The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has announced that tickets for a further 60 Fringe shows are now available to book at edfringe.com. For the 2021 Fringe, audiences will be able to access a wide range of Fringe shows through socially distanced in-person events, scheduled online performances and on-demand digital shows. Tickets and information for all kinds of registered Fringe shows, featuring theatre, music, comedy, cabaret and circus can be found at edfringe.com.
The Fringe Society provides free a personal assistant ticket for anyone who needs it with registration for that available via their website. On offer is a bespoke access bookings service on the phone or in-person by appointment.
The Society is also continuing their sensory backpack scheme for autistic people to help make the Fringe experience as enjoyable as possible. Each bag includes a fidget spinner, earplugs, water bottle, stress reliever and a social story. These items are designed to help users relax and overcome stressful or intense situations. This year, to keep things as safe as possible, the bags are being sent out to key partner organisations who will distribute them to their users.
The Fringe Society will be updating audiences and artists regularly on what changing restrictions mean for in-person performances at the Fringe to comply with City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Government covid-related regulations. While the Scottish Government has advised that regulations could lift on 09 August, this is contingent on Covid levels and the continued vaccination roll out in Scotland and is subject to review.
There will be two kinds of online events available: scheduled and on demand. With scheduled shows, audiences can buy tickets as they would to a traditional in-person event. Shows will have a dedicated start and end time and are treated as an ‘appointment to view’ event. For on-demand shows, audiences can buy tickets to watch at their leisure.
Audiences can view Fringe shows via the brand-new Fringe Player that is available vis their website and offers audiences a new way to engage with Fringe content. The player, that hosts on-demand and scheduled online shows, will be accessible to audiences from 06 August, with captioning built in. Where other platforms (such as Zoom, YouTube and Vimeo) are being used to host online work, information on how to access these is clearly provided at the point of purchase.
This year, and in keeping with reducing contact during in-person interactions, all events will be e-ticketed and shows will be listed online, as there will be no printed programme this year. Further shows will be announced over the next few weeks.
The Fringe Society is grateful to its wide range of sponsors and supporters whose generosity has made a real difference this year.
The Fringe runs from 6th to 30th August 2021.
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 