Today (May 16) Edinburgh Festival FringeSociety has announced some details of the brand new Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023 app, which will be released this Summer, ahead of the festival. Now, one might wonder: what will the app be used for and what will its functionalities be?
The Edinburgh Fringe app will include several navigational features which will assist spectators in exploring the abundance of performances available during the festival. Some functionalities within the app include the ability to search the full programme of shows, book tickets on the go and use a ‘nearby now’ function to find shows starting soon which are close by.
The organisers took on feedback from audiences, artists, participants and venues last year, and the new app will also include new features which weren’t on the previous Fringe app in 2019.
Following a move to e-tickets only last year, e-tickets and their QR codes will be stored in the app, as well as seamlessly integrating with users’ day-by-day show schedules, providing a more organised experience. Users will also be able to add tickets for multiple shows in one simple transaction.
In addition, two great festival-time additions will have the option to enable notifications for when their next show is about to start and will also benefit from a new ‘Shake to Search’ function which will give a random show suggestion simply by shaking one’s phone. So, festival-goers won’t need to worry about having one too many pints in the festival village and miss their show!
What is more, the new app should be available for download in late July and fully functional by August 2023 just in time for the festival.
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “Developing an app required to support the scale and complexity of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe takes a significant period of time and resource, and we are delighted to be able to share the exciting features which will be launched within the app for this year’s festival.
We recognise the app is a key tool for Fringe artists, with many audiences using it to explore new ideas and performances they may not have yet experienced, and the “nearby now” functionality is particularly useful for performers who offer free shows within the programme.
We’ve ensured that the new app does all that and more, and while there’s still a few more weeks before it’s fully ready, I can’t wait for Fringe audiences to download it and support the thousands of artists performing in Edinburgh this summer.”