A Fringe reimagined: Edinburgh's popular festival goes digital this year

After it was announced that the Edinburgh Festival Fringe would be cancelled for the first time in over 70 years and following news that The Ghost Lights outdoor event would take place, a virtual online fringe festival has now been confirmed by Fringe Festival Society.

As part of the new scheme, there will be a FringeMakers Crowdfunder launched today (13 July 2020) that will allow for venues and artists to be able to register as part of a central Fringe campaign, pay zero fees, and keep all of the funds to be donated to their own cause.

What to expect with the new online Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

The online festival will include a "Frine on a Friday" variety show to stream, with the opportunity to see some of the best productions present snippets of their shows. Further details on this are to be announced very soon. The festival will also have a Fringe Pick n Mix arts industry platform in which artists will be able to upload 60-second video clips for audiences to enjoy online.

The online Edinburgh Festival Fringe will also feature 30 digital events ranging from panel discussions, networking sessions and artist-facing workshops for those wanting to hone their skills, and a Fringe Marketplace to help promote tour-ready work. This will assist companies in projecting themselves onto the global market and pick up commissions and programming slots for next year.

Artists hoping to further develop their careers and craft can look forward to the Virtual Fringe Central online hub to allow for networking and collaboration. Penguin Random House will also release a new audiobook, Edinburgh Unlocked, and Comedy Central will release mini-episodes featuring emerging comedians.

Shona McCarthy: "We're happy to be able to shine a spotlight on some of our Fringe heroes now"

CEO of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Shona McCarthy, said: "It's hard to imagine a summer without the Fringe. The explosion of creativity and community that the festival brings every year is unparalleled, and whilst we may not be able to provide a stage in Edinburgh in quite the same way this year, it feels hugely important that the spirit of this brilliant festival is kept alive.

"Little did we know way back in autumn, when we first started talking about this year's programme artwork, how prescient the superhero theme would be today. We're happy to be able to shine a spotlight on some of our Fringe heroes now, as we rally round to support the people that make your Fringe. On the other side of this, we'll need them more than ever.

"The impact of Covid-19 has been devastating for the countless artists, audiences, venues, workers and small businesses that make this festival happen every year. The FringeMakers crowdfunding campaign is designed to support them, while the Fringe on a Friday live show and the Fringe Pick n Mix website aim to bring some much-needed joy to our devoted audiences both here in Scotland and all over the world."

The online festival was made possible in large part thanks to generous donations made by Virgin Money and Johnnie Walker as well as the Scottish Government's hefty £1.2 million bailout.

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