Happy World Fringe Day!

World Fringe Day Celebrations Sweep Through Edinburgh and Around the World

Celebrations are taking place all over the world today to mark the first ever World Fringe Day.

Events will be taking place across continents as fringes come together to celebrate 70 years of the fringe movement and pay tribute to Edinburgh as the birthplace of the fringe concept. Coverage from around the world will be appearing on the World Fringe Day website throughout the day.

In Edinburgh, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society will be thanking the people of Edinburgh for hosting the Fringe for the last 70 years.

Fringe Society staff will visit 26 charities across the city, gifting Fringe days out to families and individuals in partnership with Lothian Buses. Gift recipients will be given Fringe Box Office vouchers along with Lothian bus day tickets that will enable them to experience the Fringe for free.

The Fringe Bus will also be travelling around Edinburgh with Forth 1 presenter Micky Gavin, who will be gifting ‘Random Acts of Fringe-ness’ to members of the public.

Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “World Fringe Day is a rare opportunity for a truly international celebration of creativity, transcending national boundaries and demonstrating the power of arts and culture to bring people together.

“Events will be taking place all over the world today, and here in Edinburgh we are focussing on saying thank you to the city and people of Edinburgh for supporting the Fringe over the last 70 years.

“We have lots of surprises planned for the day and are delighted that, in partnership with Lothian Buses, we are able to gift Fringe days out to families and individuals around Edinburgh via 26 fantastic charities working across the city.

“The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society works to improve access to the Fringe wherever possible with the aim of making the Fringe the most inclusive festival in the world and we hope that these days out will give people an opportunity to see what is on offer and be part of the Fringe in its 70th anniversary year.”

Gaynor Marshall, Communications Director for Lothian Buses, said:“We are delighted to be supporting the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society on this World Fringe Day celebration, which will give people from all over Edinburgh an opportunity to enjoy all that the Fringe has to offer.

Our partnership will enable lots of families and individuals to travel to and from Fringe venues across the city, at no cost to themselves, allowing them to enjoy the spectacular sights and sounds and all that Edinburgh has to offer throughout August.”

Fringe days out will be gifted to charities throughout Edinburgh including Canongate Youth, Lothian Autistic Society, Pilmeny Youth Centre, Sikh Sanjog, The Broomhouse Centre, 6VT Youth Café and WHALE Arts Agency.

World Fringe Day has been supported by the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo70 fund through Creative Scotland and by EventScotland.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs for the Scottish Government said: “World Fringe Day is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the global connections that Scotland has made through the arts. Edinburgh’s festivals are world renowned and it is remarkable to think that the fringe movement, that began here in 1947 with the founding of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, has developed into a worldwide network with fringes now taking place on every continent except Antarctica.

“The Scottish Government is proud to support World Fringe Day through our Edinburgh Festivals Expo70 fund, acknowledging Scotland as the home of fringe and joining with the many other wonderful fringe festivals around the world for an international day of celebration.”

Picture by Stewart Attwood
All images © Stewart Attwood Photography 2017.