975,000 tickets sold last year

Almost 1 million tickets were sold at last year's Edinburgh Fringe, it was revealed today.

The 975,110 figure (worth £7.7million) made the event more popular than the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, which notched up sales of just over 900,000. The

Fringe director Paul Gudgin said: "It is amazing to consider that, right here in Scotland, an event is attracting audiences on a par with some of the world's great sporting occasions.

Fringe ticket sales were up 12 per cent on 2001 and, as previously reported, the best-selling show was Ross Noble's Sonic Waffle.

"In the not too distant future, the Fringe could realistically be selling 1 million tickets in a single year, a feat which would be absolutely unparalleled for a cultural event worldwide.

"This has been one of the most successful years in the Fringe's history, as well as one of the most challenging.

"With the success of this year behind us, a revitalised Gilded Balloon, and the 40th anniversary of the Traverse Theatre to look forward to in 2003, however, it's very much business as usual and, as the report clearly demonstrates, business has never been stronger".

Today's annual report also revealed that vistors stay an average of eight nights - compared to just three in 1999 - and that they rated facilities at Fringe venues very highly, even though most of them are only temporary venues.

A quarter of the audience is under 24, another 31 per cent are aged 25 to 34. Thirty per cent were first-time visitors, one in seven come every year.

This year's fringe runs from August 3 to 25. The programme is due out on June 5.

Published: 17 Jan 2003