Fringe by the Sea, the series of activities that take place during the annual Edinburgh Festival, has reported its most successful year.
An independent survey revealed a 20% increase in visitors to 103,000, contributing over £11 million to the economy and supporting 147 tourism-related jobs throughout the county.
Key highlights from this year’s festival included:
- 56% of attendees came from outside East Lothian (up from 44% in 2024)
- 96% of visitors came to North Berwick specifically because of FBTS
- 88% of attendees would “definitely” attend future FBTS events 95% rated their experience as “Excellent” or “Very Good”
The 2025 lineup featured exclusive performances from French duo Air, the Mercury Prize-winning Ezra Collective, and comedian Alan Davies, in a diverse programme of music, arts and culture.
Events took palce at four venues and environmental concerns meant all festival waste was hand-sorted by partner Caledonia Horticulture. Daily ‘Rubbish Chats’ were hosted for free for visitors to show the work undertaken by the team and the importance of waste orting to avoid the use of landfill.
This year also saw the launch of a reusable cup Initiative, reducing single use wastage and raising over £7,000 for Scottish Coastal Clean-Up charity.
Fundraising efforts continued with close to a total of £13,000 raised for local charities including Leuchie House and RNLI, through events over the 10 days.
With over 50 events focusing on climate, environment and sustainability including Nature Day with Scottish Seabird Centre, Coastal Walks, Nature Animation Workshops, E-Bike Tours and Natural Art Workshops, Fringe by the Sea ensured that sustainability is at the core of the festival.
Fringe By The Sea Festival Director Rory Steel said: “With more visitors than ever before coming to enjoy our community-led festival, the team at Fringe By The Sea has been truly humbled by fabulous feedback we’ve received.
“We’re immensely grateful to all our partners, suppliers, traders and festival-goers for their commitment to making our wonderful wee festival such a special part of Scotland’s cultural summer scene.”
Fringe By The Sea 2026 will take place on 31st July to 9th August.
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