EdFringe CEO McCarthy quits
EdFringe Chief Exec Shona McCarthy to step down in March 2025
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, will be leaving the post in spring 2025, nine years after taking up the position in March 2016.
McCarthy came to the fringe with experience as Chief Executive of the Culture Company, which was responsible for leading on Derry-Londonderry’s year as the inaugural UK City of Culture in 2013. She took over from Cath Mainland, who went to Melbourne to run the Festival there.
Shona McCarthy. Pic: EdFringe.
Commenting on her time at the Fringe, McCarthy said: “It has been an enormous privilege to serve the Edinburgh fringe, I love this phenomenal festival and will forever be an advocate and champion.”
She added: “In my remaining time with the Fringe Society I will be relentless in continued work with all to ensure our charity is in its best shape to continue to support this globally exceptional festival and performing arts expo.
“I will work closely with the city, Scottish Government and UK Government to encourage more supportive conditions for this national and international cultural asset that is delivered every year in Scotland’s beautiful capital and is part of the fabric of Edinburgh.”
During her tenure, McCarthy has seen the fringe grow, from just under two and half million tickets and 3269 productions in 2016, hitting a peak of just over 3 million tickets issued to 3841 productions in 2019.
The increase in size of the fringe has come with increased controversy over accommodation in Edinburgh, both for fringe venues but most notably for visitors to the city as AirBnB has squeezed the local housing market.
pandemic years
McCarthy successfully negotiated the pandemic years for the fringe, including the fallow year in 2020 when if ran as an online only event, and when the fringe society charity was forced to borrow £1million from the Scottish government to stay afloat.
More recently she has secured he “most significant public funding investment in the organisation’s history” from the UK Government in 2023. This has has financially supported hundreds of artists to date, and will create a year-round Fringe Central from 2026.
Benny Higgins, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Fringe Society said: “Shona has been an outstanding leader during a period characterised by constant huge challenges including funding. Her leadership of our renaissance following the pandemic has been extraordinary. She will be sorely missed.”
Shining
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, honorary President of the Fringe Society said: “After years working to build and expand the Fringe in every way for everyone, facing unimaginable setbacks and challenges, Shona’s eyes never stopped shining with genuine excitement for every new show she told you about.
“She held the Fringe together through its most challenging years and guided it to its record-breaking peak. She is one in a billion. I am personally devastated that she is leaving, but equally thrilled that she can take a well-earned rest knowing that she has raised more money, staged more shows, convinced more people of the importance and vibrancy of the Fringe than should be humanly possible.
“Thank you, Shona. We owe you so much and will miss you like crazy.”
A recruitment process for a new Chief Executive will be announced in the coming weeks, with the successful applicant due in post by Spring 2025.
ENDS
