Plans for the inaugural World Fringe Day, an international day of celebration of worldwide Fringe Festivals, has been announced by Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs for the Scottish Government and Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. More than 200 fringes from across the world will join together on 11th July, World Fringe Day, to reflect on the collective power and worldwide reach of the fringe movement. Fringe participants and audiences are invited to take part on the day, by sharing their love for all things fringe on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s first fringe, has its 70th anniversary this year. Over these years, the spark which was ignited in Edinburgh in 1947 has circled the globe and the fringe model has been emulated from Australia to France, Canada to Prague, South Africa to Brighton, China to Brazil, and many places in between.
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said, “We are thrilled to reveal the plans for the first ever World Fringe Day. We can’t wait to join with our sister fringes across the world to celebrate the wonder and joy of fringe festivals in this auspicious year. This is an incredible opportunity for fringe organisers, venues, participants and audiences to take part in a truly international celebration of creativity that will transcend national boundaries, demonstrating the power of arts and culture to bring people together. We hope as many people as possible will join us for a very special day of worldwide fringe fun, as we celebrate 70 years of fringe and pay homage to Scotland as the birthplace of the fringe movement.”
Holly Lombardo, Managing Director of World Fringe added, “World Fringe Day will bring focus to the hard work and passion that people put into making fringes all over the world happen. Fringes are known for innovation, igniting creative genius and supplying the creative food chain with the stars of the future. World Fringe Day is a chance to celebrate the opportunities these festivals represent and to tell the world that they can join in too.”
To mark this 70th anniversary year of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a special open-top tour bus provided by Lothian Buses has been unveiled in Edinburgh. The bus features 70 fringe fingerprints, each one made up of the names of the towns and cities around the world that host fringes, and will be used on Lothian’s Edinburgh Bus Tours operation. As Lothian Buses Managing Director, Richard Hall, said, “…Keep an eye out for this very distinctive Fringe bus around the capital’s streets.”
Further plans for World Fringe Day will be unveiled over the coming months at www.worldfringeday.com
Social: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube - @worldfringeday
Get involved: #WorldFringeDay #Fringe70