How to Recruit Flyerers for the Edinburgh Fringe

Flyering is the lifeblood of Fringe marketing. Every August, thousands of performers and companies compete for audiences on the Royal Mile and beyond, and the difference between a sold-out run and empty seats often comes down to the quality of your street team. Here's how to find, hire, and manage great flyerers.

Understand what the job actually is

Flyering at the Fringe isn't handing out leaflets at a shopping centre. It's physically demanding, socially exhausting, and happens in all weather. Your flyerers will spend hours on their feet on the Royal Mile, in the Meadows, and outside venues, approaching strangers who are already being approached by dozens of other flyerers.

A good flyerer needs confidence, energy, and resilience. They need to be able to pitch your show in thirty seconds, handle rejection constantly, and stay upbeat for the duration of their shift. This isn't a job for everyone, and your recruitment should reflect that.

Start recruiting in May or June

Flyering roles don't need the same lead time as technical or front of house positions, but don't leave it until the last minute. By mid-July, the best candidates — particularly students and returning Fringe workers who know the city — have already committed to other shows and venues.

Aim to have your flyering team confirmed by early July at the latest. This gives you time to brief them properly and handle any dropouts before the festival starts.

Write an honest job listing

Flyering has a reputation problem. Too many listings are vague about hours, pay, and what the job involves. The result is high turnover and no-shows. Be upfront about everything:

• Pay — state the hourly rate or per-show arrangement clearly. If it's commission-based (e.g. per ticket sold via a tracking code), say so. Candidates will find out eventually, and you'll lose trust if you weren't transparent from the start
• Hours — most flyering shifts run 2–4 hours, typically before your show time. Specify exactly when and how often you need people
• Duration — are you hiring for the full three-week Fringe run, a specific week, or just weekends?
• Location — Royal Mile, the Meadows, outside specific venues, or roaming? Each has a different feel and candidates may have preferences
• What you provide — flyers (obviously), but also: will you provide a costume or branded t-shirt? Is there a free ticket to the show? Staff drinks after? These details help candidates choose between similar roles
• What you expect — a target number of flyers distributed per shift, attendance at a briefing session, availability for the full run

You can post flyering roles for free on Edinburgh Festival Jobs under the Marketing & PR category.

Know your candidate pool

Flyering attracts a specific mix of people, and understanding who they are helps you recruit more effectively.

Students make up the largest group. Edinburgh's own students often stay over summer, and students from other cities come specifically for festival work. They're usually available for the full run and are comfortable with the social side of the job.

Performers flyering for other shows sometimes pick up additional flyering shifts to supplement their income. They understand the Fringe, know how to pitch a show, and are already on the Mile every day. The trade-off is that their own show schedule limits their availability.

Returning Fringe workers are gold. Someone who flyered last year already knows the best pitching spots, the rhythms of the Royal Mile, and how to handle the inevitable quiet Tuesday afternoon. If you had good flyerers last year, reach out to them first.

Pay fairly

Flyering pay at the Fringe varies widely, and candidates talk. Some companies pay nothing at all, relying on cast members or volunteers. Others pay £10–£13 per hour. A few offer commission-only arrangements tied to ticket sales.

If you're paying below the real Living Wage (currently £12.60/hour), you'll struggle to attract and retain people — especially when bars and venues are paying £13+ for work that doesn't involve standing in the rain. If your budget genuinely can't stretch to competitive hourly pay, consider offering a meaningful package: guaranteed show tickets, meals, or a share of ticket revenue with a realistic floor.

Don't offer "exposure" or "experience" as compensation. Candidates have heard it before and they'll scroll past your listing.

Run a proper briefing

The single biggest thing you can do to improve your flyering team's effectiveness is to brief them properly before the festival starts. A one-hour session covering the following will pay for itself many times over:

The show — what it's about, who it's for, what makes it different. Your flyerers need to be able to answer questions and sell the show authentically. If possible, let them watch a rehearsal or preview.

The pitch — give them a scripted opening line and two or three key selling points, then let them adapt it to their own style. Forcing everyone to recite the same script word-for-word sounds robotic on the street.

The logistics — where to collect flyers, how to report numbers, who to contact if there's a problem, and what the shift handover looks like.

The do's and don'ts — the Fringe Society publishes guidelines on flyering that your team must follow. Blocking pavements, flyering inside venues without permission, and littering are all issues that can result in complaints. Make sure your team knows the rules.

Choose your locations wisely

Not everywhere on the Royal Mile is created equal. The High Street between the Tron Kirk and St Giles' Cathedral is the busiest stretch, but it's also the most competitive — your flyerers will be standing shoulder to shoulder with dozens of others.

The Meadows (particularly the north side near Jawbone Walk) is the second major flyering zone, especially for shows at nearby venues like Pleasance and Summerhall. The queue outside the Half Price Hut on the Mound is another popular spot.

Brief your team on which locations work best at different times of day. Mornings are quieter everywhere; early afternoon is when the Royal Mile peaks; early evening is prime time outside venues as audiences arrive for shows.

Manage the team through the run

Flyering teams need ongoing management, not a brief on day one and then radio silence. Check in daily — even a quick WhatsApp message asking how the shift went makes people feel supported and surfaces problems early.

Track performance loosely. You don't need to count every flyer, but you should know if someone consistently comes back with a full stack untouched. Some companies use unique discount codes or QR codes on flyers to track which flyerers are driving actual ticket sales — this is useful data if you can set it up, but don't let it become oppressive.

Be prepared for dropout. Over a three-week run, you'll almost certainly lose someone to illness, a better offer, or simply burning out. Having one or two backup flyerers on standby — even if they only commit to being available if needed — saves you from scrambling mid-festival.

Consider the legal basics

If you're paying flyerers, they're workers and you have obligations. If they're employed (not self-employed), you need to handle PAYE, ensure they have the right to work in the UK, and comply with working time regulations. For short-term festival work, many companies use casual worker contracts — which is fine, provided you're still meeting minimum wage requirements and keeping basic records.

If you're asking cast members to flyer as part of their unpaid involvement in a show, tread carefully. If the relationship looks like employment — set hours, set location, required attendance — it may legally be employment regardless of what you call it.

Ready to build your street team?

Post your flyering roles for free on Edinburgh Festival Jobs. Your listing goes live immediately and reaches jobseekers actively looking for festival work in Edinburgh.