Edinburgh Fringe's newest outdoor venue revealed

Hill Square garden will be transformed into an open air Fringe venue

​The garden of Hill Square ​is set to be transformed into a new outdoor venue by theSpaceUK as the biggest arts festival in the world returns to the Capital after a year off in 2020.

The new Garden Theatre in Hill Square is designed to ensure that audiences are able to experience shows in a safe and secure 150 seat venue with music at the heart of its programme.

theSpaceUK’s artistic director, Charles Pamment, says, "We are very proud to be able to present this key new feature at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. With the support of ScotsGov and our partners at Surgeons Quarter, The Garden theatre will be a fantastic and thrilling new way for audiences to experience this fabulous event. It's a huge relief to be back and we can't wait to present work again to Edinburgh audiences."

That work will include returning favourites as well as exciting new productions. Elsa McTaggart will return with her sell-out show Eva Cassidy and Me and When The World Stood Still and if a cappella is your thing, prepare to be in choral heaven with a run of shows that includes Northern Lights A Cappella, Now That’s What I Call… Timeless! from Sweet Nothings, Semi-Toned Presents A Study in Burgundy, and If Aca’d Turn Back Time from A Capella Birmingham.

​Also on the bill are ​the celebrated Night Owl Shows​. They​ return with a showcase of legendary musician stories including Laurel Canyon Legends, The Carole King and James Taylor Story, The Dolly Parton Story, The Johnny Cash Story and The Nashville Story.​And if it's laughs you want, Edinburgh's longest-running improvised comedy group, The Improverts, are ​back for ​yet another year of fast-paced comedy​ b​ased entirely on audience suggestions​.

The Garden Theatre at Hill Square is just the latest addition to theSpaceUK​'s long-running partnership with ​the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh​, which will also see ​the College's campus transform​ed​ into one of the​ ​Fringe’s largest performing spaces​ with ​more than 50 both in-person ​and digital shows​ ​across the Surgeons Quarter site and ​online​, including a street theatre stage ​in the ​Surgeons Quarter Quad​.

Scott Mitchell, Managing Director at SQ sa​ys, ​“Given everything that everybody has been through, this feels like a moment of real celebration. I personally can’t wait to see our venues​, ​and Edinburgh​, ​transform in August. We are delighted to be once again working once again with theSpaceUK, the leading events company during the festivals and whom we’ve worked with since 2008.”He adds, “We look forward to the city and the campus at RCSEd regaining the unique buzz which was missing in August 2020. The team at SQ are very experienced in operating in the current climate with many of them having served NHS workers through much of the first lockdown, so show goers can be assured that all safety measures will be strictly adhered to​.​”​Surgeon's Quad will also feature on-site bars such as Drinks and Dining Al Fresco​,​ a spacious courtyard allowing festival goers to enjoy safe, socially distanced food and drink between performances.

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