This year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe audiences can now double the value of their tickets with the launch of an innovative new subscription service, Love the Fringe. The proceeds of which will go directly to artists, producers and venues putting on the festival.

 

Starting today, Love the Fringe offers festival-goers unparalleled access to free tickets, exclusive discounts, and a host of other benefits at participating venues and businesses across the City of Edinburgh. As much as being a subscription scheme Love the Fringe aims to highlight the positive outcome of so many Fringe organisations working together. The aim is to raise awareness and finance for the overall event.

 

Love the Fringe subscriptions come in five tiers, each designed to enhance the festival experience. Benefits include free tickets to participating performances, discounts at bars and local businesses across the city.  Love the Fringe also includes access to exclusive Fringe performance discounts and discounted access to the Scotsman online for the month of August. Detailed information on all the benefits and subscription tiers is available on the Love the Fringe website, www.lovethefringe.com.

 

Love the Fringe has been created by EdFest and the Fringe Alliance and is the largest consortium of creatives working together in recent years of the Fringe. The scheme is open to any organisation or artist working at the Fringe, with income after costs going directly to the artists, venues, and producers presenting shows at the festival.

 

Anthony Alderson, Director of the Pleasance and representative of the Fringe Alliance stated: "Love the Fringe is more than just a subscription scheme; it’s a unifying initiative to align the interests of the diverse organisations and individuals that make the festival happen. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe remains the world's most prominent festival, open to anyone with the determination to participate. With over 50,000 people contributing to the shows, we want to celebrate this extraordinary event and ensure access remains open to all that wish to take part.  We want to see Love for the Fringe across the whole city. "

Council Leader Cammy Day said: "Edinburgh’s festivals continue to command the world’s attention each and every year – but we can’t be complacent. That’s why I’m excited to see some of our best-known festival producers coming together to launch Love the Fringe.

 

"Any scheme that supports, encourages and enhances our fantastic festivals programme is to be welcomed, not least when the income it generates goes directly into the pockets of the artists, venues, and producers.

"I’d encourage all festival lovers – whether you’re a resident, visitor or business – to support and sign up to Love the Fringe."

 

Participating shows are asked to commit a minimum of 2% of their total ticket allocation toward the scheme, with a target of 18,000 memberships in the first year. Of the venues signed up to the service so far, nearly two-thirds of the total tickets at the Edinburgh Fringe 2023 were sold to their audiences. Love the Fringe aims to generate sales of nearly half a million pounds, which after costs, will see approximately £400,000 being distributed to those behind the festival.

 

In addition to supporting creatives, Love the Fringe is inviting local businesses to participate in the scheme and show their support for the festival by taking up corporate membership for their business and employees and by offering discounts and benefits to Love the Fringe members at shops and restaurants across the city. Investment and sponsorship opportunities to cover the costs of the scheme are also available with further information available via the Love the Fringe website.