Edinburgh Fringe and International Festival 2020

More details about the digital Edinburgh Fringe have been announced by the Fringe Society!

www.edfringe.com/learn/news-and-events/a-fringe-reimagined-how-were-supporting-venues-and-artists-during-crisis

The main elements are Fringe-on-a-Friday digital variety shows, 60-second excerpts of shows that might have been in Fringe Pick & Mix, a Fringemakers crowdfunding campaign to support artists, and exclusive Fringe Society merchandise based around the theme of the 2020 programme that never was.

Is it likely it will return next year in some form? Would you go if it did?

Absolutely. I live in East Lothian just outside of Edinburgh and next year is my final year of being able to perform with my youth theatre before I go off to college - I want to get that last year of performances.

I've seen several posts on Twitter from comedians today that seem to indicate that the Edinburgh Fringe, or at the very least some form of the Edinburgh Fringe, is being put together. I'm intrigued as to how many of us are thinking of going, or might risk going if it was put on? All I know is that the vast majority of Fringe acts lose money and that can be with sold out rooms, and that's before you take into account the crowds cramming into sweaty, humid basements. I just can't help feeling it's a bit too soon, and that if it's a socially distanced affair it will widen what was already a huge financial wedge between who can afford to go even further.

I am remaining cautious, but I have to admit that if it was announced I would be up there like a shot.

I think my biggest worry would be that, no matter how many ticket limits were put on, if the Festival was announced in any form, a sizeable crowd is still going to show up. Walking the streets of Edinburgh is usually like navigating a slaughterhouse, all hemmed in together. Things like flyering would surely be out of the question, so many logistics just make me think it's almost impossible. But, perhaps more than any other discipline, the arts are adaptable and if it does go ahead I have no doubt they will find a way.

You also surely would get into the dispute of vaccine passports, and as Scotland is on a different trajectory vaccine wise to the UK, how does that then affect what can go ahead? As I say, I do not envy the Fringe Society, a logistical nightmare.

I'll see what it's consisting off before deciding whether to go. I'd love to go if it's one

I think it's far more likely that an ad hoc festival will pop up in London than in Edinburgh this year, given that's where the vast majority of comics either live or regularly perform and how few are willing or able to take the financial hit on an Edinburgh Fringe that either won't happen or will happen at such reduced capacity it will be near impossible to make money.

Acts lose money even if they sell out their run. Without a major overhaul of how much venues charge acts there is no way it can go ahead.

In an unusually optimistic move, I've booked my accommodation for this year. This is partly because I needed to get my holiday request in and approved at work as everyone has been saving their holiday allowance for when they can go somewhere and partly because it hasn't actually cost me anything as I had account credit from my cancelled accommodation booking last year.

I'm keeping everything crossed that the Scottish government will pull its finger out in the very near future and at least give its best guess of what range of rules they think might be needed in the summer.

I'm also hoping the landlords will have enough sense to realise if they want thier cash cow to continue for the future they need to offer massive discounts to the venues this year so it can be viable.

I sure it will be much smaller this year as I can't see nearly as much international attendance but for UK companies/acts they might gamble that a much smaller fringe this year gives them much more chance of being seen/discovered.

Really pleased this is happening. I usually go to Edinburgh for the stand up and impro shows so I will see what shows are announced before making a decision.

Brighton and Hastings are putting on Fringe festivals over the summer.

Underbelly's upside-down purple cow is heading to London instead of Edinburgh. They've cited the lack of clarity from the Scottish Government and said that companies are being asked to plan for the Fringe on the basis of 2m social distancing which makes it unviable.

Given it's probably the big promoters or nothing at the Fringe this summer, I feel that at the moment the Fringe is going ahead 'in person' in pretty much name only. If the Scottish Government had the same roadmap for live events as England, a much more substantial festival would seem eminently possible. As it stands, if the Scottish Government do ease restrictions further in due course, it will probably come too late.

Ah well. Here's to 2022.