What is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
The Fringe is an open access arts festival, which means that anyone who has a story to tell and a venue to perform in can put on a show here.
There is no centralised selection process and the festival as a whole is not programmed or curated (though individual venues choose which shows they want to programme). The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society does not produce or select any shows, does not invite anybody to perform and does not cover costs. We are here to provide you with the support, guidance and resources necessary to tell your story. Read more about the story of the Fringe and the Fringe Society.
Why perform at the Fringe?
There are hundreds of reasons why artists and performers come to the Fringe.
- Many are looking for exposure, to try out and develop new material in front of a live audience, or to get reviews and media coverage.
- Many aim to connect with people in the arts industry with the hope to find touring opportunities, to earn money and to network with fellow performers.
- Coming to the Fringe is often part of performers’ longer-term career plan, but it can just as easily be about working on stagecraft and having fun.
The Fringe is a proven training ground where some of today’s most popular entertainers got their start. It’s also home to one of the most adventurous audiences in the world – an audience that, along with the paying public, includes producers, promoters, journalists and fellow artists.
Ready to begin?
Before you set about bringing your show to the Fringe, it’s important to ask yourself: why? What would be the value of the Fringe to you? All of the outcomes we mentioned above are possible, though usually not at the same time.
Remember that the Fringe is a competitive environment – there are thousands of shows, all vying for the same audience. We recommend you make a list of clear, achievable goals you want to work towards. This will not only help you direct your energy during the festival – it will inform every decision you make, from choosing a venue to planning your marketing campaign. Define what Fringe success would look like to you.
For example, you might want to aim at filling a smaller, less conventional venue than you’re accustomed to, or making initial contacts in the industry rather than immediately attracting tour bookings. Misjudging your goals could prove financially costly and make for a negative experience during August.
Three steps to setting your goals
1. Identify your goals and objectives
Your goal is unique to you and your show – no-one else can set it for you. Think about why you've decided to bring the show to the Fringe in the first place and what you want to leave the Fringe with.
Feel free to use some of the examples above to get you started, eg developing new material or getting reviews and media coverage. If you have multiple goals, list them in order of priority – which one is most important above all?
2. Build a strategy to achieve your goal
Once you have set your goal(s), you need to build a strategy around them. Think about the different steps that it would take to achieve your goal, then work these into your Fringe plans. What can you do before, during and after the Fringe?
If you are struggling to form a strategy, you can complete our Artist Development prep sheet to book a one-to-one and get bespoke advice from our team.
3. Putting it into practice
Below are some suggestions of actions you can take that can help you achieve your Fringe goals:
- Attend professional development events on Fringe Connect and at Fringe Central during August to upskill your practice, learn more about the industry and build knowledge of what the future holds for venues and organisations. You can also catch up with previous event recordings.
- Find artists and professionals to connect with and build collaborations using the People page on Fringe Connect.
- Use this website to find resources around different ways to network, developing your tour pack and more.
- Book a one-to-one with our team:
What to do and when
- Ask yourself what your aims are for coming to the Fringe: what do you want to get out of it? Make a list of priorities.
- Engage with the Fringe Society by: signing up to receive artist bulletins, reading the online guides, attending an info session, speaking to the Artist Services team.
- Browse previous Fringe programmes and talk to performers and companies that have presented shows at the Fringe in the past.
- Put together a preliminary budget. Have a look at the budgeting and finance section for advice and a budgeting tool.
- Research venues – try using our guide to finding a venue. Put together a shortlist and start contacting venues.
- Think about how you can reach a broader audience by making your show accessible.
- Make sure the rights for the work you’re going to perform are available. For what this could include, see the insurance and legal section.
- For international companies, start researching visa requirements and entry procedures for the UK. See the international performers’ section.
- Read through the marketing your show section for ideas and advice for your marketing campaign.
- Start looking for Fringe accommodation in Edinburgh. You might find something through our artist accommodation portal.
- Once you’ve decided on a venue, negotiated the slot and signed a contract with them, register your show on our online registration system, EdFringeware. Check the registration section for deadlines.
- Plan a marketing campaign and work out your printed publicity. For ideas and advice see our marketing your show section.
- More accommodation offers are uploaded throughout the spring so keep an eye on the accommodation portal.
- If you’re planning to buy additional advertising space in the Fringe programme, you can get discounted rates for adverts booked earlier in the year – see our advertising section for this year’s dates.
- Starting in February, we launch a series of early on-sale dates for shows that want to start selling their tickets ahead of the full programme launch. Consider whether you’d like to be included in one of these.
- We launch the Fringe programme! Find your show listing on our website and use the link to promote your show on social media.
- Send your press release to our Media Office for feedback and start your social media marketing campaign. For more promotion tips see the marketing your show section.
- Now that you’ve finalised several of your big expenditures, take another look at your budget and make any necessary adjustments.
- Fine tune your show. Keep the dimensions and facilities of your Fringe performance space in mind.
- International companies should file FEU forms with HM Revenue and Customs, if necessary.
- Stay in touch with your venue manager, the Fringe Society and any other key contacts in Edinburgh.
- Look into the performer showcase opportunities listed on Fringe Connect for additional performing or exposure opportunities.
- Contact our Artist Development team, who can advise you on attracting producers, programmers and promoters to your show.
- Sign up to Fringe Connect, our online platform for artist development, advice and networking.
- Spend a little time every day promoting your show. Email the Artist Advice team for assistance and advice to help promote your show.
- Browse through Fringe Connect and see which events, workshops and seminars might help you make the most of your time at the Fringe. Access to these events is included as part of your registration fee.
- Engage with the Arts Industry team and Artist Development team online to learn how to connect with industry professionals and to discuss opportunities beyond the Fringe.
- Submit a music license declaration form about any music used in your show. More information on the music licensing section.
- Ensure all your admin, including contact details on EdFringeware, is kept up to date.
- Fringe Box Office settlements: We will process and pay out your Fringe Box Office receipts at the end of the month. Please note: if you requested your Box Office money to be paid to your venue, we will forward the amount to them. Your venue will then forward you the money under the terms of your agreement with them. Check your venue contract for details about box office payout.
- Follow up with any arts industry professionals who came to your show. You can get their email addresses through your venue or from our Arts Industry Office. This is a great time to keep building relationships and discuss future plans.
- Archive your show, file your press releases and work out your actual expenditure.
- Think about getting ready to do it all over again!
Fringe handbooks
Everything you need to know is on this website, but if you want to browse offline or at your own pace, the handbooks below can be downloaded in PDF format.