The Edinburgh Fringe is arguably the largest arts festival in the world. Every August, Scotland houses thousands upon thousands dancers, playwrights, actors, comedians, visual artists, and musicians for a twenty-five day celebration of collaboration and creativity.
However, more than its packed schedule and grandiose size, the story of how the Fringe came to be is even more interesting. In the 1940s, when the International Festival- another Scottish arts event- was being founded, eight theatre groups who wanted to perform had not been invited. Instead of protesting or crashing the festival, the groups went on performing anyway. They were known as the “fringe” of the festival, and so the name and precedent of Edinburgh art was born!
While the 2020 Fringe was cancelled due to COVID-19, the arts festival returned with a bang in 2021. The event- though mindful of social distancing- was a colorful mixture of in-person and virtual exhibitions from all over the world.
It is a dream of mine to visit Scotland and witness the Fringe in full-force. With over 50,000 performances and 300 venues, it’s an artist’s paradise!
Source: https://edinburgh.org/discover/edinburgh-festivals/edinburgh-festival-fringe/
