QMU delivers an encore of Fringe support with second year of Festival Village and awards sponsorship
Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh is once again stepping up to support the creative community during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, offering affordable accommodation to festival participants and co-sponsoring the Scotsman’s prestigious Fringe First awards.
Building on the success of last year’s initiative, QMU will provide low-cost accommodation and rehearsal space to hundreds of performers, writers, directors and producers throughout August 2025.
The University’s Festival Village offers a welcoming, community-driven base for artists from around the world, helping to ease the financial pressures of participating in the world’s largest arts festival.
With capacity to host over 250 performers at its Musselburgh campus, which is in close proximity to Edinburgh city centre, the QMU Festival Village includes comfortable rooms, rehearsal facilities, social spaces, and access to catering and amenities - at well below market rates. This year, demand has once again been high, demonstrating the ongoing need for affordable, supportive infrastructure for the performing arts sector.
The Edinburgh Fringe is such a vibrant and important part of Scotland’s cultural identity, and we want to support emerging talent by offering affordable, flexible accommodation during August. In line with the Fringe Society’s focus on helping artists maintain their mental health during the Fringe, QMU’s beautiful campus offers a haven of tranquillity - away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, but only six-minutes away from Edinburgh by train. After the success of last year, it’s clear there’s a real need for this kind of initiative - and we’re proud to play our part in making the Fringe more accessible, inclusive, and sustainable for artists. We’re looking forward to once again welcome performers from around the world to our Festival Village.
This year, QMU will also return as a co-sponsor of the Scotsman Fringe First awards alongside Stagecoach. First launched in 1973, the awards celebrate outstanding new writing premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The awards have long been a launchpad for new talent, with previous winners including Rowan Atkinson and Stephen Fry.
As part of the renewed partnership with the Scotsman, four QMU students will also gain hands-on experience in arts journalism and digital media production through internships with the newspaper during the festival. The students will support the Scotsman’s arts coverage - from producing red-carpet-style interviews with Fringe First award winners to assisting arts correspondent, Jane Bradley, with her daily Fringe video diary. The students include Quinn Lorimer and Vanida Ashell Fernandes - BA (Hons) Film and Media students - and Arran Donnelly and Simra Aslam - BA (Hons) Theatre and Film students - all of whom are bringing fresh energy and perspectives to one of the world’s most exciting cultural events.
QMU’s continued involvement in the Fringe aligns with its broader mission to support Scotland’s creative economy and nurture emerging talent. The University offers courses in performance, drama, film, media, and arts management - producing graduates who regularly participate in and contribute to the festival - and is home to a vibrant community of practitioners and academics in the performing arts and cultural sector.
Sir Paul Grice, Principal of QMU, said: "As a university, we are committed to supporting the future of performance, storytelling, creativity, accessibility, and opportunity - values that lie at the heart of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Through initiatives like our Festival Village and our continued sponsorship of the Fringe First awards, we are proud to help nurture the next generation of creative talent. These projects reflect QMU’s wider mission to champion the arts, contribute to Scotland’s cultural economy, and ensure that the magic of the Fringe is open to all."
For further media information please contact Emma Reekie, Media Relations and Content Officer, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, E: ereekie@qmu.ac.uk (copy to pressoffice@qmu.ac.uk)
