31 July 2012

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has opened a box office in Glasgow for the first time at Queen Street Station in a bid to attract more people from the city and the surrounding areas to the world's largest arts festival.

Fringe-goers can now buy tickets in person and pick up tickets booked in advance from the ScotRail station before they catch the train.

The box office supported by ScotRail, Creative Scotland and Virgin Money is located on the main concourse of Queen Street Station and is open every day until Monday 27 August from 08:00 – 20:00.

The box office opens ahead of the biggest ever Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which sees 2,695 shows from over 22,000 performers taking place in 279 venues across Edinburgh.

ScotRail has worked with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society to encourage audiences from Glasgow to travel by train to experience the world’s best cabaret, children’s shows, comedy, dance and physical theatre, events, exhibitions, music, musicals and opera, spoken word and theatre.

The train operator is also providing additional services to and from Edinburgh during August.

Kath M Mainland, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said:

“I am delighted to be opening the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Box Office at Queen Street Station in the heart of Glasgow. With Edinburgh just 50 minutes away by train and an extended timetable with more trains home at the end of the day, this new box office will make it easier than ever before to experience the spectacular month of arts and entertainment from around the world that is about to start in Edinburgh.

“With over two and a half thousand shows, the Fringe really does offer something for everyone. In the Year of Creative Scotland, I’m delighted that we’re recognising the fact that the Fringe belongs to the whole of Scotland and the UK, and this new venture helps us to highlight the fantastic international profile of Glasgow which is already hosting Olympic events and will be the host city of the Commonwealth Games in 2014.”

Steve Montgomery, ScotRail’s managing director, said:

“It’s great that Fringe festival tickets are being sold in Glasgow for the first time. It will make it even easier for customers to enjoy the events – as will our biggest-ever Edinburgh Festivals timetable, which includes more late night trains to Glasgow and an additional service to Dundee.”

The 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs from 03 – 27 August.

For more information please contact the Fringe Media Office on 0131 240 1919 or [email protected]

More pictures available from http://www.edfringe.com/media/media-images

Notes to editors
  • The 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs from 3 - 27 August.

  • The 2012 programme features 42,096 performances of 2,695 shows in 279 venues making it the largest yet.

  • Glasgow trains
    • The 00.30 Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street service – which previously ran at weekends only – has been expanded and will now run seven days a week from August 4 to 26 August inclusive.
    • The service will call at Linlithgow, Polmont, Falkirk High, Croy, Lenzie and Bishopbriggs.
    • Additional night festival trains to Glasgow Queen Street will also depart from Edinburgh every day at 00.01 from August 4-26. These will call at Linlithgow, Polmont, Falkirk High, Croy, Lenzie and Bishopbriggs.
    • In addition, there will be extra Sunday morning services from Glasgow Queen St throughout August, thanks to additional trains at 10.05, 10.57, and 12.10.
    • Festival fans in the west of Scotland will also be able to take advantage of extra Edinburgh to Garscadden trains in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings – departing at 00.06 and calling at all stations via Bathgate & Airdrie, except High St, Charing Cross and Partick.
  • Dundee trains
    • For the first time, ScotRail will be providing additional trains from Edinburgh to Dundee– at 23.52 on Friday 3, 10, 17 and 24 August.
  • North Berwick services
    • Additional late night trains to North Berwick, first introduced in 2010, will again run this year.
    • They will depart Edinburgh Waverley at 23.50 on Fridays from August 3 to 24 and at 23.52 on Saturdays from August 4 to 25. These trains will also link with onward Drem-Dunbar buses.
    • ScotRail will also run extra late night trains for the Fringe by the Sea festival in North Berwick, which runs from 6 to 12 August.
    • These include a 23.59 service from North Berwick to Edinburgh from 6 to 11 August and a 23.59 service to Edinburgh on Sunday 12 August. They will call at Drem, Longniddry, Prestonpans, Wallyford, and Musselburgh.