Playbill introducing a floatel next year

Playbill, the company which produces programmes for Broadway shows, is bringing a floatel to Edinburgh next summer.

The Fringeship will launch in 2024. Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition—a sustainable and modern cruise ship—will serve as a home for and extension of the world’s largest arts festival. In 2024, it will be docked for a week in Edinburgh’s buzzing port district of Leith. The chartered cruise ship will be moored at the Imperial Dock in Leith August 8-15, 2024.

Playbill’s President and Chairman Philip S. Birsh, “Playbill Incorporated is very proud to be associated with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We believe this annual gathering is an incubator of theatrical creativity, a cradle for newborn productions, and the home of brilliant originality—it speaks to our passion, and we can’t wait to be a part of it this summer. 

“Our hope is to be a welcome part of the Fringe, bringing the best of our resources to Edinburgh and helping American theatre lovers experience first-hand the genius of this phenomenal event. When we return in 2024 with our FringeShip, our goal for the seven-night residence is to bring, in the words of the Proclaimers, ‘Sunshine on Leith’; a place where people can stay and have a glorious time with joyous people who love the Fringe and theatre.

“The more we learn about this festival, and the more we meet the remarkable people behind it, the more we know we made a terrific decision; we’re excited to be a part of this collision of creativity and collective great will for years to come.”