TikTok and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society have announced an exclusive new partnership that will see the entertainment platform become the first Official Virtual Stage to the world’s premier performing arts festival.

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the partnership brings together the Fringe’s rich heritage with TikTok’s thriving global community, aiming to showcase the magic and creativity that artists from around the world bring to Edinburgh’s stages to an even wider audience.

Every year, Edinburgh plays host to this iconic cultural event, as the eyes of the world look to the Fringe for the next generation of performance talent. This year, these vibrant and creative communities can also be discovered on TikTok throughout August and beyond.

As the Virtual Stage, TikTok will bring the creative artistry of the Edinburgh Fringe to the community, livestreaming performances from across the festival’s venues and from TikTok’s virtual stage in app. An Edinburgh Festival Fringe Hub will also host all the latest #EdFringe content in one place for the TikTok community to discover.

Over the past four years we have seen creativity in every form thrive on TikTok, from the emergence of community curated musicals, which have generated over 890 million views in app, to comedy which has played a pivotal role on TikTok, with over 1.6 billion views of the #Comedy hashtag, TikTok has supercharged the careers of comedians like Munya Chawawa, Abi Clarke and Sugarcoated Sisters. TikTok is a hub for creativity and has become an essential platform for emerging talent.

Alongside the virtual stage, two digital screens on the Royal Mile, the heart of Scotland’s historic capital, will showcase TikTok content. These screens will offer a platform for emerging comedy, music and theatre talent on TikTok, while also helping festival goers discover new artists and spotlight the must-see shows from the Fringe.

TikTok will also co-host the Official Taster Stage with the Fringe, with a TikTok installation on the Mound Precinct for festival-goers, performers and the Edinburgh community alike to experience.

TikTok creators will be invited to the festival, performing live on stage and bringing the Fringe experience to life. In addition, TikTok will be working directly with Fringe artists and performers, offering a programme of bespoke workshops and performer education, so artists can continue to utilise the platform to reach larger audiences and test new material.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe and TikTok share the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves freely and creatively. This partnership forms part of TikTok’s broader commitment to breaking down the barriers to entry within the arts and the entertainment industries, which has also seen it partner with the Cannes Film Festival, Eurovision and the Hay Festival.

James Stafford, Head of Partnerships & Community at TikTok, said: “The Edinburgh Fringe is a unique moment that brings together emerging artists in a celebration of creativity. Our partnership places TikTok’s global community at the heart of the iconic festival, and celebrates our joint belief that creativity is for everyone. TikTok is the home of entertainment and creativity and I know our community will welcome the opportunity to discover new artists, collaborate, and be inspired.”

Shona McCarthy, CEO at The Edinburgh Fringe Society, said: “The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is an annual phenomenon like no other, one of the world’s great celebrations of performing arts and creativity, and we’re delighted to be partnering with TikTok in our 75th anniversary year. TikTok’s expertise in the creative spaces make it the perfect partner for our Official Virtual Stage. We look forward to joining artists together with TikTok’s unique virtual creativity, bringing the Fringe to a new global audience. For the Fringe it’s about offering anyone a stage and everyone a seat, and this partnership will allow us to offer this to audiences wherever they are in the world”