Fringe performers say final week 'worse than 2021' as bosses mull date change

Performers and venue owners have urged the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society to move the dates of the event forward, warning this year’s late-timed third week was “quieter than the socially-distanced Fringe in 2021”.

One performer said other “established” artists in his venue - in one of the major venue groups - had been forced to cancel shows after selling zero tickets as audiences dwindled, with others saying the final week of this year had been the “quietest I’ve ever seen”.

The calls come after the Fringe Society this week sent out a survey canvassing opinions of the timing of the festival, asking performers if they would prefer dates to be moved slightly earlier to coincide with the Scottish school holidays.

Some called for the dates to be altered more dramatically, starting earlier in July and finishing in mid-August, the same week the Scottish schools return.

Performers reported a drop off in ticket sales in the past week of this year’s festival, warning of “half empty rooms”, which they put down to the late timing of the Fringe this year, which began just a week before many Scottish schools returned. Children’s shows were particularly hard hit, with many opting to cut short their runs.

The Fringe traditionally finishes on the English August bank holiday Monday, however, the month started later in the weekly cycle this year, pushing the final bank holiday further into the month.

Grace O’Keefe in An A To Z Guide To Dating. Photo by Ian Bowkett. | Photo by Ian Bowkett.

Grace O’Keefe, who performed a one-woman musical, An A to Z Guide to Dating, said she had marked on the survey that she would like to see the dates brought back by a week.

She said: “I've attended every Edinburgh Fringe since I moved to the UK in 2019, and the final week of this Fringe was the quietest I've ever seen. Quieter than the socially distanced 2021 mid-Covid Fringe even.

“There simply weren't enough people to flyer to, which is such an essential part of the Fringe business model.”

Performer Linus Karp said: “Before the final week, my show Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella was selling out and gaining five-star reviews. Having done fringe many times I relaxed as from experience I knew we'd be set for the rest of the run. Then the final week happened and sales dropped massively - in the eight years I've done the Fringe I've never known anything like it.

“Friends and performers in our venue - established Fringe acts - cancelled shows as they'd sold no tickets.”

He added: “Doing Edinburgh Fringe as an artist is incredibly expensive and a big financial risk. If The Fringe Society cares about the wellbeing and income of the fringe artists that make the festival, and one would hope that they do, they would move the festival to ensure we do not have to experience what happened this year again.”

Performer Daryl Carrington, who had to cancel two performances of his own show, Tennish, in the last week due to poor ticket sales, said he had taken part in a cabaret-style one-off show starring Ed Byrne on the final Friday of the Fringe.

He said: “It was a 100-seater venue and it sold 20 tickets. If Ed Byrne, who is a massive telly legend, isn’t full on the last Friday of the Fringe, there is a problem.”

Joe Sellman-Leava in Copycat. | Joe Sellman-Leava

Theatre maker Joe Sellman-Leava said the second half of the Fringe had generated £4,000 less in ticket sales than the first half.

He said: “The world's largest open access arts festival must put audiences and artists at its centre: one way of staying true to this is organising the dates to give as many people as possible the chance to see shows.”

William Burdett-Coutts, founder of venue group Assembly, said he would like to see the Fringe moved more drastically, starting earlier in July and finishing in mid-August, the same week the Scottish schools return.

He said: “Increasingly we're reliant on a local audience, so doing the festival outside of school term time makes sense.”

“Also, the weather tends to be slightly better in July than it does in August. Generally, I think there are a lot of benefits in moving it and ending when schools go back.”

He added: “The Fringe Society is there to represent what people on the Fringe want to do. So I think if there's enough of a majority view across the Fringe that that's what’s wanted, I think they'd have to listen to it.”

Comedian Ignacio Lopez, who produced ten shows as well as his own and has been performing at the Fringe since 2011, said his own data showed ticket sales were stronger on years when the festivals began in July. This year’s final week saw the lowest ticket sales he had had in ten years.

He said: “I think the Bank Holiday at the end of the Fringe, which everyone hopes is going to bring a boost towards the end, doesn’t exist any more. Most of the acts I produce said they couldn’t do a full run next year because of [the drop off].”

The survey asked: “The Fringe typically takes place from the first Friday until the last Monday in August. The Scottish school holidays typically take place from the end of June until early August. Would you prefer the festival’s dates to be earlier, to coincide with Scottish school holidays?”

The Fringe Society warned any changes could not take effect as soon as next summer. Next year’s Fringe is expected to run from Friday, 6 August to Monday, 30 August.

Tony Lankester, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said any change to the Edinburgh Fringe dates would require “significant consultation” with stakeholders and could not be implemented by 2027.

He said: “There is no scope to adjust the Edinburgh Fringe dates for 2027. Many stakeholders, including venue hosts such as the University of Edinburgh, venue operators, and the other summer Edinburgh Festivals, plan their activity cycles several years in advance.

“Artists' experiences and opinions on how the Edinburgh Fringe operates remain a key priority for us, which is why we have regularly asked for artists' views on the festival's timing. We will continue to consult with artists to explore if any significant structural changes to dates are required in the future.”

Children’s shows were particularly badly hit by the timing of this year’s Fringe due to schools returning in Scotland.

Comedian Huge Davies, who performs a long running children’s show, Funz and Gamez, with Phil Ellis, said his show could not run during a later-timed Fringe.

He said: “I'm all for the Fringe starting earlier, as it has done the last few years. Apart from the fact that the festival this year felt like it was completely over by the last week, children's shows can really only run for the first week before the schools go back.”