Every year for three weeks in August, Scotland's capital Edinburgh hosts guests and participants at the world's largest arts festival, the — Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It is an unofficial and «informal» part of the famous Edinburgh International Arts Festival.
Every year, the festival hosts 3 thousand performances and more than 2 thousand different shows, for which venues are equipped throughout the city. By the way, traditionally the entrance fee is extremely low, which also serves as a sustainable popularity of the festival in the world.
The festival features all types of arts — from musical to comedy, from opera to dance — in a word, there is room for any, even the most extravagant, art form. The skill of the participants is also not limited by the — framework; both amateur and student groups and famous performers come. By the way, one of the translations of the word «fringe» (fringe) itself can be «everything that is nearby», this word also refers to small and experimental theaters.
The history of the «Fringe» festival began in 1947. The main feature of the festival is that there is no selection and verification of performances and participants. Due to the absence of a selection committee and jury, the festival may feature classical plays from ancient Greece and the tragedies of U. Shakespeare, and ultra-modern works. There are a lot of experimental works and numbers at the festival that might not have been accepted at more official festivals.
However, the professional level and skill of the participants is growing every year. It is a fact that, for example, in 2009, 37% of all shows became world premieres. And more than 20 thousand artists from around the world take part in the arts festival.