THE economic impact of visitors to East Lothian during this year's Fringe by the Sea has been estimated at nearly £10 million.

The festival, which took place over 10 days at the beginning of last month, brought international stars such as Ash, Idlewild and Clive Myrie to North Berwick.

Now, the organisers have looked at the benefits of the festival and what it brings to both the town and surrounding area.

An economic impact report found that the net additional economic impact of visitor spend as a result of the festival, which took place between August 2 and 11, was £9,923,100.

The report, undertaken by MKA Economics, shows the figure is up by 36 per cent compared to the previous year.

The festival attracted 86,130 people to the area.

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Again, the figures were up on the previous year and continued the growth since the festival started in 2008.

This year’s visitor numbers also show that 44 per cent of people came from outside East Lothian, with people travelling from Edinburgh and elsewhere in Scotland, the UK and overseas.

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Rory Steel, director of Fringe by the Sea, said: “This report has blown us away – we know that our festival is enjoyed by so many of the residents of North Berwick and East Lothian but to see that we are attracting so many people to the town is fantastic.

“It is a year-round job organising all the events and can only be done with our great team and all the wonderful volunteers.

“In a time of uncertainty for so many in the arts, this report shows that live events give back to the economy so much more than they take in public funding, as well as the unquantifiable enjoyment to the public.

“I can only ask that the Scottish Government and funding bodies continue to ensure that these grants continue to exist.”

In order to ascertain the role of Fringe by the Sea in attracting visitors to North Berwick in 2024, visitors from outwith the area were asked about their motivation in visiting the town and surroundings.

Thirty-eight per cent (37 per cent in 2023) of respondents noted that Fringe by the Sea was the ‘only reason’ they were visiting North Berwick.

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Although many of the festival-goers from outside the area travelled by car (48 per cent), this was down from 50 per cent last year.

Fringe by the Sea prides itself on being one of the greenest festivals in Scotland, with 99-plus per cent of the rubbish generated going on to have another life through recycling, composting or creating energy from waste.

Feedback is always important for event organisers and some of the many comments collated are “All the sessions I attended were excellent. The staff and volunteers were friendly and helpful. North Berwick is a lovely place”, “I attend every year and never fail to love the vibrant and bustling scene with fantastic entertainment”, “excellent day out with our family – son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren” and “it is a great way of seeing shows and musical acts without the huge crowds in Edinburgh”.