Festival-goers give a huge thumbs-up

The Edinburgh Fringe seems to be addictive – with almost a third of people going to shows saying they have been to the festival at least ten times.

And most people see several shows a day, with a hardcore 11 per cent saying they would see four or five.

The new research also exploded the myth that Edinburgh residents are intolerant of the Fringe, with 91 per cent of locals agreeing that they ‘loved the festivals’.

The survey, carried out by Adroit-e Research on August 4 to 6, covered all Edinburgh’s festivals – of which the Fringe is by far the most dominant – and also found:

• 18 per cent said they would be spending more than a week in the city
• 29 per cent said they had set aside up to £500 for their visit, with another 12 per cent expected to spend more than £500.
• One in three Fringe-goers was from the Edinburgh area, roughly the same amount as from England.
• 27 per cent had come to the Fringe to see a comedy show.
• 95 per cent said they would return to the Fringe.
• Approval rating was an impressive 83 out of 100, with three-quarters of respondents ranking their experience at 90 out of 100 or above.

The survey also asked about gripes, with crowds being the biggest complaint. Stuart Brill, director of Addroit-e Research, said: ‘Despite well-documented price increases, only ten per cent of respondents said the cost of tickets as the worst thing about Edinburgh’s festivals.’

The festivals are thought to be worth £245m to Edinburgh’s economy. The Fringe is the most lucrative summer event, worth £141million, followed by the Tattoo at £34million.

Published: 8 Aug 2011