Thank you!
An enormous Fringe Society thank you to our Fringe Benefactors, Champions and Patrons, whose incredible generosity helps our charitable work to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat:
- Champion: Geoff Arbuthnott.
- Spotlight Patron: Jim Mellon.
- Backstage Patrons: Changing Ideas, Dr Kurt and Colleen Jennings-Roggensack.
- Front Row Patrons: Graeme and Rachel Baillie, Stephen and Teresa Graham.
- Emerging Patrons: Bert Aerts, Lisa Brindle, Chris Crouch and Molly Morris, Nancy Gibbs, Jessica Guo, Greg Lovett, Mike and Carol Ramsay, Whitney and Ally.
And to those who wish to remain anonymous.
How to join
Fringe Friends memberships are active for one festival period and can be bought with a recurring Direct Debit payment for UK Friends or one-off payments for all Friends.
Please note: Fringe Friend memberships are no longer available for 2024. We will reactivate them for the next Fringe in early 2025.
Fringe Friends membership tiers & benefits
Support the Fringe and unlock great benefits by becoming a Friend.
Friend | Good Friend | Close Friend | Best Friend | |
£49 or £39 DD |
£69 or £59 DD |
£99 or £89 DD |
£189 or £169 DD |
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Exclusive bulletins | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Priority booking line | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Membership card and lanyard | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Merchandise discount (10%) | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Programme delivery discount (50%) | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
Programme delivered free | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
Local business offers card | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
2for1 tickets on participating shows (see FAQs for restrictions) | 10 | 20 | 30 | 50 |
Friend reception invites | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
Priority access to programme launch event tickets | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Updated benefits for 2024
We are continually looking to develop our Fringe Friends membership scheme to be as useful and valuable to our members as possible and always appreciate your feedback. Following from previous survey responses we have updated the following benefits:
- The return of Friends membership cards and lanyards! These are available on a collection basis from the Fringe Box Office from programme launch (12 June) onwards.
- Local offers cards – piloted in 2023, the local offers card will return this year with a range of discounts and offers for local restaurants, bars, attractions and shops. This is available for Friends on a ‘Good Friend’ level or higher; the cards will be available to collect from the Fringe Box Office from programme launch (12 June) onwards.
- Edinburgh venue info and offers – the Fringe may be specific to August but Edinburgh's performing arts scene is active all year round! We’ve partnered up with some local year-round venues to share information on what's going on in Edinburgh throughout the year, as well as providing you access to show discounts and offers.
- Events – our Fringe Friends receptions are always super popular and in high demand for August. We are looking to increase the capacity at our existing receptions and add some more online events in the run-up to the festival – keep an eye out for more information in your exclusive Friends bulletins.
Fringe Patron membership tiers
Emerging Patron | Front Row Patron | Backstage Patron | Spotlight Patron | Showstopper Patron | |
£500 or £45 monthly* |
£1,600 or £140 monthly* |
£2,500 or £215 monthly* |
£5,000 or £420 monthly* |
£7,500 or £630 monthly* |
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All the benefits of a Best Friend | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Recommendations of hotels, restaurants and activities for during your stay | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Acknowledgement on the website | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Acknowledgement in the printed programme | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Invites (x2) to the Review of the Year event* | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Invites (x2) to the programme launch* | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
Invites to further celebration events throughout the year | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
Invites (x2) to the VIP Industry Welcome Address | ✔️ | ✔️ | |||
Exclusive VIP Fringe passes when available | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
Behind-the-scenes access to Fringe Central artist hub | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ||
Exclusive time with the Friends team | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Exclusive time with Chief Executive | ✔️ | ||||
Invoicing of ticketing post-festival | ✔️ | ||||
Fringe Champions (£10K+) and Benefactor’s Circle (£50K+) | |||||
Our Fringe Champions and Benefactors provide vital support to the Fringe Society's charitable work and receive all of the benefits of a Showstopper Patron as well as opportunities to support a specific part of our charitable work. Last year we were able to support over 3,350 community visits to the Fringe, BSL interpretation at the Fringe street events, over 300 uses of our sensory resources and an initial 50 artists receiving Keep it Fringe funding thanks to our amazing donors. Please get in touch if you're considering becoming a Fringe Champion or Benefactor and we can discuss how you can help give anyone a stage and everyone a seat. |
*Monthly payments are available for Fringe Patrons, Champions and Benefactors in the UK via the Direct Debit scheme. To set up monthly payments, please contact the team on [email protected] or 0131 226 0036.
Paying by Direct Debit
Please note: Fringe Friend memberships are no longer available for 2024. We will reactivate them for the next Fringe in early 2025.
You can save time and money by setting up an annual Direct Debit for your Fringe Friends membership. As a Direct Debit customer, you’ll save up to 20% on the cost of any Friends membership.
Direct Debit is a simple, convenient and secure way to pay for your Fringe Friend membership; your subscription comes out of your bank automatically and there’s no need to contact us to pay. You can cancel your Direct Debit at any time.
Direct Debits are only open to Friends in the UK. Supporters from the US and overseas can become Friends using the standard card payment option above.
Gift memberships
Do you know a Fringe Fanatic? Arts Addict? Dance Devotee? Are you looking for a unique gift idea for the Fringe fan in your life? From just £49 you can gift a summer of inspirational theatre, comedy, dance and much, much more with a Fringe Friends membership. From 2for1 ticket offers to invitations to exclusive members’ events, our Friends membership is the perfect ticket to a great Fringe experience.
Gift memberships are delivered as a voucher that can be redeemed either online, in person or on the telephone. Visit the Fringe Shop for more information and to buy.
If you have been given a gift membership, you can redeem it here.
Fringe Network Friends
Want to support us as a business? Join our Fringe Network Friends, contribute to the ongoing success of the Fringe and enjoy the benefits.
Our Fringe Network Friends are a collective of passionate performing arts enthusiasts who want to share the extraordinary world of the Fringe with their clients and colleagues.
Frequently asked questions
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What benefits would I receive for being a Friend?
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What does my Friends membership fee contribute to?
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How do I know when my membership is active?
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How does the Friends 2for1 ticket offer work?
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Are there any restrictions on using the Friends 2for1 offer?
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How do I receive a copy of the programme?
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How do I receive my membership card and lanyard?
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How can I get involved with how the Fringe Society is run?
Terms & conditions
We have a full list of terms and conditions on our website, but there are a few key points to bear in mind:
- Purchasing via Direct Debit is the cheapest way to buy a Friends membership.
- We will aim to send all Close Friends, Best Friends and Patrons a copy of the official Fringe programme by launch date, dependent on date of sign-up. Friends and Good Friends can use their discount code to order a programme to be delivered to their door for launch.
- Some Friend tiers are eligible to receive invitations to special events during the Fringe – these events may be subject to capacity limits and / or safety restrictions.
- Friend memberships are non-refundable.
Check our complete terms and conditions for more info, or call +44 (0)131 226 0036 to speak to the Friends team.