Edinburgh Festival Fringe venues have joined together to lobby the UK and Scottish Government for “multi-million pound funding” in order to ensure the future of the festival.
The group of venues - made up of the Fringe’s ‘big four’ Assembly, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance and Underbelly, along with Summerhall, the Stand, the Traverse Theatre, Dance Base, Just the Tonic and Zoo - are asking for a “serious” investment.
The venues acknowledged that some will survive and some won’t in the “non-subsidised sector of the arts”, but argued that without further support, many could dissolve for good, due to the fact they haven’t earned since 2019 and now likely won’t until 2022.
In a typical year, the venues together generate more than £800m to the local economy.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society acts as an umbrella organisation, selling tickets and producing the Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme.
The group of 10 venues together make up 80% - by ticket sales - of the annual event.
They are concerned that they will not be able, financially or operationally, to produce an event in 2021 if the two metre social distancing rule remains in place - and without financial support.
As a result, concerns have been raised over their ability to cover costs and ensure they can retain staff and freelancers from leaving the industry forever.
In comparison, the 10 venues claim that they produce an event that is equivalent to the Commonwealth Games in size and impact, on an annual basis - but that event usually receives more than £500m of public support.
A spokesperson for the group said: “Together this working group believes that a multi-million pound investment is required from the government to stabilise and to regenerate the festival.
"This investment would ensure that experience is not lost, artists can be programmed at less risk for performers and producers, and staff job security would return as furlough ends.
“The informed view of this group, who have over 100 years of festival experience between them, is that it will take many years to get back to a position where the festival is of a calibre and size that commands the international reputation it had pre-pandemic.”
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