Edinburgh Fringe 2023: Comedian Sofie Hagen shares outrage at AirBnB accommodation prices for Fringe

Comedian hits out at astronomical accommodation prices during 2023 Fringe

Popular comedian Sofie Hagen has expressed outrage at astronomical AirBnB accommodation prices for the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe.

The comedian took to Twitter to share prices for an AirBnB which was charging almost £30,000 for a 30-day stay in August. Hagen wrote: "Ah, Edinburgh. It was nice having a festival there that was the absolute highlight of my year. I can’t believe I’m actually considering not going up this year because I can’t afford to pay £6,000+ for a place to stay.”

The stand-up added: “It’s JANUARY. I mean. It shouldn’t already be impossible.” The Danish comic was crowned Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2015 for their show 'Bubblewrap'.

Performers are considering not attending the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe over astronomical accommodation costs.

In 2022, Edinburgh Fringe ticket sales were down more than 15 per cent from the record taken in 2019. Most venues blamed this significant decrease on the soaring cost of accommodation, which priced many artists and visitors out of the event. Hundreds of performers, venues and promoters wrote an Open Letter to the Fringe Society last year, stating that it was becoming “increasingly difficult to justify the expense of taking part”.

The accommodation crisis caused festival organisers to urge Edinburgh residents to take in performers in their spare rooms. Locals were asked to charge no more than £280 per individual for a week. The Fringe Society, which oversees the yearly event, also hit back at “unscrupulous landlords in ­Edinburgh who have pushed their accommodation rates to unacceptable levels”.

The Society has promised to double the number of affordable rooms available for performers by 2024 and triple the number by 2027.