Fringe began in 1947 when eight uninvited theater groups staged shows on the margins of the Edinburgh International Festival, cultivating an alternative, experimental vibe. The festival launched many careers, including Robin Williams, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and STOMP, and now typically sells over 2.5 million tickets annually. Rising costs, corporate sponsorship and short-term rentals are changing the festival's character and making attendance and participation harder for artists and audiences. Ticket prices remain low compared with Broadway, but incremental increases and housing costs force visitors to be more selective. Some visitors rely on long-ago informal rentals or long walks to reach venues.
Fringe dates back to 1947, when eight theater groups turned up at the Edinburgh International Festival uninvited. They staged their shows on the fringe the edgy margins of that more rarefied festival. Their vibe was alternative, weird, experimental anything goes. It's since become where eccentric theater kids find kindred spirits and sometimes, fame. Robin Williams performed in the early 1970s. In 2005, before writing Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda busked at Fringe, calling it "the best summer of our lives."
who only managed to come this year because she locked in an off-the-books Airbnb rental three years ago. It's a 45-minute walk from Fringe venues. "I used to see so many shows back-to-back. But tickets cost two or three pounds ($2.70 to $4) [per show] more than they used to. So I'm having to be more selective about what I go and see."
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