Fringe Street Events Taster stages bring650 performances to the New Town

As the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe gets underway, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society are delighted to announce a full programme of activity for the new Taster Stages in St Andrew Square and Cathedral Square in St James Quarter.

Following an announcement about the extension of the traditional Street Events programme to new sites across the city centre, the Fringe Society team have been excited by the level of support shown by artists for the new spaces.

Scheduled daily from 11:00 – 18:00, the new stages will bring a taster of the Fringe to the New Town, with performers from 170 shows participating in 650 performances across both stages.

From music to magic, dance to comedy, and theatre to circus, there will be something for everyone visiting the spaces this August. In St Andrew Square the TikTok team will be in residence and will live stream on various dates throughout August. In the St James Quarter, the Taster Stage in Cathedral Square will be the first event to take place in this new space.

Audiences are encouraged to make repeat visits to the two stages, with performers changing throughout the day. The tasters have been designed to allow visitors to the area the opportunity to get to know work by the artists, before booking a ticket to see their full show.

Shona McCarthy, CEO at The Edinburgh Fringe Society said: "This summer we’re delighted to be able to expand the Street Events programme to these new spaces in the New Town. It’s been fantastic to see the volume of artists who have engaged with these opportunities and we encourage anyone visiting these areas to stop by to get a taste of the Fringe Festival. We are grateful to our sponsors and partners in supporting our expansion of Street Events and look forward to watching performance in both the live experience, and digitally on TikTok.”

James Stafford, Head of Community & partnerships, TikTok UK, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Festival Fringe Society this year as the Official Virtual Stage. We will be livestreaming from the TikTok Taster Stage in St Andrews Square throughout the festival, so whether you are lucky enough to be in Edinburgh or want to tune in from afar on TikTok, the magic of the Fringe will be more accessible than ever before.'

Cllr Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener, City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is a very special year for the Fringe, not only does it see the return of an amazing programme of artists and performers from around the world, it also marks 75 years of this extraordinary festival. This exciting addition of new sites offering taster performances from the Fringe’s jam-packed programme brings a wider opportunity for current and potential Fringe fans to sample some of the 650 acts who will be entertaining audiences this month.”

Paul Bush, VisitScotland Director of events, said: “EventScotland is delighted to be supporting the return of the Fringe Street Events at this year’s Festival as they extend to new locations across the city centre. Our atmospheric crowds, iconic venues and picture-perfect backdrops make Scotland the perfect stage for events and after the challenges of the last two years now is the time to get out and enjoy all these free events have to offer.”

Nick Peel, St James Quarter said: “We are thrilled to be hosting the Taster Stage in Cathedral Square kicking off a fantastic summer of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe at the Quarter. The Fringe is such an integral part of the city, the partnership supports our ambition of offering guests new experiences every time they visit. We can’t wait to see the incredible talent from across the globe descend on Cathedral Square, giving us a taste of what’s on offer across the City this August.”

Roddy Smith, Chief Executive of Essential Edinburgh said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Fringe Society and St James Quarter to bring free Fringe activity to St Andrew Square Garden and Cathedral Square. I encourage everyone to stop by and get a real feel for the fantastic artists and shows on offer. With the addition of the free Fringe stages, there is now significant Fringe presence throughout the New Town, complementing the traditional Old Town offering and ensuring we have a thriving and vibrant area during August, welcoming residents and visitors to our wonderful city centre.”