Edinburgh Festival Fringe (photo by David Monteith Hodge)
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Today, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society publishes its review of the year 2025, outlining its projects and activities over the last 12 months.
With a vision to ‘give everyone a stage and everyone a seat’ – as well as the Society’s core services to artists, the report also includes the work it undertakes year-round.
In a year that saw many and varied external factors which impacted both the Fringe Society and the wider Fringe community, as the year comes to a conclusion, it’s important to recognise that there is an ongoing vulnerability which still exists across the Fringe community, and the wider cultural sector in the UK.
As the world’s most important performing arts marketplace in the creative industries, this year over 1,800 arts industry delegates came to see, book, and buy work; providing future career paths for hundreds of artists across onward touring and broadcast opportunities.
Some 1,100 accredited media wrote about the festival and reviewed work, with around 4,300 professional reviews uploaded to edfringe.com.
Supporting artists sits at the core of the Fringe Society, and this year the organisation received nearly 29,000 email inquiries from artists and industry. With Registration fees frozen for the 18th year in a row, it is estimated that 25,000 artists come to the Festival Fringe every year.
This year 89% of artists surveyed rated their experience as positive, with 76% stating the Fringe had a positive professional impact.
Audiences were encouraged to Dare to Discover and over 3 million users visited edfringe.com to browse over 37 million pages of content. This year the Fringe Society received over 54,000 emails from customers in July/August alone, and post-Fringe, 80% of those surveyed agreed that the Fringe is ‘one of the most important cultural events in the world’.
Research undertaken estimates that audiences, artists, arts industry and media will contribute around £6.5m to Edinburgh’s new visitor levy annually.
As the Fringe Society and wider Fringe community look ahead to 2026, external factors such as this have the potential to impact the festival and the wider visitor economy with Scotland capital city. Artists and venues who take the risk of bringing the festival to life are facing costs at an all-time high.
In a city world-famous for its festivals, and none more so than the Fringe, new investment opportunities such as Edinburgh’s new visitor levy can offer the Fringe community new ways of building resilience, championing creativity and inclusion, and driving a more sustainable visitor economy long-term.
Tony Lankester, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said:
“There is no better platform in the world for artists to take the stage boldly, tell their stories and share their worlds, than the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Fringe Society exists to support artists at any stage of their career in bringing work to Edinburgh every August, and our review of the year is an important step in recognising the year-round work that we deliver.
“As we reflect on 2025, what is clear is that the Fringe Society and the wider Fringe community continue to be resilient against a raft of ongoing external challenges. It’s important to recognise that we’re grappling with the big questions and are committed to protecting and preserving the Fringe into the future as we look ahead to its 80th anniversary year in 2027.”
Broadcaster and comedian Graham Norton
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Today (Wednesday 29 October), the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society announced Graham Norton as the newest Ambassador of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The role will see Graham act as Ambassador for the festival, alongside previously announced Ambassadors Suzy Eddie Izzard and Brian Cox and honorary President of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Known for his popular BBC1 chat show, and as the UK’s host for Eurovision, Graham’s entertainment career dates back to 1991 when he was refining his craft as a standup comedian at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, performing ‘Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s Grand Farewell Tour’ in the Pleasance Attic, a newly opened 60-seat venue at the Pleasance. In the years following he made the move to mainstream television (as priest Father Noel in Father Ted) while still making frequent appearances at the Edinburgh Fringe, culminating in him being shortlisted for the prestigious Perrier Award in 1997.
Launched in 2007, The Graham Norton Show is one of the BBC’s top-rated entertainment shows, with stars from across the world taking to the red sofa every Friday night in what is seen as a key fixture of the network’s programming.
Graham continues to support the Fringe and returns most summers to watch shows, support friends and check out the next generation of talent making their name at this unparalleled global marketplace for the arts. Graham is also a celebrated author, with several published novels under his belt, and hosts the popular podcast Wanging On with Maria McErlane.
Speaking of the appointment, Graham Norton said:
“It’s hard to believe that my connection to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe dates back nearly 35 years. As an emerging comedian back in the early nineties, everyone in the industry knew that you had to make the journey to Edinburgh and its Fringe for the opportunities that you have to develop your craft with a live audience, but also to meet and network with the thousands of industry that go there to look for talent.
“Through my chat show I meet and talk to those across the entertainment industry every week, and you’d be hard pressed to find someone on the sofa that hasn’t been to the Fringe either to perform or to watch shows at some point in the past. I’m delighted to be announced as an ambassador of the Edinburgh Fringe and look forward to visiting the festival next August.”
Tony Lankester, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said:
“Our Ambassadors represent the critical role the Fringe plays in the lives of so many who got their start on the stages of Edinburgh and, today, are at the top of their game in the world of the arts. Welcoming Graham to the fold is a real pleasure – he is someone who exemplifies the joy and generosity of the Fringe spirit, unapologetically passionate about the arts and a huge advocate of the importance of the Fringe in his own career. As an Ambassador he will be uniquely positioned to help inspire the next generation of artists, and we’re excited to be working with him on this mission.”
Photo by David Monteith-Hodge
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan
Calls have been made to tighten up rules around anti-Semitism at Edinburgh venues after several Fringe acts were cancelled this summer.
During this year’s Fringe, comedians Rachel Creeger and Philip Simon said that their shows had been cancelled on the basis of being Jewish.
In response, Conservative councillor Neil Cuthbert has asked that the council officers review with Fringe venues what anti-discrimination provisions they have in place.
He will also ask the council’s policy and scrutiny committee on Tuesday next week to approve a review of anti-Semitism training in the council.
In the case of Mr Simon’s comedy set, event host Banshee Labrynth told the media in July that the cancellation was instead due to the comic’s statements on Palestine.
Speaking to trade magazine Chortle, they said they had “obviously not declined his show because of his religious or cultural identity”.
Instead, the venue referenced several posts on X/Twitter, including one where he appeared to say the number of Palestinian prisoners being released by Israel in January was too high.
Ms Creeger, meanwhile, was set to perform at Whistlebinkies, owned by the same company that runs the Banshee Labrynth.
The cancellation of her show came due to staff concerns about feeling ‘unsafe’ during the 2024 Fringe.
The company said that running of the festival had seen the venue graffiti’d with commentary about Gaza, among other issues.
If approved, Cllr Cuthbert’s motion would also see council staff consult with the Board of Deputies of British Jews, as well as the city’s Jewish communities regarding their ‘experiences and concerns’.
Additionally, they would explore how the council could help venues ‘meet their obligations’ while still maintaining their security.
Further, they would explore ‘clear reporting mechanisms’ for artists or audiences experiencing discrimination, and discuss with venues and festivals on the ‘support available to venues hosting Jewish artists and events’.
Beyond the festivals, it would ask council staff to assess whether anti-Semitism training is ‘adequately included’ in staff trainings.
Additionally, it would make anti-Semitism awareness training a requirement for staff and councillors.
Councillors will discuss the motion at Tuesday’s meeting of the Policy and Sustainability Committee, which you can view here.
