It would be logistically impossible, say festival chiefs

The organisers of the Edinburgh Fringe have ruled out changing the dates of next year’s festival.

There have been growing calls to bring the event forward by a week amid complaints that the final few days of this year’s Fringe were a damp squib.

But the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said it would be logistically impossible to move the 2027 dates given the large number of organisations who would be affected.

But chief executive Tony Lankester has said he is open to discussion about the future plans.

Performers have complained of especially poor sales in the last week of the Fringe, and earlier this week major venue operator  Assembly Festival officially proposed that the 2027 event – planned to run from August 6 to 30 – be moved forward.

The Fringe Society has reported that 2.8 million tickets had been issued by the final day of this year’s festival, an 8 per cent rise on 2025.

However, that was spread over almost 14 per cent more performances, up from 53,942 in 2025 to 61,277 this year – that’s roughly equivalent to a fall in average audiences per performance from 48 to 46.

Comedian Susie McCabe, who has been the most publicly vocal about the final-week ticket sales, wrote on social media: ‘The PR campaign of the Fringe saying it’s the most successful year and broke records blah blah yes the data would suggest this. However, I would counter that with yes the front end of the Fringe was busy, the last week was appalling.’

She added the relatively low footfall in the final week made it difficult for flyerers to pick up last-minute sales from people in the city looking for shows to attend.

‘The data do not represent what it was like for artists and venues in the last week,’ she said. ‘[We] cannot let any of this be brushed under the carpet and [it] should be addressed by those responsible.’

The Fringe traditionally finishes on the English August bank holiday Monday – which is not observed in Scotland,  and can fall on any date from August 25 to 31. This year, Scottish schools also went back particularly early, leaving just five days when the Fringe overlapped with school holidays. 

In a statement shared with Chortle, Lankester, pictured, said: ‘Any decision to change the Fringe dates and rhythm would require extensive consultation with all participants – venues, artists, producers, Edinburgh Council, the hospitality sector, landlords, the other summer festivals and accommodation providers – and competing views and considerations would have to be heard. 

‘Any change should be agreed on the basis of solid data and the input from those who create the festival. We’re open to having such a discussion and, if it emerges that there’s a consensus within the wider community for a different rhythm, we would be supportive.

‘However, given the extent of the consultation required and the work and planning that would need to follow any agreed change, this would not be achievable as soon as 2027. 

‘The announced 2027 dates see the overlap between school holidays and the Fringe revert to the familiar 12 day overlap, unlike the once-every-six-year 5-day overlap we experienced in 2026, and which has driven much of the discussion around the dates.’

Published: 2 Sep 2026