Fringe funding turns world famous feast of drama into crisis

The Fringe is worth an estimated £500 million to Edinburgh. The imposition of the tourist tax has added another £6 million to that total.

In return, the city council’s total financial contribution is £75,000, earmarked for street events. That is rising in time for the 80th anniversary of the festival – by £3,750.

Contrast this with Adelaide, the second largest Fringe festival in the world, where, Mr Lankester says, the council contributes A$290,000 a year, roughly double Edinburgh’s grant, for a festival issuing 42 per cent of the tickets.

Per ticket, Adelaide invests about five times what Edinburgh does.

Edinburgh needs to take the festivals seriously, and recognise that complacency may very well see this ‘golden goose’ disappear.

The loss of the Edinburgh TV festival in face of rising costs is a red flag which should have, but clearly hasn’t, sparked urgency.

For too long Edinburgh, and Scotland, has assumed that the festivals will always be there. They will keep getting bigger, and keep attracting the crowds.

But this is not a given, and until the Fringe in particular is given the support an event generating £500 million should expect, the threat will continue to grow.

Celebrating eight decades next year feels like a good moment for our politicians to finally recognise this. We would suggest a rise of more than £3,750 would be appropriate.

Says Mr Lankester: “We are asking the Council to demonstrate its commitment to an asset the world reveres and that adds value to its own backyard, and to answer one question with us: how do we look after it together?

“The answer is not £3,750. It is an investment to protect what the Fringe delivers for this city. The Fringe was born in Edinburgh and is proud to call it home. It would be good to know the feeling is mutual.”

Over to you Edinburgh city council. Let’s not turn an annual feast of drama into a full-blown crisis.