Edinburgh's Surgeons Quarter thanks 250,000 Fringe goers for record takings

Surgeons Quarter operated five festival bars, and transformed its Courtyard Bar and Hill Square Gardens into a 'fiesta of flavour' during August.

The commercial arm of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is celebrating its most successful business period to date thanks to bumper numbers of Festival visitors.

Surgeons Quarter promotes, sells and manages the commercial activities held within the college’s campus. It includes facilities for conferences, meetings, private events, weddings and its own four-star hotel Ten Hill Place, as well as Café 1505 and SQ Travel.

Thanks to the success of this year’s Edinburgh International Fringe, the campus welcomed a record 250,000 visitors and increased occupancy to 99.5 per cent at its on-site hotel across the month of August. Surgeons Quarter also worked closely with festival producer, theSpaceUK, to host 248 productions across its 11 on-site Fringe venues.

Scott Mitchell, managing director of Surgeons Quarter, said: “The buzz in Edinburgh during the Fringe this year was incredible. To see our venues, and Edinburgh, transform into a hive of creativity and culture was very special. Each year we continue to grow and we’re incredibly proud of what we have achieved this year with record numbers coming in. This year we have been able to host nearly 250 shows, with 120,000 audience members, which is just incredible. While the numbers are astounding, it is only testament to the quality of entertainment and service of those who performed and worked with us this year.”

Celebrating its 14th year as one of the largest Fringe venues, the venture operated five festival bars, and transformed its Courtyard Bar and Hill Square Gardens into a “fiesta of flavour” with Mexican street food created by Surgeons Quarter’s executive chef Dominik Kawalec. This year’s line-up included shows from across the globe with musical performances, operas, drama and theatre shows, as well as comedy and spoken word.

Mitchell added: “None of this would have been possible without our fantastic, dedicated team, who worked incredibly hard to deliver top service across our venues throughout such a busy period. While delighted with our increased footfall, a key point of action for next year is to find a solution to either the increased recycling or use of reusable products in an outdoor environment to adhere to our licencing conditions and sustainability agenda.”

Interview: Scott Mitchell, managing director of Edinburgh's Surgeons Quarter