Monday, September 04, 2023
Will the Edinburgh fringe ever return to its pre-pandemic self? I hope not
Brian Logan | The Guardian: Will the Edinburgh fringe ever return to its pre-pandemic self? I hope not
Brian Logan
Brian Logan
Fresh from this year’s jubilant festival, I’m not the only one hoping that it has given up its addiction to growth
Sat 2 Sep 2023 03.00 EDT
Last modified on Sat 2 Sep 2023 04.30 EDT
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“Ticket sales still 19% down on 2019.” “Can the Edinburgh fringe survive?” It was surprising to leave a jam-packed, jubilant festival to read those headlines, but then, that’s the fringe for you: so all encompassing and vast that anything can be said of it – It’s thriving! It’s doomed! It’s art! It’s capitalism! – and still be true. But the facts remain the facts: 2.5m tickets were sold for this year’s fringe. That’s an 11% increase year-on-year, but still lower than the comparable figure for the fringe’s last pre-Covid year.
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It is no secret that the Edinburgh festival is one of, if not the biggest theatre festival in the world. Thousands of shows come to perform a variety of acts, and it houses some of the best and worst theatre you will see (which is spectacular). I agree with the writer of this article in the sense that the Edinburgh fringe is in no means struggling and it may be overall better that the organization takes a step back from trying to increase its growth. My friend from high school performed at the fringe festival over the summer and had the time of his life, and was surrounded by some amazing theatre. I think that everywhere, especially arts organizations, are struggling with ticket sales, and I’m not surprised that the festival is also still affected by the pandemic. I only hope that the fringe will continue to thrive and be a hub for potential projects and lovers of theatre to watch the upcoming artists.
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