The Fringe has a well-earned reputation for adventurous audiences who dare to discover exciting new work outside their usual comfort zone. These audiences are also well known for supporting Fringe artists by shouting about the shows they love – here are some tips on how you can get involved.
Spread the word (in person and on socials)
Word of mouth is a powerful tool at the Edinburgh Fringe – one of the best ways to discover which shows are generating buzz is just to keep your ears open when queuing outside a venue or lounging in a beer garden.
Of course, that goes both ways, so if you’ve seen something special, make sure you tell people about it. Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your various WhatsApp groups. Tell your followers on social media – and make sure you tag the artists and venues when you do. It’s such a morale boost for artists when a complete stranger pops up in their notifications, praising their work.
To borrow a well-worn Fringe quip, ‘If you enjoyed it, tell your friends; if you didn’t, tell your enemies.’
Leave a review
Every show listing on edfringe.com has a ‘Reviews’ tab – this is where prospective audience members can read your thoughts (and those of Fringe media professionals) to help them decide whether a show is worth seeing.
These reviews can also be useful after the festival: a great quote can work wonders for shows touring post-Fringe, so be generous with your compliments – they might end up on a poster one day!
Donate generously
Some Fringe shows – along with everything at the Fringe Street Events – are free to attend, with audiences asked for donations at the end. There are also pay-what-you-can and pay-what-you-want shows, where you might pay a nominal amount to secure a seat in advance but be encouraged to ‘top up’ with an additional donation at the end.
Many Fringe-goers go to these shows because they genuinely can’t afford to attend higher-priced options, and that’s understandable; however, if you do enjoy a show and you can afford to donate, please do.
No worries if you don’t carry cash – lots of performers now take contactless payments.
Support artists on Crowdfunder
Many companies and artists launch crowdfunding campaigns to help finance their Fringe run. For a few years now, we’ve partnered with Crowdfunder to provide FringeMakers, a fee-free platform where audiences can find artists who are doing just that. Not only does it give you a deeper way to engage with an artist’s work, but there are often some nifty rewards on offer as incentives to support.
Take a look and see if there are any shows that appeal to you this Fringe.
Book tickets
This maybe goes without saying, but the number one way to support artists at the Fringe and help boost their platform is simple: book tickets. We know you’ll want to book your favourite shows and the big names off telly, but make sure you leave some space in your schedule to book something unknown, something unusual, something surprising and delightful. Dare to discover something different – it might just be your new favourite show.
