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Success Story:
Fringe by the Sea
What is Fringe by the Sea?
Fringe by the Sea is a not-for-profit multi-arts festival located in seaside town, North Berwick in Scotland. Founded in 2008, they have grown massively, with over 250 events spanning over 10 days showcasing a range of artists from dancers to music acts to comedians.
We were able to speak to Rory Steel (left), Fringe by the Sea’s Festival Director to get an insight into how they pull off a festival of this scale, what makes the coast such a great location for their business, and how music makes such a difference for them.
We appreciate TheMusicLicence comes with a cost, but it is so important that artists receive their royalties.”
Rory Steel, Festival Director
About Fringe by the Sea
Could you tell us a little bit about the history of Fringe by the Sea? How did it all start? How has it grown over the years?
“It started in 2008 when three locals decided they had great talent in East Lothian, and they should be showcasing it with their very own adjunct to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In that year there were 12 performances over three days, a few of which were shows that were also on in Edinburgh. This year we have over 250 events over 10 days (1st – 10th August) and are very much a festival in our own right with no official links to Edinburgh Fringe. When the founders decided to step down after 10 years, we took over the running of the festival in 2018, at which point there were two Spiegeltents by the harbour. In 2021, we moved to the Lodge Grounds where we have larger venues and start to attract bigger names and audiences.”
The festival is spread across 10 days – which is quite a mammoth task to organise and keep everything flowing as it should – could you give us a bit of an insight into the planning and logistics of putting on a festival of this size? When does the planning begin?
“Planning for next year all starts pretty much immediately after we pull down the Big Top from this year. We are a small team of four that work part time all the year round with a great network of suppliers. In July, we ramp up with a big crew and army of volunteers from the local community. While we all feed in ideas, it’s our GM, Jackie Shuttleworth, who has the unenviable task of negotiating with agents and making the full programme work. We have built up great contacts in the worlds of music, comedy, books and family events – it helps that everyone who comes to perform loves the East Lothian vibe, so it is easier to tempt people to come to North Berwick. We tend to put the shows on sale pretty much as soon as we have them confirmed, with the full programme released in early June.”
What makes the Scottish coast in summer the best place to be?
North Berwick has been named as one of the UK’s best seaside towns, what is it about the area that makes it so popular – and brings the tourists back year on year?
“North Berwick has been a popular resort since the Victorian times when it was dubbed “Biarritz of the North”. East Lothian has great weather; there are two lovely beaches in the town as well as great walks in the area and lots of good restaurants, bars and shops. Being only 30 minutes from Edinburgh with regular trains also helps as people can pop up to Scotland’s capital and then return to the relatively slower pace here.”
As well as the stunning location, the event itself obviously brings lots of people to the area. Why did you decide to start the event, and what is it about the location, as well as what’s on offer, that makes the event so special and appealing for visitors?
“The three people who started the event all had different abilities and contacts to make it happen. The town has, since 2008, grown substantially with many young families moving here so the demographic has changed quite dramatically. Our research shows that many people who come for a holiday here at the beginning of August choose to do so because of the festival. As well as being easy to come from Edinburgh, the Borders and central Scotland, we also get many day-trippers from north of England.”
We recently conducted a survey to ask people in the UK about where they plan to staycation this year, and coastal areas of Scotland came out top, over Wales and Cornwall. What, in your opinion, is it about the coasts of Scotland that is so appealing for holidaymakers? We know Scotland is well known for its warm and welcoming hospitality – how much of that do you think plays a part in encouraging visitors to the area?
“Well, everybody does love to be beside the seaside, don’t they? There is something joyous about being on a beach, walking along the sand and getting into the water. Nearby, close to Dunbar, is good for surfing and the people of East Lothian really do lay on a great welcome for visitors.”
What goes on behind the scenes?
With Fringe by the Sea taking place during the popular holiday season, how much of a boost does it bring in for the local economy? Do you work with local businesses and infrastructure, such as parking and transport links, to help visitors have an even better experience?
“Our Economic Impact Report from last year concluded that net additional economic impact of visitor spend as a result of the festival was almost £10m. This is a 36% increase on the 2023 figure.”
Every year we have grown, bringing more audiences to North Berwick and the knock on effect for local businesses is obviously substantial.”
Rory Steel, Festival Director
“Many local businesses support us, sponsoring events – for example, Coulters Property partner with us on the Makers’ Market. We have many food stalls from local businesses and providers.”
What about hotels and hospitality businesses? Do they get involved in providing deals for festival goers too?
“The local hotels and campsites certainly get a roaring trade during the first 10 days of August, not least from us putting up talent coming to appear at the festival.”
We spoke earlier about the planning that goes into a festival of this size, obviously there must be numerous permits and licences required to put on an event of this size. How important is it to ensure that you have all those permissions in place and the festival is compliant with the various regulations?
“We work hard to listen to the local community – attend meetings and make sure that any worries are taken care of quickly. The local council’s Safety Advisory Group assist with us hosting in the Lodge Grounds which are in the centre of the town, and we ensure all our film screening and PPL PRS licences are in place along with the public entertainment licences.
We appreciate TheMusicLicence comes with a cost, but it is so important that artists receive their royalties.”
PPL PRS issue TheMusicLicence for businesses and organisations who use music. How important do you think music is to coastal businesses when it comes to creating an enjoyable experience for customers and making their holidays/trips even more memorable?
“Live music is one of the best ways to raise spirits and add fun to any occasion.”
We may have lots of internationally acclaimed performers, but we also have local artists as we think it is really important to encourage talent from the area, especially youngsters.”
“With so many schools cutting back, helping them get on a stage in front of a crowd is an incredible experience for them as well as their friends and family.”
What can we look forward to this year, and beyond?
We notice that new for 2025 is a music film festival – Wavelength – could you tell us more about this? It sounds really interesting bringing music and film together, music is so well known for adding the atmosphere into a film building suspense and reflecting sadness or joy.
“The Wavelength programme has been curated by a team passionate about both music and film. Co-curators presenter, writer and DJ Vic Galloway and filmmaker Lewis Gourlay have joined forces with the creative team at Fringe by the Sea and, with support from music documentary festival Doc ‘N Roll, developed a distinctly spirited Scottish celebration of screen and sound. Film soundtracks are so much a part of the cinematic experience and we have been bowled over by the support from both musicians and auteurs for Wavelength.”
Lastly – you have some great names on the set list for this year, any sneak previews of acts you are hoping to have on next year? Anything in the pipeline to make it even bigger again?
“We are particularly proud of getting the only Scottish gigs this year from Air and Ezra Collective. We also have a great line up of Scottish musicians from The Bluebells to Hamish Hawk and Manran to Redolent. We certainly have a wish list for next year, but to spill the beans might jinx it so we are keeping schtum just now.”
*Photographs supplied by Fringe by the Sea*
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