Tuesday March 24th 2026
Edinburgh Festival Fringe sign during 2025's festival (credit: David Monteith-Hodge)
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe have announced that the Scottish Government is awarding the Fringe Society £500,000 to support international engagement work and the ongoing digital transformation project.
This includes the development of their new website which is et to be introduced in time for the festival’s 80th anniversary next year.
The Fringe Society explained that the digital improvements currently in development will ‘greatly enhance how audiences discover work at the Fringe, and how artists and venues connect with them’, aiming to improve communication and accessibility during the festival digitally.
They added that, in addition to the digital improvements, the financial boost to help international activity will help create more opportunities for artists, strengthening relationships with partners around the world and allowing more international artists to perform at the Fringe.
Working and communicating with the government in the lead up to the announcement, spokespersons from the festival explained that they are incredibly grateful for the financial support, adding: “The infrastructure that makes the Fringe happen year after year is in need of long-term, strategic support, and this weekend’s news marks real progress in the right direction.”
Despite the £500,000 investment being significant, it is restricted to two areas of work, digital and outreach, meaning the Fringe still continues to rely on support from a wide networks of partners, funders and donors.
Tony Lankester, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said:
“The ongoing support for the work of the Fringe Society from the Scottish Government will go a long way to shoring up our resilience and builds on their previous investment. The Society’s work in future-proofing the Fringe with world-class digital and data infrastructure is a critical imperative – with this foundation, these ambitions can be more readily realised and the future more secure.
“We’ve made giant strides over the last year, and this announcement helps us build on that work, delivering even more for the Fringe community, ensuring the festival remains a jewel in Scotland’s creative crown.”
Scottish Government’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said:
“This announcement underlines the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to safeguard the future of the Edinburgh Fringe, built on the principle of free access for all.
“The Fringe is one of Scotland’s signature events. It has grown to become the world’s largest performing arts festival, a major economic contributor to Edinburgh, and Scotland as a whole, and one of our country’s most significant national and international cultural assets.
“As we approach the 80th anniversary of the Fringe next year, this investment will provide a foundation for ongoing work with organisations who play an important role in making the Fringe the annual success it is, particularly collective efforts focused on long term sustainability to both the Fringe Society and the Fringe as a whole.”
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s 80th anniversary will take place at next years 2027 festival.
Tweet Share on Facebook
