First look inside new Fringe Society headquarters after major refurbishment
Fringe Central will open to staff from today
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has unveiled its new Fringe Central headquarters after a major renovation.
The building, a former schoolhouse on Edinburgh’s Infirmary Street, is to open to staff today after an £8 million, 12-month transformation.
Historically, Fringe Central was the name given to the Fringe’s annual temporary pop-up hub for artists, media and arts industry during August. Now it will be a permanent place for everyone who participates at the Edinburgh Fringe, as well as being a new base for the Fringe Society team.
Paid for by a mixture of public and private funding, the Fringe Society said it continues to “welcome” conversations with organisations and individuals who “want to help build the home of the world's most important cultural festival”.
Tony Lankester, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “Today is an exciting day for everyone at the Fringe Society, as we formally move into 6 Infirmary Street, which will be known from now as Fringe Central. For nearly ten years we have had a desire to create a welcoming space for everyone involved with the Festival Fringe – from artists, producers and venues to Edinburgh’s residents and stakeholders across the city.”
“We are extremely grateful to the UK Government, the City of Edinburgh Council and our wider funders and supporters for helping us realise this long-held ambition.”
He added: “With just weeks now until the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, we can’t wait to open the doors to the thousands of participants coming to Edinburgh this August for the most important cultural event in the world.”
New features in the renovated building include air source heat pumps, an accessible Changing Places toilet and a new lift, all while preserving the history and aesthetic of both the building and the surrounding area.
Robert Aldridge, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, said: “It is wonderful to see the vision for Fringe Central realised in this first look. As a year-round city centre base, this fantastic facility will provide a welcoming space for everyone involved in the Fringe festival while also creating valuable opportunities and space for local cultural organisations. It will serve as a hub for the outstanding outreach work carried out throughout the city all year round.”
First announced in 2017 as part of a blueprint for the Fringe’s future, the project was given a huge boost when it secured a £7m funding pledge in the 2023 UK Budget. The Government later agreed to reallocate £1m of the £7m it had pledged to allow the Fringe Society to expand an artists’ support fund, which was launched by Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, for another two years.
The funding gap created by that agreement was later bridged by a £1m "legacy gift" from the Foyle Foundation, which has distributed almost £65m to arts charities across the UK since 2001. Meanwhile, power company SP Energy Networks agreed to provide a further £250,000 from a "net zero fund" which supports building decarbonisation projects.
Arts Minister Ian Murray said: “The Fringe Society does fantastic work keeping the largest performing arts festival in the world thriving. It’s high time they have a permanent home, and I know this will support their great ambitions for the festival.
“I know from my summers working at the Edinburgh Fringe that it is all about bringing people together. This hub for the Society, the artists, producers and media is the perfect embodiment of that. I know everyone associated with the Fringe and the wider Edinburgh festivals will benefit hugely from the new hub.”
Fringe Central will open to media and performers at the start of the festival in August.
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