FBTS 2025 is GO!
FRINGE BY THE SEA OFF TO A STRATOSPHERIC START WITH FIRST WAVE OF ACTS
AIR PLAY MOON SAFARI, GEORGE CLARKE, BOOMTOWN RATS, RORY STEWART, THE BLUEBELLS AND BRAINIAC LAUNCHED
NORTH BERWICK : 1st – 10th AUGUST
Fringe by the Sea, winner of 2023 VisitScotland’s Thistle Award for Outstanding Festival, offered a taste of this year’s ‘out of this world’ programme, announcing today that tickets for a first tranche of events across its music, comedy, conversation and family programmes, will go on sale from 7pm, 18th February.
The festival is honoured to host the incredible Air (Saturday 2nd August) with the only Scottish date of their tour of Moon Safari live, an astonishing live 5* light show (“exhilarating” – Evening Standard). Air’s first album, Moon Safari, was released in 1998 to critical acclaim with the single Sexy Boy featured in the film 10 Things I Hate About You. The video helped establish Air as a leader in the late 1990s electronica scene.
Helping to kick off this year’s festival is George Clarke (Friday 1st August), an architect, writer, television presenter, broadcaster, campaigner and storyteller. He is also founder of the Home Educational Charity MOBIE (Ministry of Building Innovation + Education). He passionately believes that beautiful architecture and design should be accessible to everyone and that it has the power to transform and enrich lives. Whether he is designing a new home, restoring or converting historic buildings or transforming existing houses on television, he recognizes and values the process that enables people to unlock the beauty of where they live. He realised early on in his career that the concept of ‘home’ embodied the possibility to a more inclusive approach to good architectural practice. There genuinely is no place like home. “Home is the most powerful form of architecture that affects us all, and if you are lucky enough to have a warm and comfortable roof over your head, it is a very special place indeed”.
Legendary Irish New Wave Boomtown Rats were originally formed in 1975 and had a string of hits including “I Don’t Like Mondays”, “Rat Trap” and “She’s So Modern”. The charismatic lead singer, Bob Geldolf is co-founder of Band Aid and the Christmas song “Do They Know It’s Christmas” has raised millions of pounds to help relieve famine in Africa. This year is the 40th anniversary of the Live Aid concert where the band performed.
Rory Stewart is a British academic, broadcaster, writer, and former diplomat and politician. He was a Conservative MP for Penrith and The Borders between 2010 and 2019 and as a member of the cabinet was Secretary of State for several government departments. He will be talking about his remarkable life including a two year walk across Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India, and Nepal, about which he wrote The Places in Between. In 2023 he published Politics on the Edge. Since 2022 he and Alastair Campbell have co-presented their much listened to podcast, The Rest Is Politics. He will be appearing on 3rd August.
The Bluebells are a Scottish Indie New Wave band formed in 1981 who had best selling singles with Young At Heart, Cath and I’m Falling. After splitting up in 1986 they have reformed on numerous occasions and released an album on new work in 2023. Catch them at Fringe By The Sea on opening night, 1st August.
On 6th August it might be time to strap on safety goggles to the boys and girls of North Berwick as Brainiac Live! is coming to the festival. Science’s original, greatest and most volatile live show will take audiences on a breathless ride through the wild world of the weird and wonderful. Watch as the Brainiacs delve fearlessly into the mysteries of science and do all those things on stage that kids are too scared to do at home.
North Berwick Trust will continue to support Fringe by the Sea as a Master Partner as part of the three-year grant funding announced in 2023. The Trust will not only showcase its own work but also help facilitate the involvement of local community groups within the free to access North Berwick Trust Hub.
The festival organisers are thrilled to welcome back Coulters Property as a sponsor for the fourth consecutive year. Coulters will continue their involvement with the Makers Market, which celebrates the craftsmanship of talented makers from across the county throughout the 10-day event. Additionally, Coulters will support the George Clarke event, helping attendees discover their own “amazing spaces.”
After a highly successful debut partnership in 2024, The Times and Sunday Times will return as media partners, bringing an exciting lineup of speakers and activations to the festival.
According to the Economic Impact Report conducted by MKA Economics for Fringe by the Sea 2024, the festival’s visitor spending has contributed an additional £9.9 million to the local economy. This marks a 36% increase over the 2023 figure, highlighting the growing economic significance of the event.
Festival Director Rory Steel said: “As we start to roll out the first acts for the 17th Fringe By The Sea, we are already bringing together a programme which in the true spirit of a fringe and a celebration of the arts, offers up something for everyone. We’re working hard to top last year and with what’s set to be a stratospheric performance by Air and guests including the best-selling author Rory Stewart, we are on our way! Look out for more events being announced over the next few months with the full programme available in June.”
For further information contact:
Fiona Duff
fiona@duffpublicity.com 07710 419762
www.fringebythesea.com
Notes to editors:
Fringe by the Sea is an award-winning, not for profit, multi-arts festival which takes place over 10-days in August in the seaside town of North Berwick with a programme of 200+ comedy, music, family, film and literature events.
Fringe by the Sea was named Outstanding Festival/Event in the 2023 National Thistle Awards, Event Scotland.
Fringe by the Sea 2025 will run in North Berwick from 1st – 10th August.
Programme announcements will be made regularly with the final programme available in June 2025.
Media pack: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1a6TJriGhx48xsU8wBNuT9QHjERQd35jv