EDINBURGH, Scotland, June 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Fringe sparked into life today with the launch of the official 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Programme, featuring a diverse selection of work from the worlds of theatre, dance, circus, physical theatre, comedy, music, musicals and opera, cabaret and variety, children's shows, spoken word, free shows, exhibitions and events.

This year's Fringe features work from a record 63 countries, including 206 shows from mainland Europe. With themes ranging from climate change to true crime, space to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic identity, this year's festival tackles the most topical issues in the world today and brings together the best upcoming talent, well-known names, new venues and international work.

In order to help audiences navigate the festival and take a chance on something new, the Fringe Society have introduced the Inspiration Machine, an interactive, arcade-style machine that will randomly display videos from Fringe artists at the push of a button. The Inspiration Machine will be located on the Mound throughout August as well as online, and Fringe-goers young and old will be invited to roll up and see all that the Fringe has to offer.

Also new for 2019 is the FringeMaker game, which will encourage visitors to explore different venues, see shows and tackle random Fringe challenges using a dedicated web-based app. In true treasure hunt style, players will be rewarded for breaking new ground and discovering hidden top hats located in each of the over 300 venues taking part in this year's festival.

A fantastic starting point for any Fringe-goer, the Virgin Money Street Events on the High Street and Mound Precinct will bring together 250 free shows a day from the world's greatest street performers for all the family to enjoy. Every Saturday shows on the West Parliament Square Stage will be fully BSL interpreted and, with dedicated wheelchair viewing spaces and sensory backpacks for visitors on the autism spectrum, the street will be more accessible than ever before this year.

Fringe Central is the festival's home from home for artists, journalists, fringe participants and visiting curators. At the heart of the festival, Fringe Central – our dedicated participants' hub – will play host to over 1,000 national and international media representatives, and 1,400 arts industry professionals looking for shows to book, co-commissioning and touring opportunities, making the Fringe one of the world's foremost places for performing artists to do business. This year's Fringe Central programme will feature strands such as "Health and Wellbeing" and "Breaking Down Barriers", the latter of which will focus on topics including disabled-led theatre-making, intersectional identities and diversity in the Fringe media landscape.

The 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe will run from 02 – 26 August.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is a charity that was established by artists to act as the custodian of the Fringe. We exist to support and encourage everyone who wants to participate in the Fringe; to provide information and assistance to audiences; and to promote the Fringe and what it stands for all over the world. Based on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, the Society has a full-time team of just over 30 people, who work year-round to assist all the artists and audiences who make up the world's greatest arts festival.

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Hi-res images are available to download at this link https://we.tl/t-a0O5k7hIMi

PHOTO CAPTION: MakeYourFringe - The Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019 Programme is launched
Photo by Laurence Winram.

SOURCE Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society