The Scottish capital is facing an unprecedented surge in hotel and rental accommodation prices as a trio of sold-out Oasis reunion concerts coincides with the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival, placing immense pressure on the city’s limited lodging supply.
Over 200,000 fans are expected to attend Oasis’s three-night run at Murrayfield Stadium, adding to the hundreds of thousands of visitors already flocking to Edinburgh for its annual August arts festivals. The overlap has sparked a 91% spike in average hotel rates, with Friday night bookings jumping to £613 per room, up from £321 the previous week, according to consulting firm RSM UK.
Data from short-term rental analytics company AirDNA shows a 20% increase in demand for Airbnb-style accommodations on Oasis concert nights compared to the same period last year.
The situation is further exacerbated by other high-profile performances in the city this month, including AC/DC and American singer-songwriter Chappell Roan, both of which have fueled additional demand for accommodation during Edinburgh’s peak tourism season.
Fringe Acts Squeezed Out
While major events boost the local economy, smaller performers and festival staff say they are being priced out — and audiences with them.
“Many smaller shows are struggling to get people in,” said stand-up comedian LP Kent, a 20-year veteran of the Fringe. “Some performers have invested thousands in promotion. At one end, Oasis are charging fans thousands per ticket. At the other, some acts are practically paying audiences to attend.”
London-based poet and comedian Jack Scullion shared that he and four colleagues are paying £2,500 more than in 2023 for shared student housing during their month-long show run.
Festival-goers on a budget are resorting to alternatives like camping on the city’s outskirts, sleeping in cars, or couch-surfing to avoid the inflated costs.
Strain on Short-Term Rentals
Accommodation pressure is compounded by stricter regulations. In 2022, the Scottish government implemented a mandatory licensing system for short-term lets. In Edinburgh, hosts must also seek planning permission to legally operate such properties.
The result, according to the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, is a “drastically reduced pool” of legal short-term rental options. As of July 2025, fewer than 4,000 active licences were approved, with another 700 pending, a supply far short of the expected 25,000 performers and staff participating in the festival.
A City at Full Capacity
Edinburgh, the UK’s second most-visited city, recorded 5.3 million overnight tourist visits in 2023 — nearly ten times its local population of 520,000. With ScotRail anticipating more than 2 million travellers entering the city this August, residents and visitors alike are experiencing the mounting strain.
The combination of world-class entertainment, tight accommodation regulations, and already high tourist demand has created a perfect storm. “It’s not like Edinburgh at this time of year needs more promotion,” said Kent. “It’s already full.”
Meanwhile, Barclays projects that consumer spending on the Oasis UK tour could surpass £1 billion — more than even Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in the UK last year. On average, fans attending the Oasis concerts are expected to spend £766 each, including £170 on tickets alone.
As the city bursts at the seams, some fear the original spirit of the Fringe — spontaneity and discovery — is being lost to commercial pressure and unaffordable accommodation.
