The new permanent home for the Fringe Society was opened by Culture Minister Ian Murray, City of Edinburgh Council Culture and Communities Committee Convener Cllr Margaret Graham, and Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Tony Lankester, City of Edinburgh Council Leader, Cllr Jane Meagher and Chair of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Benny Higgins.
Fringe Central will be an inclusive, year-round hub for the Fringe community, providing support to artists in preparing and delivering their Edinburgh Festival Fringe experience.They will be able to access services which include guidance on developing their show, support in achieving their future career ambitions and industry engagement, and advice on how to market and promote their work.
Throughout August, Fringe Central will be open daily, providing a friendly hub for artists and industry to connect and build relationships within the Fringe community. The 2026 Fringe Central programme includes a range of networking and industry events, helping performers build relationships with industry professionals from theatre, film and television to aid onward touring opportunities. Practical, in-person support from the Fringe Society team will be available to participants through one-to-one advice and artists will be able to access wellbeing services from local mental health partner Health in Mind.
Throughout the project, the Fringe Society has engaged with co-tenants Canongate Youth, who support young people in Edinburgh aged between 5 and 18, as well as other local community schools and groups, such as Royal Mile Primary School, Sciennes Primary School, James Gillespie's High School and LGBT Youth Scotland, to ensure a space for local cultural expression and development was co-designed.
The project was made possible due to support from a range of partners, including the UK Government via the Department for Culture, Media and Sport,The Foyle Foundation, SP Energy Networks Transmission Net Zero Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, and Changing Places Toilets Scotland Fund. The Fringe Society would also like to thank the City of Edinburgh Council for supporting this project with the signing of a 99-year building lease.
Culture Minister Ian Murray said: ‘It was an honour to open the Fringe Society's official new permanent home today. It's been a long time coming and I am so pleased that we have been able to support this project with £7 million from the government.
I know from my experience working at the Fringe when I was young just how transformational it can be, both for aspiring artists, comedians and producers, but also for the entire creative and cultural ecosystem of the UK.
I hope this permanent new home will enable the Fringe Society to keep Edinburgh on the map as a world cultural hub and deliver more and more for our up and coming artists, as well as their international audiences and local communities, for decades to come.’
Cllr Margaret Graham, Culture and Communities Convener, said: ‘I’m so pleased that the new home for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is now officially open. This fantastic year-round city centre hub will provide a welcoming space for everyone involved in the Fringe, while also creating valuable opportunities for local cultural organisations to connect, collaborate and thrive.
This is an important and significant investment by the Council in the future of the Fringe and in Edinburgh’s cultural life, ensuring that the world’s greatest arts festival has a permanent home at the heart of the city it belongs to and that Canongate Youth will be returning to their familiar home too.’'
Tony Lankester, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: 'Opening Fringe Central today marks the realisation of nearly a decade of work for the Fringe Society, and we are incredibly proud to be opening this physical hub for performers and industry. From today, Fringe Central is a welcome space to the Fringe community with artists able to access practical in-person support to deliver their work at the Festival Fringe. Year-round, Fringe Central will be open to Edinburgh's residents, stakeholders, and our local arts community through support services and bookable rehearsal spaces.
We are grateful for the support from the UK Government, the City of Edinburgh Council, and our wider funders and supporters in achieving this ambition. We look forward to welcoming the Fringe community into Fringe Central this August, and we encourage them to make the most of the opportunities available this month and beyond.’
*Photo: David Monteith-Hodge
