BROUGHT TO THE FESTIVAL BY SUPPORTERS OF THE BEACH WHEELCHAIR COMMUNITY

The organisers of Fringe By The Sea are pleased to announce that there will be a Changing Spaces toilet at this year’s festival, specifically designed for those who need more than a standard accessible toilet.  

This facility has been made possible thanks to the supporters of the Beach Wheelchairs community including Serps Invaders, a Scottish B Corp certified company. Beach Wheelchairs is a Fringe By The Sea charity partner this year; however, the funding for this facility has been raised independently and has not been provided directly by the charity.

The Changing Spaces Toilet facility will be available on site near the main toilet block in the festival hub (to the north of the festival site in North Berwick’s Lodge Grounds). It offers a fully equipped facility with a ceiling track hoist system, privacy curtains, a height-adjustable adult sized changing bench, enough space for two carers and a wheelchair access height washbasin.  The Changing Spaces Toilet will be on site from 31st July to 9th August, open from 10am each day. It will be fully manned and accessible during festival hours.

A comprehensive Accessibility Guide is available online which will include full information on accessible parking and drop-off, festival buggy transport, accessible viewing areas and seating, personal assistant tickets, venue access, assistance dogs and accessible toilets. The page can be found at https://www.fringebythesea.com/accessibility-2/ 

Melanie, Service Coordinator at Beach Wheelchairs, said:

“Myself and the supporters of Beach Wheelchairs are absolutely delighted to have been able to support the effort to bring this Changing Places facility to Fringe by the Sea. It will make a significant difference, helping to make the festival more accessible and inclusive for everyone.

Facilities like this are so important. They remove barriers and give more people the confidence and opportunity to enjoy everything the festival has to offer. We’re incredibly proud that our supporters, we’ve been able to help make this happen. It’s been a real community effort, and we hope this is just the beginning of making events like Fringe by the Sea accessible to everyone.”

 

Rory Steel, director of Fringe By The Sea, said

‘We have always striven to make our festival as accessible as possible, with raised platforms in the two main tents in order to allow viewing music events as good as possible.  With money raised by supporters of the Beach Wheelchairs community the Changing Spaces toilet facility will be a game changer for many who have felt unable to attend Fringe By The Sea in the past’.

Full programme for Fringe By The Sea 2026 can be seen at www.fringebythesea.com

For further information contact

Fiona Duff/ 07710 419762/ fiona@duffpublicity.com