Types of ticketing
Performances where a standard or concessionary ticket price is purchased before the performance - either in advance or on the door.
Shows that can be ticketed or non-ticketed but do not charge in advance. The Fringe Box Office can issue tickets for free ticketed shows. Many free shows give the audience the option to contribute money to a bucket at the end of the performance.
The PWYW/C model gives the audience the option to ‘Buy a ticket in advance to guarantee entry, or pay what you want (or what you can) at the venue’ when the show ends. Ticket holders for the show are allowed in first, followed by those who have opted not to buy a ticket in advance. Many PWYW/C shows give the audience the option to contribute money to a bucket at the end of the performance.
The Fringe Box Office
The Fringe Box Office sells tickets for all shows registered with the Society. Tickets are sold over the counter, by phone and on edfringe.com.
You are required to make at least the equivalent of 25% of your tickets per performance available to sell at the Fringe Box Office. This percentage can be increased when you fill in your Show Registration Form, or at any point during your run.
The Fringe Box Office opens earlier than many venue box offices, and because of this many companies allocate half or more of their tickets to our Box Office. An administrative commission of 4% plus VAT is applied on the face value of all tickets sold.
The Box Office Supervisors are also there to help if you need to make changes or cancellations to your performances, or have any questions about ticket sales reports.
Box Office FAQs
You will receive log in details for our ticketing report site by email, once your show goes on sale through the Fringe Box Office. By using our online reporting facility, you can view full details of tickets sold for past and future performances of your show. If you have any questions regarding your box office reports, please contact boxofficereports@edfringe.com.
All you need to do is email the Fringe Box Office Supervisors on boxedit@edfringe.com with the details and we will make the changes on our system. Please note that all changes must be submitted by email, by the primary contact on the show registration form, to ensure they are properly recorded and entered on the box office system accordingly.
All you need to do is email the Fringe Box Office Supervisors on boxedit@edfringe.com with the details and we will make the changes on our system.
Please note that all changes must be submitted by email, by the primary contact on the show registration form, to ensure they are properly recorded and entered on the box office system accordingly.
Yes you can. Once again, the Box Office Supervisors will assist with this and all you need to do is email them on boxedit@edfringe.com. Please remember that you must allocate a minimum of 25% of your tickets to the Fringe Box Office.
Please note that all changes must be submitted by email, by the primary contact on the show registration form, to ensure they are properly recorded and entered on the box office system accordingly.
We have a dedicated telephone service for Fringe venues to ask the Fringe Box Office to stop selling tickets for a particular performance. They can call ‘Stop Sales’ on 0131 226 0018 within 24 hours prior to the start of the performance. We advise calling at least one or two hours beforehand. Our staff will let them know how many tickets we have sold. The venue will then know how many tickets are left to sell on the door.
In very particular circumstances the Box Office team will change the copy for your show on the edfringe.com website. Examples of copy changes that we would consider making include:
- inaccuracy in the copy
- significant changes to the nature of the show
- significant new announcements about the show, e.g. a casting change
- announcement of a new award or being shortlisted for an award.
Please note that due to the high volume of shows we will only be able to process a limited amount of requests. The 100-word limit for copy still applies.
To request a change to your web copy, please email the Box Office Supervisors on boxedit@edfringe.com.
Ticket offers
The Fringe offers various discount ticket options to audiences that your show can opt to participate in, including 2for1 offers and Fringe Friend discounts.
Taking part in these offers can help your show build audiences and take maximum advantage of the festival calendar.
More information on these offers is available in Edfringeware when you decide whether or not to opt in, and on the EdFringeware help site.
The Half Price Hut
The Half Price Hut (HPH) is a great promotional opportunity for shows and an efficient way for shows and venues to generate last-minute ticket sales for any performances that need an extra boost. It opens from the Wednesday following the 2for1 days on the first Monday and Tuesday of the Fringe.
The HPH only sells tickets for performances taking place on the day of purchase, or the following day if the show takes place before 14:00 (more info on this below).
Here’s how it works:
- Choose which performance(s) of your show you would like to make available in the Half Price Hut.
- Choose how many tickets per performance you would like to allocate to the HPH. These tickets will be available to audience members at half the price of a standard full-price ticket. Please note that if you are using Pay What You Can ticket pricing with multiple ticket options, it is not possible to use the Half Price Hut offer for your performances
- This allocation of tickets will be exclusively available via counter sales at the Fringe Box Office at 180 High Street (there will not be a physical hut at the Mound this year as in previous years).
- Half Price Hut shows will be listed on a dedicated edfringe.com page, with signage around the Box Office directing audience members to that information and further details of how to take advantage of the ticket offer.
- Please note: the Half Price Hut will sell from 14:00 for performances before 14:00 the following day. Performances after 14:00 will be sold from 10:00 on the same day. Requests for inclusion in the Half Price Hut need to be made 48 hours in advance of a performance.
- Once tickets have been allocated to the Half Price Hut they cannot be returned to general sale.
Who can allocate tickets to the Half Price Hut?
If your company is performing at any of the following venues you will have to contact them directly to be included in Half Price Hut offers:
- Assembly
- C venues
- Gilded Balloon
- Greenside
- Just the Tonic
- Paradise Green
- Pleasance
- Scottish Storytelling Centre
- theSpaceUK
- Summerhall
- Underbelly
- Zoo
If you are not at one of those venues, the Half Price Hut form should be completed by the Primary Contact for your show (aka the person listed as a Primary Contact in your show registration) or someone at your venue. If you are unsure who the Primary Contact is, contact registration@edfringe.com and our team will be able to let you know.
If you are not the appropriate contact for your show, this may delay or prevent the Half Price Hut ticket offer being applied.
If you have any questions about any of the above or the Half Price Hut ticketing service more generally please email hph@edfringe.com.
Venue box office
Many venues operate an on-site box office as well. You may choose to sell some tickets through the Fringe box office and the remainder through the venue - discuss how to allocate your tickets with your venue manager. Check for hidden costs such as supply of ticket stock or additional fees or commissions.
Some venues have box offices that are linked to the Fringe system. In these cases, the venue staff will be your main point of contact for all box office, ticketing and sales reports enquiries.
Otherwise, please contact the Fringe Society using boxedit@edfringe.com for:
- Box office issues
- Questions about changes to performances
- Information about online ticket reports
Fringe Box Office settlements
Your takings from the Fringe box office will be sent via bank transfer by 30 September following the end of the festival. If a bank transfer is not possible for your organisation, please contact us.
We will deduct a 4% commission (plus VAT) as well as any PRS payments (plus VAT) if applicable.
You can enter your bank details directly into EdFringeware - you'll find a tab called 'Payout Details' within the Organisation.
We calculate the commission on your gross sales (ie. before tax is deducted) and send through the remaining amount. It is your responsibility to settle any VAT or other tax liabilities as appropriate for your individual set-up.
Note that if your show registration is submitted by your venue manager or you have selected to have payout sent to your venue, the funds will go directly to your venue for settlement. Your venue will then add their box office takings and forward you your money under the terms of your agreement with them.
Make sure you know how long it will take for you to get your money after the Fringe Society has paid it out – your venue contract should make this clear.
The Fringe Society offers the advance payment of show sales during the month of August.
Payment of advances can only be requested by the organisational primary contact and paid into the account nominated to receive payout within the organisation.
Payments will only be made on ‘matured sales’. This means sales for performances that have already taken place. For instance, the payment on Monday 14 August is on sales of performances that have taken place up to the end of Sunday 13 August. The payments are not based on when the sale is made.
Advances are set at 80% of those matured sales, the remaining amount/s due will be paid in September as part of the wider Fringe payout process.
We will update this section with specific payment schedule dates once these are confirmed for Fringe 2025.
Please contact finance@edfringe.com to apply to receive advances. The email must come from the registered organisation primary contact within EdFringeware.
Advances for All is at the discretion of the Fringe Society and we reserve the right to retract the service at any point.
If you have any questions about Advances for All, please email finance@edfringe.com in the first instance.
Email payout@edfringe.com if you have additional questions about your Fringe payout.
Fringe Box Office booking fee rebate
Since 2022, the Fringe Society has operated a rebate process after payout, redistributing part of the revenue from our Box Office booking fees and retaining only what we need to provide our services. This is to recognise the large market-share of ticket sales that the Fringe Box Office has across the festival, and the value of supporting venues to offer box office services when these cannot be covered by their own booking fee revenue.
The rebate is offered on the volume of tickets we sell over 40% of the total sales for a show. For example, if a show’s venue box office sells 25% of tickets for a show’s run, and the Fringe Society sells the other 75%, we will retain the booking fees for 40% and offer a rebate on the remaining 35% (see infographic, right).
The Fringe Society contacts eligible recipients with a rebate claim form; there is no rebate for shows where the Fringe Box Office sells less than 40% of the tickets across the run.
The rebate is issued in October, to ensure it doesn’t slow down the payout process, and is offered to the organisation that is registered to receive the show’s payout. For some shows, the artist or company receives payout and rebate directly; in other cases, these are issued to the venue, which in turn manages the individual settlement with the show as per their agreed contract. Free Ticketed shows also receive a rebate of associated booking fees.
It is up to the organisation that receives the payment to decide what to do with those funds. Some venues use the money to offset their box office overheads or other operating costs, supporting a broader network of box office services across the Fringe; some pass a portion (or the entirety) to the artists. We encourage artists and venues to discuss rebate when contracting.
This process has been agreed for three years (2022–2024) by the Fringe Society Board. The Board is elected by members of the Fringe Society – find out more about becoming a Fringe Society member.
Do-it-yourself box office
If your venue does not run a ticketing facility, you are welcome to allocate all of your tickets for sale through the Fringe Box Office. Alternatively, you can sell advance tickets and offer door sales yourself.
DIY box office tips
- Print simple, numbered tickets in advance. If possible, sell space on your ticket to advertisers to help cover print costs.
- Ticket design should be simple and include:
- show title
- company name
- venue and space
- date and time of performance
- ticket price.
- Equally, for a very simple, functional ticket you could buy a book of cloakroom/raffle tickets to sell on the door.
- Assign only one or two people from your company to run the box office.
- Maintain a spreadsheet of sales. Balance box office costs and income daily and deposit takings in a bank account set up for that purpose.
- Post conditions of sale clearly at your box office, including your policy on refunds and exchanges. If giving a refund, take the ticket back from the customer.
- Set a process for verifying and documenting concession statuses and sales (eg. over 60s, students, unemployed).
- Keep a record of any seats given away as complimentary tickets - including press tickets, if applicable.
- Have your front of house staff retain tickets. Take a head count before the performance for fire and safety purposes.
- Track your customer base by asking your audience for contact details. Get permission before adding anyone to a mailing list.
Contact the Fringe Society at artists@edfringe.com for more advice on setting up and running your own box office.