The Scotsman has reported that between the summers of 2024 and 2025 there was a decrease of 40,000 visitors in Edinburgh during the festival season.
However, the publication also revealed that, during the same period, the number of Scottish locals attending increased by 22 per cent.
This continues the trend of a long-term decrease in attendance of Edinburgh’s festivals — in 2015, there were 4.5m visitors, contrasting the 3.85m in the summer of 2025.
However, several students told The Student that they maintain a positive attitude towards the Fringe, with many attending it as they retain housing in Edinburgh over the summer.
One Scottish third-year student who attended the Fringe commented that “the city really comes alive,” and that “you can see Edinburgh as more than just a university city.”
They continued: “The opportunity to see such a range of shows and some really amazing people perform is incredible.”
They further emphasised the benefit of certain venues providing concession tickets for students as a great way to see the festival as “‘it can be quite expensive at times.”
One English student discussed how the Fringe provides “a breadth of employment opportunities” ranging from hospitality to flyering, which compelled them to stay in Edinburgh over the summer in a bid to “earn some cash.”
They went on to highlight that through working the Fringe they were able to attend the festival: “Working as venue staff gave me the chance to still watch some shows and experience the Fringe on shift and on my days off.”
Other students commented that working the Fringe does have its drawbacks, with it being characterised as “overcompetitive and demanding” job market, which can dissuade some from staying in Edinburgh.
For students who chose not to attend Edinburgh’s festival season, changing accommodation, internships, and travel were frequently cited as reasons to not stay in the city over summer.
One English student commented that “having not seen my family much throughout the semester, it’s nice to be able to go home and spend time with them over summer.”
However, they still maintained a desire to attend Edinburgh’s festival season: “I would definitely love to visit it next summer — I feel like as an Edinburgh student you have to at least go once.”
“Strong Man Circus Show for Festival Fringe on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile” by www.theedinburghblog.co.uk is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
