Organisers of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe have admitted it is unlikely to return to any kind of normality until 2022, due to the prospect of social distancing rules being enforced for any indoor live events which are allowed next summer.
It has been suggested that many venues will still not be able to reopen next year if two-metre social distancing restrictions are in place for indoor events.
The Fringe Society has predicted that the format for the 2021 Fringe will involve the staging of both live and digital events– amid fears that audiences are unwilling to pay to watch shows online and are suffering from ‘‘digital fatigue.’’
Oliver Davies, Head of Marketing and Development at the Fringe Society, said “the reality is, speaking horribly practically, that a lot of the spaces that are most iconic within the Fringe, are the least ventilated, most difficult to get in and out of, and would be the most difficult to manage queues with social distancing. It is going to require a complete rethink.’’
Words by Lois Dean.
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