Ticket sales top £7million

This year's Edinburgh Fringe has been the most successful ever, with more than 900,000 tickets sold for the first time in its 56-year history.

As the event draws to an end, organisers revealed that a total of £7.1million has been spent on tickets.

Demand was so high that that the main Fringe box office even ran out of paper on which to print tickets five days before the festival ended.

More people saw Ross Noble's Sonic Waffle than any of the other 1,490 shows available.

And the fastest-selling shows were the three performances of The Guys at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, starring Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.

The average ticket price rose by just 18p (or two per cent) since last year, to £7.77.

William Burdett-Coutts, artistic director of the Assembly Rooms said: "It has been a record breaking festival, in terms of both awards and audience. The city has had its best festival for years.

And Ed Bartlam of the Underbelly said: "We are incredibly happy. This year has been hugely successful in our expanded premises."

Preparations now start for next year's Fringe, which runs from August 3 to 25.

Published: 26 Aug 2002