World is invited to Fringe party for birthday

THE Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s 70th birthday will be marked by a “worldwide day of celebration”.

World Fringe Day will take place on July 11, and more than 200 Fringe festivals will join together for an “international celebration of creativity”.

Shona McCarthy, chief executive of the Fringe Society, which runs the annual festival, announced the plans with Fiona Hyslop, Scottish culture secretary.

Participants and audiences are invited to take part on the day, by celebrating on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Since the first Fringe was staged in Edinburgh in 1947, Fringe festivals have been established across the globe.

The day is funded by £100,000 from the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo70 fund, through Creative Scotland.

Ms McCarthy said: “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.”

Ms Hyslop said: “The Scottish Government is proud to support World Fringe Day, acknowledging Scotland as the home of fringe and joining with the many other wonderful fringe festivals around the world for an international day of celebration.”

Directors of other fringes also greeted the news.

Heather Croall of the Adelaide Fringe in Australia said: “The global fringe movement continues to grow from strength to strength, so it seems only fitting to introduce a worldwide day of celebration.”

Adam Mitchell, of Edmonton International Fringe Festival, Canada, added: “It will provide an excellent opportunity to shout about all that is great about fringe festivals.”