Eight EdFest Venues Comment on Soaring Accommodation Costs
1,965,961 tickets were collectively sold by the eight venues in 2019 while more than 1,486,746 are forecast to be sold this year.Â
By: Blair Ingenthron Aug. 28, 2022
The eight major producing venues behind EdFest.com - which comprise Assembly, Dance Base, Gilded Balloon, Just the Tonic, Pleasance, Summerhall, Underbelly and ZOO - collectively commented that soaring accommodation costs are the biggest risk to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's future. 1,965,961 tickets were collectively sold by the eight venues in 2019 while more than 1,486,746 are forecast to be sold this year.
A spokesperson for EdFest.com said: "It has been fantastic to be back at the first full Fringe since 2019 - to see the live performance industry come roaring back to life in this post-pandemic world. There has been a real appetite and energy for shared, live experiences in Edinburgh over the last few weeks and the quality of the programme has been incredible - yet, the forecast number of tickets we've collectively sold is down 25% compared to 2019 which is a major threat for everyone involved in the festival.
"Together, we eight venues are forecast to have sold more than 1,486,746 tickets despite the very real continuing challenges to our industry, including the cost-of-living crisis, the lingering effects of coronavirus, the cost and uncertainty of international travel, the recent train strikes and more. Chief among these however is the soaring cost of accommodation in Edinburgh in August - audiences and artists alike are being priced out of town, out of experiences.
"It is clear to anyone spending time in Edinburgh, that there are fewer people in the city this year than in 2019. While there are certainly other factors that have affected audience numbers this year; the cost of accommodation is a perennial problem across the board. Disruption with public transport, delays with artist visas, and high fuel costs are even more insurmountable when people and performers simply cannot afford to stay in the city.
We know that a lack of safe, affordable housing is not just an August problem, but one that affects the artists, staff and audiences who call Edinburgh home. It's imperative that local and national government, landlords, the universities, Fringe venues and the Fringe Society all come together to find a lasting solution for this issue, or the future of the Fringe is in very real danger. Long term we also have to find solutions that allow the festival to be affordable to performers and the audience. Given the extent of the reduction in sales the overall festival has a major job to do in restoring the event to normality, which may take several years and require some public support. We need to stabilise the current situation where many people have made significant losses; to address the accommodation issue; to find ways of supporting work; and a major marketing campaign to get the audience back to the festival.
"Over the past 75 years, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has earned its reputation as the world's leading arts festival. We must continue to work together to do everything in our power to ensure that it remains a vibrant, inclusive, and financially accessible destination for another 75 years."
About Assembly Festival
Established in 1981, Assembly is the longest-running and most prestigious of the multi-space venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; and one of eight venues collaborating on EdFest.com in 2022.
In the four decades since its first festival where it played host to quartet of shows, Assembly now presents a programme of more than 200 productions to an audience of over half a million. The 2022 Festival programme kicked off on Wednesday 3 August with the Assembly Gala showcase.
After a reduced programme in 2021, this year sees Assembly return to its usual venues, with performances at George Square Gardens and Studios, Assembly Hall, Assembly Checkpoint, and the Assembly Rooms on George Street where Assembly started over 40 years ago. Over the years, an extensive list of now household names started their journey to stardom on an Assembly stage, including Eddie Izzard, Jo Brand, Bill Bailey and Sandi Toksvig, to name a few.
About Dance Base
As Scotland's National Centre for Dance the organisation exists to get the whole of Scotland to experience dance and to build national and international success for dance artists based here
It has an open and accessible public programme of classes that attracts people of all ages and abilities alongside a professional programme providing mentoring, facilities and creative guidance to dance artists across Scotland, as well as performance and partnership opportunities during the Edinburgh Festivals.
The organisation also promotes dance for health and wellbeing through its engagement projects, bringing together dance artists, charities, community organisations and funders to use dance effectively to deliver health and social outcomes.
Dance Base is supported by Creative Scotland and The City of Edinburgh Council.
About Gilded Balloon
Gilded Balloon is one of Scotland's leading and best-loved entertainment production companies presenting an annual programme as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as well as year-round in its home city of Edinburgh.
Gilded Balloon began life in the Cowgate in 1986. It is run by mother and daughter Artistic Directors Karen and Katy Koren, both of whom are passionate about providing a supportive platform for all kinds of emerging and established performers, writers and artists.
Gilded Balloon is respected internationally for presenting a stunning annual showcase of theatre, comedy and cabaret.
About Just the Tonic
Just the Tonic have been producing comedy since 1994. With regular comedy nights and events around tbe UK they are recognised as one of the leading brands in the UK's stand up comedy scene. For Edfringe they provide a more entry level venue for performers, with shows in 19 performance spaces across 8 venues in the city. Just the Tonic offer performers the chance to offer free shows / Pay What You Want shows as well as normal ticketed shows. In this way we provide the Fringe with a lot of newer emerging talent at affordable prices, whilst also presenting a large number of more established acts.
About Pleasance
As a registered charity in Scotland, England and Wales, the Pleasance Theatre Trust aims to create a compelling platform to discover, nurture and support fresh artistic talent from across the globe. As a not-for-profit organisation, all proceeds from the Festival and our London base are invested back into the development of new people and new ideas. This artist development strand is called Pleasance Futures. The Pleasance Theatre Trust receives no regular funding and do not run our own bars, therefore we rely almost entirely on the income from our artistic programme.
The Pleasance Theatre Islington has been one of the most exciting Fringe theatres in London since it opened its doors in 1995, providing a launch pad for some of the most memorable productions and renowned practitioners over the past two decades, staying true to the Trust's mission of providing a platform for the talent of the future. This year-round programme compliments our world-renowned operations in Edinburgh.
Since opening in 1985, the Pleasance has become renowned for delivering an inspiring programme year on year that uniquely embodies the spirit of the Festival Fringe.
About Summerhall
Occupying the former University of Edinburgh Royal Dick Veterinary College, Summerhall is both a vibrant arts venue and a cultural hub, home to a diverse community of over a hundred artists and creative businesses, including a pub, radio station, record label, brewery, escape room, distillery and much more.
Now ten years old and a much-loved fixture in the Edinburgh arts scene, Summerhall presents a wide array of year-round exhibitions, festivals and events, and is well known for its award-winning and critically acclaimed Edinburgh Festival programmes. Summerhall Fringe presents innovative international and local work that challenges and entertains from the likes of Rachael Young, Sh!t Theatre and Paines Plough.
Summerhall's exhibitions are free and open all year, and the visual arts programme has welcomed world-class artists including Liliane Lijn, Alastair MacLennan, Derrick Guild, Tamsyn Challenger, Haroon Mirza and Pester and Rossi. Its live music programme, Nothing Ever Happens Here... has been lauded for its contribution to the Edinburgh music scene, with a programme which combines the best new music coming out of Scotland with touring national and International Artists including Grandaddy, Sun Kil Moon, Pussy Riot and Charlotte Church's Pop Dungeon. Summerhall's artist development programme supports Scottish-based artists with showcase opportunities, free rehearsal space and paid development time.
Summerhall won the Dan Crawford Innovation Award at the 2015 Empty Space Peter Brook Awards, was shortlisted for The Stage Fringe Venue of the Year in 2014 and 2017, was awarded a Cycle Friendly Employer Award by Cycle Scotland in 2019 and won The Herald Scottish Culture Award 2019 for Outstanding Venue.
About Underbelly
Underbelly is a world leading entertainment company that produces and programmes ground-breaking productions internationally. Established in 2000 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Underbelly has since produced shows and events all around the world, from London to Hong Kong. Underbelly is currently producing Cabaret on the West End, winner of 7 Olivier Awards.
Underbelly is one of the leading venue producers at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Highlights of our 21 years at the festival include presenting Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag in 2013, Marlow & Moss' SIX in 2018, Manual Cinema's Ada/Ava in 2016, 1927's Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea in 2007 and Life Jacket's America is Hard to See in 2019.
About ZOO
ZOO offers a stunning mix of the world's best established performing companies alongside the most exciting emerging artists. Jaw-dropping and thoughtful circus and dance, explorations of gender and sexuality, questions of what is real, and powerful music mix together to create a programme that questions our place in an ever-changing and unstable world. Now in our 20th year at the Fringe, ZOO has been awarded The Herald Archangel award, and hosted numerous Fringe First, Total Theatre and Herald Angel award winning shows.
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