Scottish Blog

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest art festival.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is most commonly referred to as “Edinburgh Fringe” or plainly as “The Fringe”. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe first appeared in 1947, although it was not in its current official capacity. During the Edinburgh International Festival eight uninvited festival acts appeared in Edinburgh, it is said that the performed on the fringes of the existing festival and benefiting from the gathered crowds and revelers. After their success, these performers along with others, decided to make an appearance the following years. In the second year, a reviewer for the Edinburgh International Festival claimed that the surrounding fringe festival was even more entertaining. In 1951 students provided places to sleep and eat for the fringe performers, creating the first facilities for them. In 1959 an organization was formed to cater for the fringe festival performers and organize events. This was the earliest establishment of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. By 1971, the organization was employing administrators for the festival.

To this day the origins of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe are felt, as it is still a fringe of the main Edinburgh Festival. Although now it is an equal part of the overall festival, as opposed to a smaller “fringe” aspect. It is also now accompanied by a number of other festivals occurring at the same time, like the International Film festival and the International Jazz Festival.

Along with being one of the most popular arts festival in the world, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is also one of the most technologically advanced. It was the first festival of its kind to implement a real-time online ticket ordering system, podcasts and a text rating system which allowed spectators to rate show from their mobile.