As the remnants of the last flyer is peeled away from its single hinged toilet door and the last of the stand-up comedy acts has been packed into a box marked ‘return to sender’, next year’s performers at various locations around the world are brainstorming new show ideas!

But was it an Edinburgh Fringe to remember? Indubitably the answer to this is a resounding “Yes!” More people turned up to this year’s event and more shows were put on than ever before so in terms of heightened awareness and festival size, this one was a big one! According to recent reports too this year’s box office takings exceeded those of 2009 by a massive 21 per cent.

With almost two thousand five hundred shows running at over two hundred venues across the city it is fair to say that 2010 was a Fringe to remember. Out of the two and a half thousand shows let us once again pay homage to the five hundred or so shows that continue to provide the backbone of the whole event delivering free top class entertainment on the streets of the Royal Mile and its surrounds. It is more often than not the case that it is the street entertainers who stay in our memories long after the summer. Keep it coming chainsaw jugglers and buskers!

Huge it is, but is it the greatest show on earth? Nobody seems to be able to match it anywhere in the world, so from that perspective, yes the Edinburgh Festival is the greatest show on earth!

All that is left to say is farewell Fringe 2010 and roll on next year and an even bigger all singing, all dancing (all juggling) Edinburgh Fringe!