It's happening! But not as we know it...

The first comedy shows for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe have been announced – but on a much smaller scale than usual.

Henning Wehn, Daniel Sloss and Craig Hill have announced performances over just four days, in a venue in the suburbs of the Scottish capital.

They will be at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange in Chesser, about three miles from the festival’s usual hubs, from Thursday August 5 to Sunday August 8.

Wehn will be unveiling his new show,  It’ll All Come Out In The Wash, ahead of an autumn tour, while Sloss and Hill will be reprising their existing shows, Hubris and Pumped respectively.

The venue will be run by global tour promoters  Live Nation, which has set up two rooms with capacities of 100 to 400 with social distancing in place; more if rules are relaxed. Normally it can host gigs for up to 1,000 people.

Live Nation executive Ian Coburn says the company is ’looking forward to working with other promoters and artists to bring some certainty for Fringe performers in such uncertain times’.

The Fringe Society allowed shows to register from earlier this month, but has so far declined to reveal how many have signed up as venues are finding it hard to plan without knowing what Covid measures will need to be in place.

A joint statement by ten venues, representing 80 per cent of ticket sales, has warned that year’s event remained in doubt because a two-metre social distancing rule made it impossible "financially and operationally" to mount shows.

In a statement, the operators - including  Assembly, Underbelly, Gilded Balloon, Just The Tonic, Pleasance, and The Stand - said the longer-term future of the festival was ‘at grave risk’ and sought more financial help from the public purse.

The official dates for the Edinburgh Fringe 2021 are August 6 to 30 and tickets for the Corn Exchange shows go on sale from 10am this Friday at LiveNation.co.uk. Tickets for other shows are due on sale at the official Fringe website from early summer.

Published: 17 May 2021