Edinburgh Festival Fringe to open registration next month as it lays out initial August plans

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has revealed that show registration will open in May for this summer's festibal.

Later than any conventional year, the Fringe Society has also said that performers will be able to register shows right the way until the end of the festival.

There is currently little concrete information about how shows may be staged in August, as Scotland continues on its road to reopening. The Society has said that it is preparing for "a range of scenarios…from socially distanced live events to digital offerings."

It will also create a dedicated "Fringe Player", an online platform which will allow remote audiences to watch productions. It will be available to anyone who has registered their show via the Fringe society site.

Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: "We're delighted to be able to open registration for 2021. Of course, we're still very much in planning mode as we await further updates from the Scottish Government, but this feels like a hugely positive step in the right direction.

"Through the work being created across the various digital platforms, including the Fringe Player, artists have a brilliant opportunity to reach audiences and communities all over the world. I look forward to seeing how our Fringe creatives use these platforms in 2021 and beyond."

Clearly some uncertainty remains, as Anthony Alderson of the Pleasance (one of the major Fringe companies) comments: "While we remain optimistic that the Pleasance can deliver some form of programme in Edinburgh this summer, it remains impossible to make any firm plans until we have the exact limitations on social distancing, capacity restrictions and Covid-19 regulations and therefore our programme must remain on hold until we have that clarity. While positivity is important and the situation appears to be progressing in the right direction, we don't want to give false hope to artists or audiences."

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is scheduled to take place from 06 to 30 August 2021.