Performances where a standard or concessionary ticket price is purchased before the performance - either in advance or on the door.
Free Shows
Shows that can be ticketed or non-ticketed but do not charge in advance. The Fringe Box Office can issue tickets for free ticketed shows. Many free shows give the audience the option to contribute money to a bucket at the end of the performance.
Pay What You Want shows
The PWYW model gives the audience the option to ‘Buy a ticket in advance to guarantee entry, or Pay What You Want at the venue’ when the show ends. Ticket holders for the show are allowed in first, followed by those who have opted not to buy a ticket in advance. Many PWYW shows give the audience the option to contribute money to a bucket at the end of the performance.
The Fringe Box Office sells tickets for all shows registered with the Society. Tickets are sold over the counter, by phone and on edfringe.com.
You are required to make at least the equivalent of 25% of your tickets per performance available to sell at the Fringe Box Office. This percentage can be increased when you fill in your Show Registration Form, or at any point during your run.
The Fringe Box Office opens earlier than many venue box offices, and because of this many companies allocate half or more of their tickets to our Box Office. An administrative commission of 4% plus VAT is applied on the face value of all tickets sold.
The Box Office Supervisors are also there to help if you need to make changes or cancellations to your performances, or have any questions about ticket sales reports.
You will receive log in details for our ticketing report site by email, once your show goes on sale through the Fringe Box Office. By using our online reporting facility, you can view full details of tickets sold for past and future performances of your show. If you have any questions regarding your box office reports, please contact [email protected].
All you need to do is email the Fringe Box Office Supervisors on [email protected] with the details and we will make the changes on our system.
Please note that all changes must be submitted by email, by the primary contact on the show registration form, to ensure they are properly recorded and entered on the box office system accordingly.
All you need to do is email the Fringe Box Office Supervisors on [email protected] with the details and we will make the changes on our system.
Please note that all changes must be submitted by email, by the primary contact on the show registration form, to ensure they are properly recorded and entered on the box office system accordingly.
Yes you can. Once again, the Box Office Supervisors will assist with this and all you need to do is email them on [email protected]. Please remember that you must allocate a minimum of 25% of your tickets to the Fringe Box Office.
Please note that all changes must be submitted by email, by the primary contact on the show registration form, to ensure they are properly recorded and entered on the box office system accordingly.
We have a dedicated telephone service for Fringe venues to ask the Fringe Box Office to stop selling tickets for a particular performance. They can call ‘Stop Sales’ on 0131 226 0018 within 24 hours prior to the start of the performance. We advise calling at least 1-2 hours beforehand. Our staff will let them know how many tickets we have sold. The venue will then know how many tickets are left to sell on the door.
In very particular circumstances the Box Office team will change the copy for your show on the edfringe.com website. Examples of copy changes that we would consider making include:
inaccuracy in the copy
significant changes to the nature of the show
significant new announcements about the show, e.g. a casting change
announcement of a new award or being short-listed for an award.
Please note that due to the high volume of shows we will only be able to process a limited amount of requests. The 100 word limit for copy still applies.
To request a change to your web copy, please email the Box Office Supervisors on [email protected].
Ticket offers
The Fringe offers various discount ticket options to audiences that your show can opt to participate in, including 2for1 offers, the Half Price Hut and Friends of the Fringe discounts.
Taking part in these offers can help your show build audiences and take maximum advantage of the festival calendar.
More information on these offers is available in Edfringeware when you decide whether or not to opt in, and on the Edfringeware help site.
Many venues operate an on-site box office as well. You may choose to sell some tickets through the Fringe box office and the remainder through the venue - discuss how to allocate your tickets with your venue manager. Check for hidden costs such as supply of ticket stock or additional fees or commissions.
Some venues have box offices that are linked to the Fringe system. In these cases, the venue staff will be your main point of contact for all box office, ticketing and sales reports enquiries.
Otherwise, please contact the Fringe Society using [email protected] for:
Your takings from the Fringe box office will be sent via bank transfer by 30 September following the end of the festival. If a bank transfer is not possible for your organisation, please contact us.
We will deduct a 4% commission (plus VAT) as well as any PRS payments (plus VAT) if applicable.
We calculate the commission on your gross sales (ie. before tax is deducted) and send through the remaining amount. It is your responsibility to settle any VAT or other tax liabilities as appropriate for your individual set-up.
Note that if your show registration is submitted by your venue manager or you have selected to have payout sent to your venue, the funds will go directly to your venue for settlement. Your venue will then add their box office takings and forward you your money under the terms of your agreement with them.
Make sure you know how long it will take for you to get your money after the Fringe Society has paid it out – your venue contract should make this clear.
The Fringe Society offers the advance payment of show sales during the month of August.
Payment of advances can only be requested by the organisational primary contact and paid into the account nominated to receive payout within the organisation.
Payments will only be made on ‘matured sales’. This means sales for performances that have already taken place. For instance, the payment on Monday 13 August is on sales of performances that have taken place up to the end of Sunday 12 August. The payments are not based on when the sale is made.
Advances are set at 80% of those matured sales, the remaining amount/s due will be paid in September as part of the wider Fringe payout process.
Payment schedule
Payment date
Performance range (Matured Sales)
Monday 05 August
Monday 29 July – Sunday 04 August
Monday 12 August
Monday 29 July – Sunday 11August
Monday 19 August
Monday 29 July – Sunday 18 August
Monday 26 August
Monday 29 July – Sunday 25 August
Any organisational contact who is nominated in Edfringeware to receive a payout from the Fringe is welcome to apply for an advance, however there are some things to consider when applying and the Fringe Society reserve the right to refuse an application.
International payments – International bank payments carry with them a charge of £12 per transaction. Charges for failed payments are equally as high. As such you should consider whether it’s worth that extra cost on a payment each week, or whether it’s better to receive one single payment in September.
Amount – The Fringe Society reserves the right to not make a payment if the value is deemed too low to warrant any bank charges we might incur. You will be informed when this is the case.
Bank details – If the bank details you have provided through the Edfringware system are incomplete, incorrect or missing then you will not be eligible to receive advances.
Deadlines – Failing to apply by the appropriate deadline will mean you will be ineligible for the advance payments.
There are two deadlines for taking part in this offer
Monday 29 July – You will need to be signed up by this date to be eligible to receive advance payments on the 05, 12, 19 and 26 August
Monday 12 August – You will need to be signed up by this date (if you haven’t done by the first sign off) to be eligible to receive advance payments on the 19 and 26 August
Please contact [email protected] to apply to receive advances. The email must come from the registered organisation primary contact within Edfringeware.
Advances for All is at the discretion of the Fringe Society and we reserve the right to retract the service at any point.
If you have any questions about Advances for All, please email [email protected] in the first instance.
If your venue does not run a ticketing facility, you are welcome to allocate all of your tickets for sale through the Fringe Box Office. Alternatively, you can sell advance tickets and offer door sales yourself.
DIY box office tips
Print simple, numbered tickets in advance. If possible, sell space on your ticket to advertisers to help cover print costs.
Ticket design should be simple and include
show title
company name
venue and space
date and time of performance
ticket price
Equally, for a very simple, functional ticket you could buy a book of cloakroom/raffle tickets to sell on the door.
Assign only one or two people from your company to run the box office.
Maintain a spreadsheet of sales. Balance box office costs and income daily and deposit takings in a bank account set up for that purpose.
Post conditions of sale clearly at your box office, including your policy on refunds and exchanges. If giving a refund, take the ticket back from the customer.
Set a process for verifying and documenting concession statuses and sales (eg. over 60s, students, unemployed).
Keep a record of any seats given away as complimentary tickets - including press tickets, if applicable.
Have your front of house staff retain tickets. Take a head count before the performance for fire and safety purposes.
Track your customer base by asking your audience for contact details. Get permission before adding anyone to a mailing list.
Contact the Fringe Society at [email protected] for more advice on setting up and running your own box office.
Please get in touch with [email protected] if you have any specific questions about the information on this page. A member of our team can set up a 10-minute slot to talk things over with you on the phone or on a video call.
Please note, slots are based on team availability.
