The 2026 Edinburgh Fringe festival opened on Friday, with the organisers calling on audiences to “mix it up” and jump into the thousands of shows on offer over the next four weeks.
There are more than 4,202 shows awaiting audiences across 299 venues in the Scottish capital and artists will undertake in excess of 57,000 performances across the month.
The Fringe Society, which supports and promotes the festival, said the average ticket price at the Edinburgh Fringe this year is £13.
There are also 430 free shows being staged across the festival in addition to 796 pay-what-you-want or pay-what-you-can shows.
The society added that a total of 74 countries will be represented across the Edinburgh Fringe this year.
As the festival season officially launched on Friday, Tony Lankester, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, encouraged audiences to jump in and buy a ticket.
He said: “To everyone taking part, the key message is to enjoy this unique experience. The Edinburgh Fringe is one of the greatest spectacles of performing arts and culture, and you are the heart of it.
“This year we encourage audiences to mix it up and fully jump into the kaleidoscopic variety of performances on offer. The best way to support all artists, from established names to those making their Fringe debut, is to buy a ticket and attend a show.”
Mr Lankester also thanked the artists, venues, producers, promoters and others who have worked to bring this year’s festival to life.
“Without your creativity and commitment, the Fringe simply would not be what it is today,” he added.
The Edinburgh Fringe officially launched on Friday and will run until Monday August 31.
The Fringe Street Events programme will run daily from 11am on Friday until August 30 across the Royal Mile and Mound area, with performers showcasing their skills throughout the day.
Audiences can explore shows and tickets on edfringe.com and in the official Fringe app.
