Fringe Benefits

If you thought that the Fringe Festival was just a pleasant way to spend some time in the City over the summer time, or an excuse for drinking more than strictly necessary, you’d be mistaken. Edinburgh’s famous festival has a massive impact on the area, in some ways that you might not have
thought about.

The economy and tourism are very thankful for the influx of people wanting to be a part of the celebrations, and with that comes a boost to our national identity and a pride in being able to put on an event that’s so well-loved by many.

The Festivals are also good news for local buy-to-let landlords as they take the opportunity to rent out their properties to visitors to this and other local festivals, again contributing to the local economy.

The effects of the Fringe – and other festivals – can be felt in all sectors of Edinburgh society, young, old, business and government. Research has even shown a benefit to the environment – even more reason to support the event.

Research (first published in 2011) into the twelve main Edinburgh festivals, identified Edinburgh as the world’s top  Festival City but also put into words the vital contribution that the fringe and other festivals make to the whole country.

Facts and Figures

As a whole, the Edinburgh Festivals generated more than a quarter of a billion pounds worth of extra tourism revenue for Scotland (£261m) in 2010. The Fringe alone was responsible for £142m of this extra revenue!

It goes without saying that the Festivals encourage access to the arts, with 7 per cent of people agreeing that the Fringe and other festivals had given them the chance to discover new talent and genres. It’s a great way for audiences to widen their horizons; almost two-thirds of people said that attending the Festivals encouraged them to investigate less well-known performances, events or films.

The Festivals are synonymous with Edinburgh as a city, especially The Fringe, and visitors agree - a massive 93 per cent of visitors to the city said that they thought the Festivals made Edinburgh special as a city. The spectacle and reputation of the festivals keep tourists coming back year on year; 82 per cent said that Festivals made them more likely to revisit Edinburgh in the future and 82 per cent even said that they were the main or only reason for visiting Scotland in the first place. 85 per cent of all respondents to the year-long survey said that they thought the Festivals promoted a confident, positive Scottish national identity; and 89 per cent of local respondents felt that they also increased local pride in their city.

This year’s Fringe Festival takes place from 7-31 August – we’re sure you’ll all make the most of it!