Visitor spend a fifth higher as Fringe by the Sea bucks festivals trend

Organisers said the event, now in its 18th year, had contributed over £11 million to the local economy this year, while the number of attendees also rose by 20 per cent to 103,000.

This comes as ticket sales at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe remained flat as artists and venue owners complained of soaring costs to attend this year's festival.

The 2025 line up featured exclusive performances from French duo Air, the Mercury Prize-winning Ezra Collective, and comedian Alan Davies, in a diverse programme of music, arts and culture. Festival-goers enjoyed events across four venues, around town and in a buzzing central hub, with local food vendors, creative Maker’s Market and family activities.

Findings reveal a significant boost in new visitors to East Lothian, many of whom explored nearby attractions such as the Scottish Seabird Centre, local museums, and points of interest across North Berwick, Dunbar, and East Linton.

Fringe By The Sea Festival director Rory Steel said: “With more visitors than ever before coming to enjoy our community-led festival, the team at Fringe By The Sea has been truly humbled by fabulous feedback we’ve received.

“Whether it was Ezra Collective hanging out with our local youth club, the epic artistry of AIR bringing their global tour to North Berwick, Dunbar’s Racecar playing a magical, intimate gig or any one of our amazing local artists performing on the Lighthouse Live stage, this year had so many memorable moments we can rightly be proud of sharing throughout East Lothian. Bringing people together to share in these moments is what it is all about.

“The uplift to the local economy is another important part of delivering Fringe By The Sea, and we’re immensely grateful to all our partners, suppliers, traders and festival-goers for their commitment to making our wonderful wee festival such a special part of Scotland’s cultural summer scene.”