The UK Government has pledged GBP100,000 (€111,000) to help the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (EFF) upgrade its ticketing system and sell its artists nationally and internationally.
The money can be spent on four developments: ticket technology and digital resources, national marketing, international promotion and a new Fringe Home. Each of these will make it easier for fringe artists to make money from their shows and give them a life beyond August in Edinburgh.
“[The] announcement from the UK Government recognises the transformational power of the Fringe in making and shaping careers in the arts, both here in the UK and all over the world,” said Shona McCarthy, chief executive of Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society.
“Thanks to the UK Government’s support, we will be able to identify the very best in emerging talent on the Fringe and showcase it on the global stage, ensuring the Fringe (and by extension, Scotland and the UK) remains at the forefront of the global arts landscape.”
In 2017 EFF hosted over 3,300 shows, with a similar number expected this year. It is estimated that the city’s festivals add more than GBP300m to the local economy.
EFF runs from 3-27 August.