Updated: Major Edinburgh Fringe venue closes for first time in 41 years amid amber weather warnings

One of the Fringe’s largest venues has closed amid an amber weather warning.

The Pleasance Courtyard announced it would be closing around 12pm today.

Shows were only initially cancelled at The Green, one of the performance spaces in the venue, before the decision to close the full venue was made.

One Edinburgh local who had planned to visit the courtyard today said: “I had my whole day planned around this show and now i can’t go.

“[It’s] such a shame for the performers too.”

The venue later reopened at 7pm, with Director of the Pleasance Theatre Trust, Anthony Alderson, saying: “We can’t wait to welcome you back to experience the incredible shows and electric atmosphere that define the Pleasance.”

We are delighted to announce that the Pleasance Courtyard will reopen from 7pm this evening with shows resuming from 7.30pm.

“Earlier today, we made the difficult decision to temporarily close the site as a precautionary measure, prioritising the safety of our audiences, artists, and staff. The Pleasance Courtyard is a uniquely complex site—while most of our theatres are located within permanent buildings and remained unaffected, access to them is through enclosed courtyards surrounded by temporary structures. The closure was implemented in line with our established safety protocols and wind management plan.

“It’s never easy to close, especially during such a busy time in the festival. We’re incredibly grateful for everyone’s patience and understanding and we encourage audiences to return to the Courtyard this evening and continue showing their support.

Anthony told The Scotsman that the closure will have a “significant” impact on the venues finances, with 15,000 audience members impacted.

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Pleasance Courtyard is one of the largest venues at The Fringe, featuring 18 performance spaces ranging from small outdoor spaces and venues of 20 seats to the 750-seater Pleasance Grand, as well as seven bars and six food vendors.

The bars and courtyard spaces are operated by the Edinburgh University Student’s Association (EUSA) while the performance spaces are managed during the festival by Pleasance Theatre Trust.

Many venues across the city also closed their doors for the safety of visitors and staff, with events like The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the Fringe by the Sea also cancelled.

An amber weather warning is in place for wind across much of Scotland until 11pm August 4th.