An Edinburgh company has launched an “AI-powered planning tool” to help audiences plan their schedules at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year, with some added randomness thrown in. 

Called FringeFlow.ai, an official blurb describes the service as follows: “Tell us your preferences – genres, dates, part of town – and we build your perfect show line-up in seconds”. As well as the line-up with show times, the app also provides walking routes to venues and suggests where to stop for a coffee. 

The people behind the app hope that users will discover shows that they wouldn’t otherwise be aware of, especially in smaller venues, with a “built-in randomising algorithm” aiming to ensure a good mix of productions are recommended. 

Co-founder Sean Errey, who previously performed at the Fringe, says, “That randomness is part of what makes the Fringe magical. We didn’t want to flatten that experience, we simply wanted to make it easier to access”. 

He adds, “This isn’t AI trying to replace creativity – it’s tech designed by people who love and live the Fringe. What we’ve done is build a tool to support discovery, not dictate it. If we make the Fringe more navigable, we make it more inclusive. FringeFlow is about giving more artists a shot at being seen”.