Edinburgh fringe ticket sales suffer as price of accommodation soars

theguardian.com:

Venues at the Edinburgh fringe say they are expecting a 25% decrease on ticket sales this year compared with 2019 as a result of soaring accommodation costs pricing out visitors.

Eight of the biggest fringe venues – Assembly, Dance Base, Gilded Balloon, Just the Tonic, Pleasance, Summerhall, Underbelly and Zoo – said they expected to sell 1,486,746 tickets this year, compared with 1,965,961 in 2019.

Coming together as EdFest.com, the venues said the lower sales represented a “major threat” to their financial viability.

A spokesperson for EdFest.com said: “There has been a real appetite and energy for shared, live experiences in Edinburgh over the last few weeks and the quality of the programme has been incredible – yet, the forecast number of tickets we’ve collectively sold is down 25% compared to 2019 which is a major threat for everyone involved in the festival.”

Citing the cost of living crisis, the lingering effects of the pandemic and the summer’s travel disruptions as “very real continuing challenges to our industry”, the spokesperson said the biggest problem was the “soaring cost of accommodation in Edinburgh in August”, which has priced our audiences and artists alike.

Accommodation costs have rocketed this year owing to changes in Scottish law banning fixed-term tenancies, which has led to more students holding on to their housing over the summer months. Next year, restrictions on short-term lets will mean there are fewer Airbnbs in the city as well.

Performers and punters who spoke to the Guardian said accommodation costs had doubled compared with 2019, leaving many to reconsider attending or performing at the festival.

The EdFest spokesperson added: “[It is] clear to anyone spending time in Edinburgh that there are