Covid-secure Edinburgh Festival Fringe returns for 2021

Edinburgh Festival Fringe is to go ahead this year. After being cancelled last year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the festival has been given the green light to run between August 6 – 30 this year.

Tickets are to be launched in early summer, with performers able to start registering as soon as May 5.

The event is to be Covid-secure with plans for social distancing measures and crowd capacities to be published before ticket bookings are taken.

Current guidance will permit live events to resume in Scotland – with significantly reduced capacities and physical distancing in place – from May 17, but acts will also be able to register for a new digital platform, similar to BBC iPlayer, which will allow work to be showcased in the event of new lockdown restrictions being imposed.

“A range of scenarios are being prepared for, from socially distanced events to digital offerings,” said the Fringe Society announcement.

Festival chiefs hope that socially distanced audiences of up to 400 will be allowed to attend indoor shows, while up to 2000 will be permitted outdoors.

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