Join & Support
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the single greatest celebration of arts and culture on the planet. It takes place over three weeks every August in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city.
Thousands of performers take to stages all over Edinburgh to present shows for every taste. From big names in entertainment to unknown artists forging their careers, the festival caters for everyone and includes theatre, comedy, dance, physical theatre, circus, cabaret, children's shows, musicals, opera, music, spoken word, exhibitions and events.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, a registered charity, is the organisation that underpins the festival. It has three core objectives:
- providing support, advice and encouragement to all the amazing artists, producers and venues who create the Fringe each year
- assisting the audiences who come to Edinburgh by helping them navigate what’s on offer with comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date information and ticketing
- celebrate the Fringe and what it stands for all over the world.
Our charity work
As part of our efforts to keep the Fringe open and accessible at all, the Society also undertakes several charity initiatives, including the following:
- Fringe Days Out is run in conjunction with Lothian transport, and provides ticket and travel vouchers to communities in Edinburgh where people might normally feel excluded from the Fringe.
- We’ve introduced accessible viewing platforms, BSL interpretation and sensory backpacks to make the Fringe more welcoming to all audiences, as well as a Changing Places toilet with an adult-sized changing bench and hoist, for people who are unable to use a standard accessible toilet.
- Our P6 Project aims to provide a free Fringe ticket to every Primary 6 school pupil in Edinburgh.
Find out more about our access, outreach and community engagement work.
Our commitments
The Society is committed to the principles of the Scottish Business Pledge, a voluntary commitment to uphold standards of business practice and to embrace principles of fairness, equality, opportunity and innovation. Our commitments include:
- paying all employees at least the Living Wage
- promoting staff development and training
- supporting local businesses and investment in research and innovation.
The Society also works closely with Festivals Edinburgh, Creative Carbon Scotland and the Green Arts Initiative to reduce our negative environmental impacts.
Become a Fringe Friend
Fringe Friends pay an annual membership fee which provides vital support for the Fringe Society's charitable objectives; in exchange, Friends receive exclusive benefits such as ticket offers, a priority booking line and discounts in the Fringe Shop.