We've just published our review of the year 2025, outlining our projects and activities over the last 12 months as part of our vision to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat.
In a year that saw many and varied external factors which impacted both the Fringe Society and the wider Fringe community, what has dominated throughout is a clear sense of resilience, and recognition of the value this important event has around the world. As the year comes to an end, it’s important to recognise that there is an ongoing vulnerability which still exists across the Fringe community and the wider cultural sector in the UK.
As the world’s most important performing arts marketplace in the creative industries, this year over 1,800 arts industry delegates came to the Fringe to see, book and buy work, providing future career paths for hundreds of artists across onward touring and broadcast opportunities. Some 1,100 accredited media wrote about the festival and reviewed work, with around 4,300 professional reviews uploaded to edfringe.com to help audiences discover their next show.
Supporting artists sits at the core of our work; this year we received nearly 29,000 email inquiries from artists and industry, and kept registration fees frozen for the 18th year in a row.
We estimate that 25,000 artists come to the Festival Fringe every year. This year 89% of artists surveyed rated their experience as positive, with 76% stating the Fringe had a positive professional impact.
Audiences were encouraged to Dare to Discover and over 3 million users visited edfringe.com, generating 37 million page views. We received over 54,000 emails from customers in July / August alone, and post-Fringe, 80% of those surveyed agreed that the Fringe is ‘one of the most important cultural events in the world’.
Our research estimates that audiences, artists, arts industry and media will contribute around £6.5Mn to Edinburgh’s new visitor levy annually. As the Fringe Society and wider Fringe community look ahead to 2026, external factors such as this have the potential to impact the festival and the wider visitor economy in Scotland's capital city. Artists and venues who take the risk of bringing this remarkable festival to life are facing costs at an all-time high.
In a city world-famous for its festivals, and none more so than the Fringe, investment opportunities such as Edinburgh’s new visitor levy can offer the Fringe community new ways of building resilience, championing creativity and inclusion, and driving a more sustainable visitor economy long-term.
There is no Fringe without artists, and support is needed now more than ever.
Tony Lankester, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: ‘There is no better platform in the world for artists to take the stage boldly, tell their stories and share their worlds than the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Fringe Society exists to support artists at any stage of their career in bringing work to Edinburgh every August, and our review of the year is an important step in recognising the year-round work that we deliver.
'As we reflect on 2025, what is clear is that the Fringe Society and the wider Fringe community continue to be resilient against a raft of ongoing external challenges. It’s important to recognise that we’re grappling with the big questions and are committed to protecting and preserving the Fringe into the future as we look ahead to its 80th anniversary year in 2027.’
