Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade! - Karen Koren

I have never in all my years experienced flash floods the likes of which we saw in Edinburgh – and unheard of in Stockbridge.

The MultiStory performance venue at Castle Terrace

The videos on social media and on the national news were unbelievable. What is going on in this world – is it climate change? Well, it seems anything can happen in these strange times.

The flooding seems to have disappeared as quickly as it came. I do hope that businesses have not suffered because of it. We have all had enough problems with our businesses over these last 18 months. We are also hoping that most of the rains come in July and not in August.

Finally we seem to be seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and we don’t want shows that are being presented outdoors to be wet and dreich. At last we have been able to take the few staff we have off furlough and they are back at the office working to make live entertainment happen again this Fringe.

Our main event will be MultiStory, a new outdoor venue which is situated at the Castle Terrace Car Park in the shadows of Edinburgh Castle. The new safe Fringe hub will have a focus on Edinburgh’s local arts and cultural community collaborating with some of Edinburgh’s award-winning year-round theatres and venues including Traverse Theatre, Scotland’s new-writing theatre and Dance Base, Scotland’s national centre for dance and ourselves Gilded Balloon. The operator’s priority will be to ensure the safety of all audiences, staff and performers on site at all times.

We have to thank the City of Edinburgh Council, Event Scotland, the Scottish government and NCP for their support to bringing this new venue and we very much hope that it will become an annual event.

This outdoor theatre will offer a new and fresh take on an Edinburgh Fringe programme, including a showcase of local artists and businesses, as well as creative collaboration of Fringe and year-round Edinburgh mainstays at the new hub. Working closely with local artistic communities in Edinburgh we hope to design a unique space that audiences of all ages can enjoy throughout the day and early evening.

We will be announcing the content next week when tickets will go on sale.