For Producers & industry professionals

EdFest

What is EdFest?

EdFest is a gathering of eight of the core venues that present a world-class programme of shows as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; Assembly, C ARTS, Gilded Balloon, Just the Tonic, Pleasance, Summerhall Arts, Underbelly and ZOO.

This collaboration was initiated in 2022 after the impact of the Covid pandemic that created a two-year hiatus for the Festival. 2020 was cancelled. And in 2021, most of the EdFest venues operated at about ten percent of what they did pre-pandemic. The endeavour behind working together is to collaborate on all the complexities of rebuilding this incredible event and at the heart of it is our commitment to programming world-class shows and creating wonderful experiences for audiences.

Edfest.com brings together all the EdFest shows under our collective banner and makes it easy for customers to buy tickets for any of the eight venues in one basket. There is a search function that helps you find what you want to see when. Show pages containing information from the venues and presenting companies.

Why EdFest.com?

EdFest.com offers a fairer, more supportive booking platform for the festival community. With booking fees capped at £5, up to £2.50 less than competitors, audiences enjoy real savings per transaction.

Venues benefit directly too, receiving 50% of all booking fee income to help sustain those who bring the festival to life. Artists and venues retain more of their earnings, thanks to a low 3% commission, while enjoying complete control over their show listings and promotional strategy. By prioritising affordability, transparency, and creative autonomy, EdFest.com helps make the festival experience more rewarding for everyone involved.

Love the Fringe

What is Love the Fringe?

Love the Fringe is a pioneering membership initiative run by seven of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's most influential venues: Assembly, C ARTS, Gilded Balloon, Just the Tonic, Pleasance, Underbelly and ZOO. Designed to enhance accessibility and sustainability at the Fringe, this scheme invites audiences to support the arts while enjoying a range of benefits. With over a million tickets available per week during the festival, Love the Fringe aims to make better use of existing resources while championing fairer opportunities for artists and venues.

To take part in Love the Fringe or to list your show on EdFest.com please contact [email protected].

Benefits for Members

Members of Love the Fringe enjoy a host of exclusive perks designed to enrich their festival experience. These include:

• Access to free tickets
• Exclusive discounts on shows, festival bars and local businesses
• A review digest highlighting the best shows at the fringe
• and much more!

In return for their support, members not only gain more value from their festival visits but also contribute directly to the sustainability of the event.

Benefits for Artists and Venues

The scheme brings tangible benefits to the artists and venues who participate. Revenue generated from memberships provides direct financial support, helping to offset production and operational costs. Participating shows also gain increased visibility through promotional efforts linked to the membership, attracting new audiences. Furthermore, artists and venues are encouraged to make use of unsold tickets by offering them as part of the scheme turning potential losses into opportunities for engagement and income.

The 50/50 Scheme: A Fairer Revenue Model

At the heart of Love the Fringe is a 3-year pilot programme based on a 50/50 profit-sharing model. After operational costs are deducted from membership revenue, the remaining profit is split equally between artists and venues. For example, if £100 in membership sales results in a £70 profit after costs, then £35 is allocated to artists and £35 to venues. This equitable model ensures that even free ticket redemptions contribute value to those who create and host performances, supporting a more sustainable approach to discount ticketing.

The 3% Commitment: How Shows Participate

To be part of the scheme, shows are asked to allocate as little as just 3% of their total ticket inventory to Love the Fringe promotions.

For example, a show in a 100-seat venue performing 27 times would contribute 81 tickets. These can be evenly spread across performances or distributed strategically, such as offering more during quieter weekdays.

Participating shows also have the flexibility to offer additional deals on EdFest.com, such as 2-for-1 offers or discounted prices. This approach maximises audience reach without significantly impacting potential box office income.

2025 Target and Long-Term Vision

The scheme's goal for 2025 is to reach 18,000 memberships, generating around £500,000 in revenue. After covering costs, an estimated £400,000 or more would go directly to artists, producers, and venues. This financial boost, driven by community support, could make a significant difference to those staging work at the Fringe.

In Summary

Love the Fringe is more than just a membership. It's a collaborative initiative to reshape the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the better. By making the festival more accessible and affordable for audiences, fairly compensating artists and venues, and promoting more efficient use of available inventory, the scheme helps build a stronger, more inclusive festival community. It offers a practical and positive solution to some of the challenges facing the Fringe today, while fostering a loyal and engaged audience for the future.

CLAIMING SHOWS AND ADDING OFFERS

How to Claim Your Show on EdFest.com?

We are delighted to offer our 'Claim Your Show' feature for Producers, Performers and Marketing & PR associates. By claiming your show you can add additional copy, tour dates, line-ups, videos, sizzle reels, social links.

Find out how to claim your show here.

How to Add and Amend EdFest Offers and Love the Fringe Allocations?

Companies with participating venues can add their own offers straight onto EdFest.com to get more people in to see your show and spread the word about how fantastic it is.

Find out how to add and amend offers here.

LOVE THE FRINGE DAY, 2ND AUGUST

On 2nd August, we're turning the spotlight on the people who make the Fringe what it is: performers, staff, venues, producers, volunteers, and fans. Join us for the first-ever Love the Fringe Day, a full-day celebration of shows, community, and creativity.

Find out more about Love the Fringe Day and how to take part here.

LOVE THE FRINGE AND WOWCHER PARTNERSHIP

The Deal

We will be offering audiences a £39 "Love the Fringe" membership*, which includes 6 free tickets to shows listed as part of Love the Fringe.

Redemption

A unique code will be sent by Wowcher, which customers will redeem on edfest.com to unlock their Wowcher-exclusive membership tier. This is all automated, and nothing will be required from you except adding Love the Fringe allocation to your shows if you have not yet done this.

This tier is different from what's publicly available, offering a fresh route for first-time audiences to access the Fringe.

*Exclusive to Wowcher, Living Social and 5pm.co.uk

Why Is This Worth It?

We've selected these platforms for their exceptional reach, strong conversion rates, and alignment with our values and goals. They cater to deal-savvy, experience-driven audiences, particularly those aged 25 to 44, many of whom have yet to engage with the Fringe.

Wowcher, the UK's leading site in the "Coupons & Rebates" category, sells thousands of deals daily, with some reports suggesting over 5,000 purchases per day. LivingSocial attracts a highly engaged audience, especially ABC1 households, with an average customer income of £39.6k and a predominantly female demographic (78%), a profile well-suited to arts and live events. Meanwhile, 5pm.co.uk maintains a trusted presence in Glasgow and Edinburgh, known for its hospitality and entertainment offers.

Fully Managed

This model requires no additional ticket allocation. The offers use your existing capacity, keeping things simple and streamlined. All technical aspects are handled for you, including listings, discount codes, redemption processes, and customer support.

The only associated cost is a 20% commission taken by the deal platform (Wowcher). With a £39 membership price, the practical ticket value to venues comes to approximately £5.20 per ticket, around £1 less than the standard online sale price. However, since the platform handles all customer payments, venues avoid Stripe and card processing fees, making this a more cost-effective and efficient approach overall.

What's in it for us?

This initiative brings increased visibility by connecting you with a curated set of new audiences actively seeking live experiences. It offers guaranteed promotional support through high-traffic platforms with large subscriber bases, ensuring your shows get the attention they deserve.

Participation is controlled, only select shows are included, not entire venue lineups, giving you greater flexibility and protecting both your margins and brand integrity. In addition, the centralised handling of discount platform listings means less hassle for you when producers request show placements on sites like Wowcher, itison, or LivingSocial. You can simply redirect them to Love the Fringe, a streamlined solution that meets those needs while representing shows consistently and professionally across multiple platforms, all under one coordinated system.

This isn't about flooding shows with discounted tickets but it's a carefully structured initiative that helps fill houses early and efficiently, with enthusiastic new faces.

CONTACT US

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our dedicated Edfest team at [email protected].