North Berwick is gearing up for bumper crowds as Fringe by the Sea returns to the town tomorrow (Friday).
The 10-day festival will see a a star-studded lineup of music, comedy and more, with names such as Travis, Sister Sledge, Dylan Moran and Dara Ó Briain taking to the stage.
Ticket sales this year are already more than 22 per cent higher than last year, with visitors set to flock to the town’s Lodge Grounds to enjoy more than 250 events.
Last year, the Scottish Tourism Multiplier calculated that the net additional economic impact of visitor spend saw almost £6.5m going to East Lothian businesses.
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s director of events, said: “We are proud to support Fringe by the Sea as part of EventScotland’s National Events Programme.
“This year’s festival is set to bring even more success stories, with its enviable line-up which spans all arts genres, along with its impressive health and wellbeing strand.”
The festival, described by organisers as “Scotland’s freshest festival”, aims to have something for the entire family.
Youngsters can enjoy music performed by Children’s Classic Concerts, “The Spectaular Music of Harry Potter” performed by the International Film Orchestra, and a whole lot of “fun and mayhem” with Dick and Dom, as well as the Splash Test Dummies.
“Extraordinary people” with extraordinary lives will be appearing throughout the 10 days, including sailor Robin Knox Johnston, Cal Major (the first person to paddleboard around the UK coast), endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont, and stars of TV’s Gogglebox, Mary and Giles.
There will also be a chance for the politically inclined to find out what it is like to handle a country’s economy, when former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, appears in conversation with BBC’s Glenn Campbell on Monday.
A few of the big names in music appearing at Fringe by the Sea have already sold out, but there are plenty more treats for the ears with KOG (Kweku of Ghana), whose creative force will mean an incredible live performance, BBC Introducing’s inaugural Scottish Act of the Year BEMZ, appearing on a bill with The Honey Farm, masters of Scottish death reggae Bombskare, and Scottish folk duo Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham, supported by singer/songwriter Kirsten Adamson.
Rory Steel, Fringe by the Sea director, said: “There has been so much interest in Fringe by the Sea this year and I have to thank and praise all our partners, supporters and volunteers, without whom this simply would not happen.”
Jackie Shuttleworth, programme director, added: “It is amazing how many people want to come to perform at Fringe by the Sea.”
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