Why the Commonwealth Games will push Edinburgh Festival Fringe costs to 'untenable' levels

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has been running since 1947. Picture: Lisa Ferguson | National World

Organisers of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe have attacked the Scottish Government’s decision to bring back the Commonwealth Games to Scotland, warning it will harm “home-grown” arts events.

The Fringe Society, which oversees the annual event, has raised fears the sporting showcase - planned to have its own subsidised cultural programme - will affect the affordability of taking part in or attending the 77-year-old festival.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has been running since 1947. Picture: Getty | Getty Images

It has suggested the staging of the Commonwealth Games, which is expected to coincide with the first week of the 2026 festival, will push up costs involved with the Fringe to “untenable” levels.

The arts charity, which does not receive any direct funding from the Scottish Government, has raised the prospect of the Fringe effectively competing with the Commonwealth Games for suppliers, accommodation, audiences and public transport services.

Glasgow hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014. Picture: Getty | Getty Images

The society has warned the decision to green light the games will lead to “likely and considerable deficit in the cultural sector,” despite the Scottish Government insistence that it will not be providing any public funding for the Commonwealth Games.

Edinburgh’s festivals have been demanding a rethink in recent years of how annual Scotland’s annual cultural events are supported. Organisers have claimed the Government has given more priority to “itinerant” sporting events like the Commonwealth Games, which were last held in 2014 in Glasgow, and the UCI Cycling World Championships, which were staged across Scotland last year.

Australian circus troupe Circa appeared at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of Underbelly’s programme. Picture: Lisa Ferguson | National World

The city’s major cultural events, estimated to be worth around £407 million to the economy each year, are said to have been on combined annual “standstill” funding of around £11m from the Scottish Government and Edinburgh City Council for around 15 years.

Last year Fringe Society chief executive Shona McCarthy said: “There is an expectation that the Fringe and our sister festivals will continue to drive the same economic benefits and global reach that we do every year, without coming close to the investment attributed to one-off sporting events.”

The return of the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow was confirmed weeks after Ms McCarthy published an open letter calling for greater protection for the Fringe, raising concerns about the risk of “complacency” over the event’s success. She also warned that emerging artists were at risk of being “squeezed out” of the event by rising costs and an “unhelpful policy environment”.

The Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Scotland have insisted the 2026 event could be delivered within a budget of £114m, with most of that coming from the government in the Victorian state of Australia, which pulled out as next year’s host, and Commonwealth Games Australia. Glasgow City Council has been pledged £5m to help pay for the 2026 cultural programme and infrastructure improvements.

The new concerns have been raised by Fringe Society deputy chief executive Lyndsey Jackson, who was on the organising committee for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

She said: “'We recognise the positive impact major sporting events can have on improving lives. However, the Commonwealth Games 2026 announcement fails to acknowledge the pressure this will place on Scotland's home-grown cultural sector and the negative impact it will have on the affordability of existing annual events.  

“Staging a major fully-funded event in Scotland in summer 2026 will push costs for unsubsidised events like the Fringe to untenable levels as we are forced to compete for suppliers, accommodation, audiences and transportation, leading to likely and considerable deficit in the cultural sector.

“We are disappointed that these impacts have not been considered and that wider consultation with the events industry has not been sought ahead of any decision-making for this major sporting event.”

A Government spokesman said support had been given to the Commonwealth Games coming to Glasgow because “no Scottish Government funding is required”.

“We are pleased as part of our negotiation that Commonwealth Games Scotland have set aside funding within their budget to support a culture programme as part of the proposals and will now engage with Glasgow City Council and cultural partners to develop the detail of that,” the spokesman said. “The Scottish Government will remain engaged and sighted on those plans as they progress.”