Virgin Money, the financial services division of the Virgin Group, will sponsor the Edinburgh Fringe street performances in the High Street and on The Mound from 2011 to 2013, now rebranded Fringe on the High Street.
In 2010 around a million people sampled the free entertainment on offer. Over the month visitors saw 278 extracts of Fringe shows performed on specially constructed outdoor stages, 89 performers staging circle shows, over 200 buskers and over 54 other assorted artists. This is the largest event of its kind in the world.
Virgin Money's Chief Executive, Jayne-Anne Gadhia, said, "I am delighted that Virgin Money will be supporting the arts by sponsoring the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Our headquarters are based in Edinburgh and we have plans to grow significantly in the city. This sponsorship demonstrates our commitment to the City of Edinburgh and Scotland as a whole.
"The ‘Fringe on the High Street’ event offers the people of Edinburgh, and hundreds of thousands of visitors, a chance to watch for free, the best street theatre in the world as well as extracts from hundreds of Fringe shows.
"At Virgin Money we aim to make 'everyone better off' which makes the Fringe Society the perfect partner for us as it's open and accessible to everyone. We are planning to paint the town red for three weeks in August and beyond."
Chief Executive of the Festival Fringe Society, Kath M Mainland, said, "Virgin Money has a growing presence in Edinburgh and it is fantastic that they have chosen to sponsor the ‘Fringe on the High Street’ event. One of the core responsibilities of the Fringe Society is to support those who participate in the Fringe and the opportunities offered by the event on the High Street and The Mound that we manage each year is a key part of that support. Over the coming years we will work closely with Virgin Money to make ‘Fringe on the High Street’ and the events that surround it even more exciting and dynamic than they have ever been before."