Edinburgh-based husband and wife duo secure investment on Dragons' Den for Fayre Play
Edinburgh couple delighted after “nerve-wracking” experience on hit TV show
An Edinburgh-based entrepreneurial couple have been speaking about the “incredible moment” they secured an investment on Dragons’ Den for their popular fairground entertainment business.
Craig and Kasia Neilson accepted an offer of £200,000 for 30 per cent of their business from Touker Suleyman on the BBC TV show. But the couple negotiated that percentage down to 20 per cent, if their company, Fayre Play, hits a revenue target of £4 million within 18 months, which was accepted by the Dragon.
Fayre Play, which has a venue in Edinburgh’s Picardy Place, is an entertainment fairground venue offering carnival games, street food and cocktails.
The husband-and-wife co-founders pitched their unique fairground games experience to the panel, telling the story of how the business was founded in 2023 with the aim of bringing the nostalgia and competitiveness of the traditional fairground into a modern social environment.
Craig Neilson, co-founder of Fayre Play, which has a bar at Picardy Place in Edinburgh, said: "Walking into the Den was one of the most nerve-wracking things Kasia and I have ever done, but also one of the most exciting.
"We've built Fayre Play from an idea into a business that has welcomed hundreds of thousands of people through our doors, and getting the opportunity to put that story in front of the Dragons was huge for us.
"To walk out with an offer on the table from an investor of Touker's calibre was an incredible moment — the strongest validation we could have asked for of what we've built. We've got big ambitions for where we take the business next."
Fayre Play has grown from its Scottish roots to become an established name in competitive socialising, welcoming over 300,000 customers across its venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle. The Newcastle venue, which opened at The Gate in 2025, is the brand's first location outside Scotland and forms part of Fayre Play's wider expansion plans.
Kasia Neilson, co-founder of Fayre Play, said: "The response has been overwhelming — our comms haven't stopped. We built Fayre Play from scratch as an independent business, and seeing the public get behind what we've created means everything.
“We're focused now on delivering an unforgettable experience for every single person who books."
The appearance follows a period of significant growth for Fayre Play, with the business continuing to expand its customer base, corporate offering and venue footprint, and it is now planning for its busiest festive season to date.