Fringe Festival: Milan ranks eighth in Europe. Top of the list for restaurants, but also for spending

The most famous is undoubtedly the one in Edinburgh, the ‘Fringe Festival’ par excellence, the event that effectively coined the term ‘fringe’, which literally means ‘edge’ but which, in the context of the arts and live performance, takes on the meaning of ‘alternative’. The Fringe Festival was in fact founded in the Scottish capital in 1947, alongside the Edinburgh International Festival, by a group of theatre companies excluded from the official programme; and ever since, the two events have taken place simultaneously every year, for almost the whole of August.

But over time, this term has also come to encompass other ‘alternative’ performing arts festivals across Europe: Avignon, Manchester, London, Amsterdam, Tallinn, Milan… Every summer, Europe’s major cities offer rich and varied programmes, which for many enthusiasts also provide an opportunity to visit and get to know the host cities. So much so that, by now, the success of these events is no longer linked solely to their cultural and artistic offerings, but also (and perhaps above all?) to the setting in which they take place: the availability of hotels or accommodation, bars and restaurants, things to do between performances, the quality of life, the food, the shops, the climate. And the costs.

For this reason, Stasher analysed 17 cities in the UK and Europe that host a well-established fringe festival, awarding each a score based on the breadth of the programme, the liveability of the destination and the cost of staying there. Avignon came top of the rankings, with 72.64 points. Its festival, which lasts 22 days and features around 1,780 performances, boasts one of the most extensive programmes among those analysed; furthermore, among the top ten cities, Avignon also offers the lowest price for a meal, at £12.79.

Five UK cities feature in the top ten: Brighton, Manchester, Edinburgh, London and Durham – a result that reflects the strength and variety of the British fringe scene. Brighton comes second (69.51 points) with its 31-day Brighton Fringe and 87.6 attractions per 10 km², one of the highest figures amongst the top ten destinations. Manchester is third (68.40 points), thanks in part to the cheapest average hotel rate amongst the top ten destinations (76.61 pounds per night), as well as a high density of restaurants, at 236.2 establishments per 10 km². Edinburgh is ‘only’ in fourth place (60.13 points), despite having the most extensive theatre programme (3,649 performances over 25 days), because accommodation costs are the highest in the ranking, at £296 per night.

And what about Italia? Our country makes it into the top ten thanks to Milan, but only in eighth place; and, needless to say, it is the culinary scene in particular that boosts the score: the Lombard capital actually has the highest density of restaurants of all the cities analysed, at 418.1 per 10 km², as well as a record number of attractions, 246.8 per 10 km². However, it is the most expensive city in the ranking (yes: even more so than London): the total budget required for a stay during the Fringe Milano Off Festival (from 21 September to 11 October) includes an average cost of over £406 per night in a hotel and over £17 per meal. This has a significant impact on the result, pushing Milan down the rankings of the top ten destinations.