Famous Spiegeltent could quit Fringe over St Andrew Square ban

● Promoter says ‘corporate interests’ have forced him out

The impresario behind one of the most celebrated venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has said it may have to quit the city after being forced out of its home in a historic New Town square.

Australian promoter David Bates said it looks as if “time has finally run out” for the Famous Spiegeltent, which is being “turfed out” of St Andrew Square Garden after three years. He has blamed “big business” and “corporate interests” for a clampdown on Fringe shows in the garden, which was opened to the public in 2008 after a £2.8 million revamp funded by the city council and Scottish Enterprise.

The owners of the square – who include financial giants RBS and Standard Life, as well as property developer Chris Stewart – have demanded a Fringe clampdown on the space, which is managed by business group Essential Edinburgh on behalf of the city council, to turn into “a space for relaxation” in August.

Mr Bates said frantic efforts to find an alternative home for his venue, which created work for 500 staff and contractors, and provided a stage for more than 1,000 performing artists, had drawn a blank. He said he had already lost out on a number of major international artists for this year’s Fringe, with several acts signing up with rival venues.

0 The return of the Famous Spiegeltent to its recent home on St Andrew Square looks increasingly unlikely

Mr Bates added: “The seemingly casual and mean-spirited dismissal of the artistic, economicandcommunityvaluethatthefamousspiegeltent and the St Andrew Square festival project have brought over the past three years is quite simply astounding and bears closer investigation.

“There has been no explanation from the city council, Essential Edinburgh or the big business owners themselves as to why St Andrew Square cannot be used for summer festival activity.”

A spokeswoman for the Fringe said: “We’ve been urgently seeking a resolution to the challenges relating to St Andrew Square. We’re in ongoing conversation with the council, Essential Edinburgh and other parties involved with the hope of reaching a resolution that works for all.

“We’ve already had confirmation from a major stakeholder that they’re not, in principle, opposed to it being used as a venue for the Fringe, and we take this as a positive message.”

Roddy Smith, chief executive of Essential Edinburgh, which represents the owners, said: “The owners want the square to be used, but in an appropriate fashion. Large structures which wreck the square are inappropriate.”