Arts Council England injects £80,000 into Keep it Fringe fund

An initial £80,000 has been donated by Arts Council England to support artists taking part in the 2027 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The Keep it Fringe fund will distribute £2,500 bursaries to performers based in England. This financial backing marks the 80th anniversary of the arts festival and the fifth year of the support initiative. Applications for the funding are set to open in January 2027.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society originally launched the fund in 2023, supported by honorary President Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

The initiative aims to assist performers in bringing their work to the stage and ensure artists are not prevented from showcasing their talent because of their background.

The £2,500 bursaries are designed to help alleviate the financial pressures associated with participating in the month-long event and can be spent however an artist believes will most benefit their production.

Demand for the initiative remains exceptionally high across the arts sector. During the 2026 festival, more than 400 artists applied for just 16 available bursaries.

The Fringe Society is actively seeking additional partners to contribute further funds to ensure performers based outside of England can also be supported across the wider UK.

External specialists will assess the upcoming applications to identify projects demonstrating the greatest need and boldest ideas.

Tony Lankester, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “The Keep it Fringe fund is a vital means of support for artists coming to the festival, and we’re overjoyed that Arts Council England is supporting artists from England bringing work to Fringe 2027.

“For those outside England, rest assured, this is only the beginning – we fully intend to continue our fundraising and partnership efforts to ensure that many more artists from across the UK will be able to experience the benefit of the fund as well.to be part of it.”

Neil Darlison, Director of Theatre for Arts Council England said; We are delighted to be able to mark the Fringe’s 80th year through Keep it Fringe, directly supporting artists and companies based in England taking their work to the 2027 festival.

“We wish Tony and the team every success in future fundraising to further support artists across the country.

“The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is scheduled to take place from 6 to 30 August 2027. The Fringe Society, established in 1958, provides central services for the festival and operates from the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.

“Arts Council England, which provided the £80,000 kickstart funding, is investing over £467 million of public money between 2023 and 2026 to support practitioners and organisations.”

2027 will be the fifth year that the Keep it Fringe fund has run, and the Fringe Society’s ambition is to provide direct financial support for Fringe artists every year.

Further announcements of funding for Keep it Fringe will be announced in due course, and applications for next year will open in January 2027.