a Nova Scotian folk duo, blending acoustic instrumentation and their signature stunning two-part harmonies to tell provocative stories.
Plus, up-and-coming harpist Romy Wymer presents traditional tunes from Scotland and Netherlands in her Fringe / AMC debut. Romy recently earned second place at the World Harp Competition (2021) and was a semi-finalist in the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year (2022).
Cabaret and Variety
Pleasance is home to West End star and multi award-winning magician Ben Hart, as he returns to Edinburgh with his show Wonder. Using only the simplest of props and the minds of the audience, Hart conjures a show that is “always amazing, sometimes shocking and shines a light into the darkest corners of your imaginations”.
Mat Ricardo is at Gilded Balloon with The Extraordinary Gentleman: “a unique, hilarious and unmissable one-man show” from the acclaimed variety artist.
Best of Burlesque is back at Assembly, with award-winning striptease, cabaret and variety from the 2022 Fringe, plus international special guests.
Dirty Tricks – How the Illusionati Rule the World is at Greenside. In this show, The Great Baldini demonstrates “how the illusionati rig elections, launder money and orchestrate assassinations: a wholly (im)plausible conspiracy theory”.
At theSpace @ Symposium Hall,Sue Kelvin stars in Bette Midler and Me: a tribute show to Midler, covering her life and songs from the perspective of a lifelong fan. Expect musical hits, plus highlights from Midler comedy routines and a puppet version of Beaches.
Dance, Physical Theatre and Circus
Underbelly Circus Hub returns to the Meadows this year, and with it comes Circa: Humans 2.0:“asymphony of acrobatics, sound and light”, described as “a tightly woven choreography of bodies, pulsing with music”.
Also on the Meadows, Hotel Paradiso is “an irresistibly colourful, loud and fun show for all the family” from contemporary circus company, Lost in Translation. Featuring circus skills, physical comedy, theatrical storytelling and slapstick, this show “sees the staff family tackle the scheming banker as he tries to possess the Hotel Paradiso”.
Cirque Berserk! is at Pleasance. Showcasing “traditional circus thrills and skills”, Cirque Berserk! combines “contemporary cirque-style artistry with adrenaline-fuelled stunt action”, as “this astoundingly talented international troupe includes over 30 fearless acrobats, aerialists and daredevil stuntmen”.
At Assembly, Muse is a circus piece which attempts to answer the question, “what does it mean to be a woman?” Plus, The Black Blues Brothers sees “five extraordinary acrobats perform their comedy tribute to the cult movie The Blues Brothers”. Expect breathtaking jumps, fire, somersault routines, human pyramids and more.
Intambo is at Greenside. This show features Ruciteme Karyenda Culture de Buyenzi: a group of Burundian drummers, founded in 1987. Starting with 27 members, the members range in age from 8 to 50, and they will be performing an old, traditional Burundi dance that used to be played for the Kings.
Also at Greenside is Éowyn Emerald & Dancers. Éowyn presents Your Tomorrow: “an entertaining and deeply intimate jazz dance for two performers”.
Children’s shows
Peppa Pig – My First Concert is at Assembly. This interactive introduction to a live orchestra is “an accessible, exciting concert designed for the youngest audience members, with Aurora Orchestra.”
Also at Assembly, Yellow Bird Chase follows “a clownish maintenance crew” who find a magical bird and a mad chase begins. Appropriate for the whole family and accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences.
Plus, from the creative team behind the Hairy Maclary show, young audiences can now see all three of Nick Sharratt’sShark in the Park books live on stage.
At Pleasance,The Smeds and the Smoos is an exciting adaptation of the award-winning book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. On a far-off planet, Smeds and Smoos can’t be friends. So when a young Smed and Smoo fall in love and zoom off into space together, how will their families get them back?
At Underbelly, the Amazing Bubble ManLouis Pearl is back. Louis “explores the breathtaking dynamics of bubbles, combining comedy and artistry with audience participation and enough spellbinding bubble tricks to keep everyone mesmerised”.
Fox Tales: The Pied Piper is at theSpace @ Surgeons Hall. In this family puppet show, Hans the Storyteller, Reynard the Fox and Gripp the Raven give “a hilarious new telling of the classic fairy tale, The Pied Piper of Hamelin”. Expect “jokes, ridiculous rhymes, mischief and nonsense”.
At the same venue, Den of Enquiry “is a fun, light-hearted show that gets kids talking about democracy”.
Musicals
In Soho Boy at theSpace @ Symposium Hall, “young, trendy Spencer leaves home and hits Soho like a whirlwind in a journey of love, laughter, heartbreak and happiness”. This work is a “modern tale of the gay scene, which can be harsh and lonely, surrounded by glamour, sex and songs”.
At theSpace @ Niddry St,Julie: The Musical is an original, new musical telling the life and adventures of historical LGBTQ+ icon Julie D’Aubigny. “One of the first public figures to live as an openly bisexual woman, she seduced nuns, dueled multiple men at once, burnt down convents, was bribed by princes, innovated opera – all before she turned 30.”
Now in its 10th year, The Improv Musical is at Gilded Balloon. Each show is a completely improvised, never-before-seen musical on its opening, and closing, night.
At Greenside, Raft follows four women, seemingly trapped on a raft in the middle of the ocean, hunted by a mystical sea monster. “An original one-act musical around abuse, bravery and friendship.”
New campaign launched to help Fringe recover from devastating losses
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has announced the launch of a new £7.5m fundraising campaign to help aid the long-term recovery of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
‘Save the Fringe’ will serve as a starting point for a wider Fringe revival, following the devastating impact of covid-19.
As the campaign officially kicks off, Edinburgh Gin are on board as founding investors, with an estimated £150k investment to come from the sales of its Edinburgh Gin Presents Phoebe Waller-Bridge collaboration. Around £160k has also been raised thanks to the kind generosity of individual donors.
The fundraising campaign will be driven by seven principles, which aim to:
Support artists and venues who bring work to the Fringe
Break down barriers to participation in the Fringe
Build and support sustainable practices across the festival
Deepen engagement with Edinburgh residents
Extend engagement with young people – particularly from underrepresented areas of our city
Create opportunities for network building and professional development for artists and arts industry across Fringe platforms
Secure a new home for the Fringe Society to provide a year-round space for artists, community groups and schools.
The campaign – currently at the very beginning – is expected to take place over three to five years. The exact criteria for distributing the fund will be announced following a series of consultations, hosted by the Fringe Society in autumn/winter 2021, to better understand the individual needs of various stakeholders. Edinburgh residents, artists, venues, producers, local businesses and more will be invited to explore ways the festival can develop and improve.
The funding will then support a renaissance for the Fringe in the future, led by the Fringe Society’s findings. More details on the consultations will be announced in the coming weeks.
Commenting on the launch of Save the Fringe, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said:“The last 18 months have been the most challenging in the Fringe’s history, and everyone – from artists and venues to the Fringe Society – has experienced huge losses.
“I’m so proud of what’s been achieved in 2021, and in so many ways, this year’s festival was a success. Over 940 shows were brought to life, incredible new venues were created in the most imaginative of spaces, and audiences flocked back to experience the magic of the Fringe.
“But it can’t be stressed enough: this does not mean the Fringe is back to health. 2021’s scaled-back event only happened because of emergency grants, and in many cases, loans that now need to be repaid. We want to ensure the Fringe that returns reflects the world we live in – not just those who can afford to keep going.
“Recovery isn’t about going back to how things were. It’s about reimagining the Fringe as the best version of itself and using this moment of pause to reflect and change. We want everyone – from residents and local business owners to artists, operators and audience members – to have their say on what that looks like. And we’ll need support to make that vision a reality.”
Benny Higgins Chair, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “The Fringe is one of Scotland’s greatest cultural exports. It is recognised internationally as a landmark celebration of the arts and is an access point to culture for so many people. But the Fringe is not publicly funded in any meaningful way, and the last 18 months have shown us how much urgent investment is needed to protect this world-renowned event.
“An estimated £20m was lost in 2020 alone. To make 2021 a reality, many operators relied on loans and emergency grants. This is not sustainable, and this campaign is about undoing some of that damage, while building a more affordable and equitable Fringe. This campaign will give us a foundation to do just that.”
Neil Mowat, Brand Director at Edinburgh Gin said: “The Fringe has offered the world a stage – bringing arts lovers together, welcoming brave work and introducing new incredible talent. But it needs our help.
“Phoebe Waller-Bridge first debuted ‘Fleabag’ at the Fringe in 2013, so we need the festival to thrive so that stories like hers don’t go untold.
“It has been an honour to support the Save the Fringe initiative as founding investors, and we can’t wait to see the Festival return to its usual spectacular self as soon as possible.
“Every penny of profit from our ‘Edinburgh Gin Presents’ Phoebe Waller-Bridge collaboration bottle goes directly to support the artists of the Fringe festival – so if you love gin, the arts and Edinburgh, buy one while you can.”
Edinburgh Festival Fringe gets underway with dynamic programme of over 700 in-person and online shows
Today, Friday 06 August, the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe officially comes to life with an exciting hybrid programme of over 700 in-person and online shows.
From 06 – 30 August, Edinburgh will once again be host to a diverse and exciting selection of work from the worlds of theatre, dance, circus, comedy, music, musicals and opera, cabaret and variety, children’s shows, spoken word, exhibitions, events and more.
This year’s Fringe also features a scaled-back programme of street events in managed locations; a range of community engagement work, including the return of Fringe Days Out; and a programme of activity for artists and arts industry professionals via Fringe Connect and Fringe Marketplace.
All work is being delivered in strict accordance with Scottish Government covid-19 guidance, to ensure a safe, secure and enjoyable festival for artists, audiences and residents. More information can be found below.
Commenting on the launch of the festival, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “The Fringe is always a remarkable feat, but this year, it’s nothing short of extraordinary.
“In the face of complex restrictions and enormous challenges, the Fringe community has created a diverse and engaging programme of over 700 shows to entertain us, bring us joy, and ultimately, do what culture does best: tell stories that help us understand where we are, what we’ve been through, and where we need to go.
“I’m enormously proud of the artists, venues, creatives and workers that have made this festival not only possible, but safe, engaging and entertaining. It’s so good to be celebrating the Fringe again this August, and I’d like to thank every artist, producer, worker, audience member, funder, sponsor and supporter that has got us here today.”
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, President, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “The Edinburgh Fringe is BACK! In an act of pure artistic heroism, the Fringe Society and thousands of artists, writers, dancers, actors, designers, comedians, musicians and creatives have fought to bring this festival back to the streets of glorious, glittering Edinburgh. We have a lot of time to make up for and this festival is more than ready for you.
“With hundreds of live and online events you can see as many shows in a week than you would have in the whole of last year and we are finally able to reconnect, inspire, surprise, and entertain each other like we used to. I have never wanted to have a leaflet thrusted at me more. We’re being offered a giant cultural sprinkler after a year of drought and I can’t wait to jump through it, shrieking, with you all.”
Benny Higgins, Chair, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “The Edinburgh Fringe is a remarkable arts festival that has created an unparalleled legacy for the city and the country, and it will have an important part to play in how we move forward after such a difficult period.
“The cultural value that the Fringe holds is enormous, and its launch today is the first step on a long road to recovery – for the festival and for Scotland. We must all play our part in ensuring an inclusive, diverse, and accessible festival for the future, with wellbeing at its heart.”
Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Scottish Government, said: “A huge amount of work has gone on behind the scenes to support the return of these globally significant cultural events and the benefits they bring to Scotland in terms of tourism, trade and our place on the world stage.
“Edinburgh’s festivals were sorely missed last summer and their return is another step in the right direction and testament to the determination of festival organisers, along with the artists, venues and businesses involved. I’m delighted that the Fringe will be able to welcome back audiences and give festival goers something to cheer this year.”
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, the City of Edinburgh Council’s Culture and Communities Vice Convener, said:“The return of live August festivals events and performances truly reflects our city’s on-going recovery and, of course, our cultural DNA, and we’re delighted to see an exciting Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme.
“There’s no doubt it was greatly missed last year and it’s so lovely for our city to be welcoming audiences again to the Festivals this August. To everyone taking part, we ask you to continue to follow the safety guidance and to enjoy this year’s fantastic festival experiences safely.”
Barbara Smith, Managing Director of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, said:“As Johnnie Walker moves closer to opening the doors to our new venue on Princes Street, it’s fantastic to see Edinburgh continue to open up for cultural events, and for locals and visitors alike to enjoy the best that the city has to offer.
“The Fringe Festival will always be an important part of the city’s cultural calendar and the team at Johnnie Walker are delighted to once again support the Fringe Society in bringing the festival to life through our Fringe Club whisky bar on The Mound. We can’t wait to welcome visitors from home and away as they enjoy the best of what this world famous festival has to offer.”
In-person, online and on-demand shows
In 2021, audiences will be able to access a wide range of amazing Fringe shows through socially distanced in-person events, scheduled online performances and on-demand digital shows. Tickets and information for all kinds of registered Fringe shows – live, online, paid and free – can be found at edfringe.com.
Around 440 shows are taking place in person. Many shows are taking place in new, creative outdoor locations across Edinburgh, including a football ground, a car park and a racecourse.
Familiar Fringe operators such as Acoustic Music Centre, Assembly, Dance Base, French Institute, Gilded Balloon, Laughing Horse Free Festival, Monkey Barrel, PBH’s Free Fringe, Pleasance, Scottish Storytelling Centre, the Stand, theSpaceUK, Summerhall and Zoo are all taking part in this year’s festival with physical spaces in the city.
All in-person performances will be fully Covid compliant, following the latest guidelines on social distancing, mask wearing, ventilation and hygiene.
Currently, live events must operate at one-metre distancing. On 09 August, Scotland moves to level zero and restrictions on distancing will be dropped.
Every Fringe venue operates individually. For up to date information on capacity and distancing at individual Fringe shows, please check with the relevant venue.
In an exciting move for the festival, more than 260 shows are taking place online, providing a global platform for artists, while enhancing the Fringe’s commitment to accessibility and sustainability.
There will be two kinds of online events available this year: scheduled and on demand.
With scheduled shows, audiences can buy tickets as they would to a traditional in-person event. Shows will have a dedicated start and end time and are treated as an ‘appointment to view’ event. For on-demand shows, audiences can buy tickets to watch at their leisure.
Audiences can view Fringe shows on online platforms including the new Fringe Player streamed by Brightcove (NASDAQ: BCOV), the global leader in video for business.
Available via edfringe.com, this bespoke digital platform offers an easy-to-use viewing experience for audiences whilst giving artists a platform to present and showcase their work digitally. The player will be accessible to audiences from 06 Aug, with auto-subtitling built in. Both on-demand and scheduled online shows are available on this platform.
Where other platforms (such as Zoom, YouTube and Vimeo) are being used to host online work, information on how to access these is clearly provided at the point of purchase.
Online shows will be available to watch from August but can be pre-booked from today.
Street events
The city’s world-famous street events are returning this year, with a scaled-back programme of live performances.
A fantastic starting point for any Fringe-goer, events will run daily from 11.30am until 8.30pm in the High Street’s designated Fringe safe street performance area, West Parliament Square.
There will also be a programme of activity on the Mound, as well as additional opportunities for buskers and other street artists well known in the Fringe landscape.
All performances will be delivered in accordance with current and relevant Covid guidelines. Limits on audience numbers will be introduced in line with social distancing, and event details will be published online to audiences in advance to allow them to plan.
Strict hygiene measures will also be in place, including masks and sanitisation, to help everyone enjoy the events safely.
Community, access and learning
We are continuing to work alongside communities, venues and artists to ensure the Fringe is as inclusive as possible.
Our Fringe Days Out scheme is a long-term commitment by the Fringe Society to reach out to communities that have not traditionally engaged with the Fringe. Through this programme in 2021, we have delivered Fringe vouchers, Lothian bus tickets and access support through our 30+ community partners, including The Welcoming, The Citadel Youth Centre, Lothian Autistic Society, Vintage Vibes and Capability Scotland.
In response to some groups being unable to visit the festival in person, or being hesitant about attending, we are also continuing our Fringe in Communities programme. This will see street performers going out to locations across the city to perform during July and August.
The Fringe’s commitment to improving disabled access remains a priority. Customers with access requirements can use our Access Bookings system and search specific shows which are accessible such as relaxed, audio described, captioned and signed performances. Plus, a free personal assistant ticket is available for anyone who needs assistance to attend the Fringe. Customers can also search for shows in performance spaces with wheelchair access.
This year, we are once again providing sensory bags for children and adults on the autism spectrum. Each bag contain a fidget toy, earplugs, water bottle and a stress reliever. These items are designed to help users relax and overcome stressful or intense situations and are distributed to select partners across the city.
Our street events offering will see BSL interpretation on the West Parliament Square Stage on Saturday 21 August, and there will be a wheelchair accessible viewing area on the High Street throughout the festival.
We are also continuing Teachers’ Theatre Club, our partnership with Imaginate, which brings Edinburgh teachers to the Fringe. Each show seen will be followed by a group discussion with some of the artists and creative teams who made and/or presented the work, covering both the content of the show and how it could enhance and inform teaching practice.
And we’re making sure that Edinburgh’s schoolchildren can also take part in the Fringe fun by working with Gracemount High and selected Edinburgh primary schools to make sure they see Fringe shows too. .
Support for artists and arts industry
This year, the Fringe Society is hosting two digital platforms for artists and industry professionals: Fringe Connect and Fringe Marketplace.
Launched last month, Fringe Connect is an exciting new year-round platform, designed to bring Fringe artists together with peers and members of the arts community.
Described as ‘part social network, part events space’, Fringe Connect gives users the opportunity to populate their own profile with information about their professional experiences and interests (both Fringe-related and otherwise).
Registered users will have access to exciting industry news and opportunities, alongside access to year-round digital events aimed at supporting and facilitating professional development.
Guests and speakers during the Fringe include Lyn Gardner, Andrew Miller, Amy Conachan, Tarek Iskander, Jo Clifford and Richard Jordan, plus many more.
And after a successful pilot year in 2020, Fringe Marketplace has returned for2021. This dedicated showcase platform aims to connect arts industry delegates all over the world with professional and tour-ready artists.
The work that will appear on the platform has been selected by Fringe venue programmers and assessed by Fringe associates: an independent cross-genre industry experts who have experience and understanding of the Fringe.
Work with strategic partners
The Fringe Society is delighted to be working with three strategic partners this year: Something to Aim For, Parents and Carers in Performing Arts and Somewhere EDI. All three partnerships help us to better support and engage with significant groups of participants and understand the barriers they might be facing at the Fringe.
Something to Aim For is the charity devoted to supporting public health and (re)building social fabric through the creative industries.
Parents and Carers in Performing Arts work to promote best practice employment and support for parents and carers in the performing arts sector.
Somewhere EDI is a platform for positive LGBTQ+ culture, learning and activism, championing and empowering LGBTQ+ people to be out and visible in business, culture and in wider society.
Johnnie Walker
The Fringe Society is delighted to be working with Johnnie Walker for a third year. 2021 sees the return of the popular Fringe Club, a dedicated bar space for visitors to the festivities for the entire duration of the festival. Located on the Mound, an exciting spot with live street performances, the bar will once again serve a number of delicious highballs, cocktails and drams for guests in the dedicated whisky lounge.
Festival-goers will also have the chance to win exclusive prizes through the Johnnie Walker Ticket prize giveaway. Prizes include complimentary highballs at the Fringe Club, bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, £20 vouchers for shows at the Fringe and tour tickets to Johnnie Walker Princes Street. With each ticket bought via the Fringe, customers can click on the ticket banner in their booking confirmations to be entered into the prize draw.
Edinburgh Gin
2021 is the first year of our exciting new partnership with Edinburgh Gin, who are working to support Fringe artists affected by the pandemic.
The team have collaborated with Fringe Society president Phoebe Waller-Bridge to create a special limited-edition bottle, which captures the wonder of Edinburgh through the lens of Fleabag.
Every penny of profit will go towards a new fund, being run in partnership with the Fringe Society, which will support artists to create and bring work to the Fringe. More than £150,000 is hoped to be raised.
Sponsors and supporters
As a charity, the work of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society would not be possible without the valuable support of our partners, sponsors and funders. We are delighted to be working with Johnnie Walker for the third year running as our official whisky partner.
We are proud to be partnering with the newly opened St James Quarter and are excited to be working with them this year and beyond.
We are excited to be partnering with Crowdfunder again through our FringeMakers fundraising platform, supporting Fringe artists and venues with vital fundraising efforts.
We have teamed up with Rare Birds Books to a create a limited-edition book bundle with books selected by the women behind three of the Fringe’s most iconic venues; Rowan Campbell, the General Manager of Summerhall, Dani Rae, the General Manager of Assembly and Katy Koren, who co-runs Gilded Balloon. Proceeds of the sale of this bundle will support go directly to supporting Fringe artists bring work to the Fringe.
We would also like to thank Lothian Buses for their continued support of our Fringe Days Out programme.
We’re thrilled to welcome Edinburgh Gin on board as Official Gin of the Fringe and look forward to working with them.
We are grateful for funding through the PLACE Programme, a partnership between the Scottish Government -through Creative Scotland -the City of Edinburgh Council and Festivals Edinburgh; Scottish Government for Made in Scotland through the Festivals Expo Fund -managed through Creative Scotland -and the continued support of the City of Edinburgh Council. Thanks also to Scottish Government for funds from their Get into Summer campaign.
We are grateful for funding from the Pivotal Event Business Fund, the SCVO Adapt and Thrive programme, the Foyle Foundation and the UK Government to enhance our digital capabilities.
Our thanks also to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the Pump House Trust and the Turtleton Charitable Trust.
With thanks to EventScotland and City of Edinburgh Council for supporting Street Events.
Thank you to Brightcove, our streaming partners, for their support in delivering the Fringe Player.
Our thanks also to our Fringe Angels, Patrons, Friends and supporters whose passion and generosity made a real difference this year.
World leading festivals begin bounce back from impact of COVID-19
Edinburgh’s world-leading summer festivals are back, with their recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic supported by more than £5.4 million from the Scottish Government.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe opens today, followed by the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), with the Edinburgh Art Festival already open.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival will open a new chapter in a new venue on August 14, and the Edinburgh International Film Festival will welcome audiences from August 18.
The Scottish Government’s Gateway process has also allowed a small number of flagship events with national significance to take place in 2021, with limited numbers of spectators and subject to health advice, and both the EIF and the Fringe will stage events as part of the process.
Cabinet Secretary for Culture Angus Robertson said: “Edinburgh’s festivals are back – a significant moment for these landmark, world-leading events, and for our nation’s capital.
“The festivals were sorely missed last summer, and their return is a major step in the right direction as well as testament to the determination of festival organisers, along with the artists, venues and businesses involved.
“Already a huge amount of work has gone on behind the scenes to support the return of these globally significant cultural events and the benefits they bring to Scotland for our culture, for tourism, for trade and our place on the world stage.
“I’m delighted to welcome the Edinburgh Festivals’ return and see the world’s leading festival city come back to life in 2021.”
Chair of Festivals Edinburgh Sorcha Carey said: “The support of the Scottish Government and its agencies has been crucial to the very survival of our world-famous festivals, and we’re deeply grateful.
“All those who’ve worked tirelessly and are now able to manage a careful restart will be delighted to reconnect the people of Scotland with the live culture they’ve so badly missed.
“We want to support the vision of the First Minister and her team that culture will be at the heart of recovery, and we look forward with hope that Edinburgh’s peak festivals season can mark a turning point for Scotland’s culture sector.”
Fiction book bundle chosen by the women ‘behind the Fringe’
The proceeds of each bundle go directly towards a fund supporting artists to create and bring work to the Fringe
Home of female fiction, Rare Birds Books has teamed up with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society to launch a limited-edition book bundle that will support artists and bring work to the Fringe.
Created to celebrate both the opening of the new Rare Birds Books store in Stockbridge, and the return of the Fringe following global lockdowns, the bundles are comprised of three brilliant books, all by female authors.
Chosen by three of the women ‘behind the Fringe’, the proceeds of each bundle will go directly to supporting Fringe performers for years to come.
Sharing some of their favourite reads, the women who curated the bundle may not be known to the general public but are some of the biggest reasons the festival goes ahead.
Working across three of the Fringe’s major venues, Rowan Campbell, the General Manager of Summerhall; Dani Rae, the General Manager of Assembly and Katy Koren, who co-runs Gilded Balloon, all have a rich and varied history with the Fringe.
Available directly from Rare Birds Books shop and website, as well as via the Fringe website, the bundles cost £30 and contain The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo (Rowan’s pick), The Emperor’s Babe by Bernadine Evaristo (Dani’s pick) and Motherwell by Deborah Orr (Katy’s pick) – a sparkling example of some of the best modern female fiction.
Rare Birds founder, Rachel Wood, said: “When it comes to the city we call home, few things are more defining that the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
“We feel so lucky to have such a world-class festival on our doorstep, and to celebrate our new Edinburgh store, we thought there was no better way than to give back to the festival we all love so much.”
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: “We are delighted to be working with Rare Birds on this very special collaboration that will help raise vital funds for Fringe artists.
“Storytelling is at the very heart of the Fringe, and we are proud to champion these stories and celebrate the strong, brilliant women at this festival as well as across the creative industries.”
Beginning as a way to champion female authors, as well as to celebrate and share women’s stories, Rare Birds Books opens its first ever store in Edinburgh on 6th August, with aspirations to continue supporting the Fringe, as well as other local businesses.
Available from 1st August until the end of Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
CityFibre delivers digital workshops in partnership with Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society’s ‘Fringe Days Out’ scheme
People of all ages from across the Capital have learned the essentials of the modern digital world and how to stay safe online – thanks to CityFibre’s partnership with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society.Continue reading CityFibre drives digital inclusion to top of agenda
