Frankie Boyle and Happy Mondays to headline Scottish seaside festival

Comedy favourite Frankie Boyle and indie-rock outfit Happy Mondays are to top the bill at a Scottish seaside festival this summer.
Fringe by the Sea will be staged in North Berwick across 10 days this August.Fringe by the Sea will be staged in North Berwick across 10 days this August.
Fringe by the Sea will be staged in North Berwick across 10 days this August.

They will join legendary American singer Candi Staton and Scottish pop-rock favourites Texas as headliners at Fringe by the Sea in North Berwick.

Folk veterans Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain and The Manfreds, the modern-day incarnation of sixties pop stars Manfred Mann, have also been confirmed in the line-up for the event, one of Scotland’s few summer festivals to go ahead as planned last year in the face of Covid restrictions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

More than 39,000 people flocked to the 2021 festival, with Lulu, Irvine Welsh, Janey Godley, Eddi Reader, Basement Jaxx, Gail Porter and Ed Byrne among the main attractions.

Frankie Boyle is appearing at this year's Fringe by the Sea festival.Frankie Boyle is appearing at this year's Fringe by the Sea festival.
Frankie Boyle is appearing at this year's Fringe by the Sea festival.

The festival, which was estimated to be worth more than £3.1 million to the local economy last year, is planning to stage more than 200 events across its 10 days this August.

Fringe by the Sea, which will stage its main events in North Berwick’s Lodge Gardens, has also unveiled Dunbar-based writer Lorna Hill as its first “storyteller in residence.”

The project is being staged as part of plans for the first ever “Year of Scotland’s Stories” across the country.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Director Rory Steel said: “We’re so pleased to have these latest acts join us in North Berwick this August.

Frankie Boyle will be one of the main headliners at this year's Fringe by the Sea festival in North Berwick.Frankie Boyle will be one of the main headliners at this year's Fringe by the Sea festival in North Berwick.
Frankie Boyle will be one of the main headliners at this year's Fringe by the Sea festival in North Berwick.

“Every year our programme gets more exciting and brings more people to the festival, which is great for the town and East Lothian.

“Last year Fringe By The Sea delivered a huge boost to North Berwick – local residents and visitors came out in droves to enjoy the acts and events.

"As ever, we strive to produce a wide-reaching programme that will provide entertainment and information for the whole family.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

East Lothian provost John McMillan said: “It was wonderful to welcome back Fringe by the Sea in 2021, to see the impressive programme of events and of course to see people enjoying themselves.

North Berwick's Fringe by the Sea festival will be back in August.North Berwick's Fringe by the Sea festival will be back in August.
North Berwick's Fringe by the Sea festival will be back in August.

"I have no doubt that the 2022 event will be another resounding success and help to cement the festival’s position on the national events calendar.

“The boost it brings to North Berwick, to East Lothian and to local businesses is enormous.

“The council will once again work with the organisers to ensure a safe and happy time for all to enjoy this year.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

More than 25,000 tickets were sold for Fringe by the Sea events in 2021, with a further 14,000 people attending free events and attractions.

Independent research found that two thirds of visitors to North Berwick during the festival said it was the only or the main reason for coming to the area.

The economic impact of the event was said to have doubled since it was staged in 2019, when the total number of visitors was 19,500.

A spokeswoman for the festival, which will run from 5-14 August, said: “In 2022, this ten day festival will feature a strong mix of local, national and international talent across music, literature, comedy, science and nature as well as delicious food and drink from the county’s best street-food stalls.

“With more than 200 separate events, Fringe By The Sea has something for everyone.”

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.