More than 856,500 tickets were purchased by Edinburgh residents for the 2019 Fringe Festival, helping to drive sales to a record three million passes.
The world’s largest arts festival, which drew to a close last night (Monday), shifted 170,000 more tickets than last year’s event, a rise of almost six per cent from 2018.
The Fringe said that of 3,012,490 tickets issued, 56 per cent of all the 250,000 visitors were from Scotland.
Fringe Society chief executive Shona McCarthy said, according to the BBC, that this year’s programme has been “the perfect combination of local and global”.
She added: “The Fringe is the perfect combination of local and global – a magnificent medieval city and its residents welcoming performing artists from all over the world.
“At a time of political division and uncertainty around the world, the role of the Fringe as a platform for radical conversations to happen – from the future of our environment to gender politics, racism and disability – has never been more important.
“We are delighted to welcome audiences from Edinburgh, Scotland, the rest of the UK and across the world to this year’s Fringe, alongside 1,661 producers, programmers and bookers who will help ensure the work presented at this year’s festival is seen by audiences in venues and festivals both here in the UK and internationally.”
Tim O’Shea, chairman of the Fringe Society, said: “The positive impact of the Fringe is felt long after August comes to a close – from the artists who use the Fringe as a career springboard to the local communities who come to the festival, many for the first time, and are inspired to take up something new.”
Image: Festival Fringe Society
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