Kath Mainland 'genuinely surprised' at honour

The head of the Edinburgh Fringe has received a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Kath Mainland said she was ‘genuinely surprised’ to receive the honour for services to culture in Scotland, adding: ‘It is not something that I ever expected.’

She took over the running of the arts festival five years ago after a disastrous summer when a new box office system crashed.

She first worked at the Fringe in 1991, before becoming a freelance producer working closely with the Assembly Rooms; and famously threw Christian Slater out when he got behind the bar there during a raucous birthday celebration.

Earlier this month, Mainland announced this year's festival would be the biggest in history, featuring more than 3,000 shows.

She said she owed her honour to the participants at the festival, saying: ‘Without them and their talents there would be no Fringe.’

Published: 14 Jun 2014