Edinburgh Festival 'thrives in recession'

Rex Features

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is not suffering from the recession, it has been reported.

Advance ticket sales for the event have increased by 20% on last year, according to Ananova.

Festival chief executive Kath Mainland said: "This year, the Fringe is bigger than ever. More people than before wanted to take part in it, so that's a great thing.

"People need cheering up in a recession and I think the Fringe is perfect for that."

The Pleasance venue reportedly has a doctor on standby due to the swine flu epidemic.

Fringe 2009 will take place from August 7 to 31, showcasing over 2,000 individual shows, including performances from Ricky Gervais and Denise Van Outen.