Portal:Scotland/Selected article/Week 44, 2010

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (The Fringe) is the world’s largest arts festival.] Established in 1946 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place in Scotland's capital during four weeks every August alongside several other arts and cultural festivals, collectively known as the Edinburgh Festival, of which the Fringe is by far the largest.]

The Fringe mostly attracts events from the performing arts, particularly theatre and (the big growth area in recent years) comedy, although dance and music also figure significantly: in 2009 35% of shows were comedy and 28% were theatre.] Theatre events can range from the classics of ancient Greece, William Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett, through to new works, and in 2009 37% of shows were world premieres.] However, there is no selection committee to approve the entries – it is an unjuried festival – so any type of event is possible: the Fringe often showcases experimental works which might not be admitted to a more formal festival. In addition to ticketed events (included in the programme), there is an ongoing street fair, particularly on the Royal Mile. The organisers are the Festival Fringe Society: they publish the programme, sell tickets and offer advice to performers from the Fringe office on the Royal Mile.