Record 75,000 Fest Ticket Sales at Edinburgh Surgeons Venues

A historic Edinburgh venue has marked its biggest ever festival season, with a 25 per cent increase in year-on-year ticket sales.

With total attendances breaking 75000, thanks to it hosting seven 'theSpaceUK' theatres across three of its venues, The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) broke its previous record of 60000 ticket sales, from 2015.

Combined with a total footfall of more than 100,000 visitors, thanks in part to an increased food and drink offering, the Edinburgh venue is toasting to its ongoing relationship with theSpaceUK, now established as one of the Fringe's biggest promoters.

The close partnership has developed since starting up in 2009, this year enabling over 170 different acts to be housed at RCSEd venues, a hugely diverse hand-picked programme of paid shows, across genres and including international performers.

Scott Mitchell, Commercial Director at The RCSEd, said: "We all have real admiration for the professionalism of theSpaceUK operation, allowing us to work closely to cater for such a huge, successful - and constantly growing - operation.

"Needless to say, the festival period itself was all over in a blur - the question now is how we go about replicating, or even bettering the success in coming years."

theSpaceUK also boasted the largest 'new writing' programme, ensuring that, in the 70th year of the festival, they continue to embrace its defining ethos as a platform for new and original performance.

Charles Pamment, Director of theSpaceUK, said: "Following another record year, we're incredibly pleased with the relationship we've built up with The RCSEd over these past eight years - and what has been achieved in a relatively short space of time.

"Key to the success is that, unlike a lot of the venues in Edinburgh throughout the Fringe, Surgeons' Hall is, as a defined events venue, perfectly set up to give the very best showcase platform for performers and a hugely desirable venue destination for fringe goers."

First working with the historic venue in 2009, theSpaceUK has now established itself as the Fringe's biggest promoter and has now grown to include 16 theatres located at two performance 'hubs' in the city - which, combined, boast more than twice the number of shows hosted at The Underbelly.

As one of these hubs, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh works in tandem with theSpaceUK to facilitate the work that they do with a range of performance genres from new and developing groups to professional international performers.

The Royal College is one of the most august institutions in Scotland. It provides education and assessment for medical students, surgical trainees and consultants and supports research to advance standards of care for the future. Surgeons trained and assessed through the College take their life-saving and life-changing skills all over the world.

The college's Commercial Enterprises promotes, sells and manages all commercial activities held within the College Campus, which include the four-star, 77-bedroom hotel, Ten Hill Place.

All profits support the charitable aims of the College which are education, assessment and advancement in surgery.

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