Ahead of next month’s festival, the city’s performing arts economy faces uncertain future amid funding cuts, wage stagnation and lack of business acumen

The Edinburgh festival fringe has always been known for its vast array of venues, from the premium to the homespun. Behind every doorway and around every corner lies a different performance, or so goes the lore.

But as arts spaces across Scotland’s capital struggle to stay afloat, the number of venues hosting fringe shows this year is among the lowest of the past decade. In August, according to official Fringe figures, 262 venues will welcome audiences, an almost 20% reduction since the festival’s peak of 323 venues in 2019.