Air to play Moon Safari at Fringe by the Sea
Fringe by the Sea will bring French duo Air to North Berwick this August to recreate their classic 1998 album Moon Safari live. Other artists announced in this first wave of acts include The Boomtown Rats and The Bluebells
It’s always nice to escape the madness of Edinburgh during the Fringe to check out what’s happening at Fringe by the Sea, the ten-day arts festival set in the seaside town of North Berwick. The vibes should be extra chill this year with the very exciting inclusion of French electronic duo Air, who’ll be playing their immaculate debut album Moon Safari in its entirety live in the only Scottish date on their tour.
Released in 1998, Moon Safari announced Air as a more melodic and mellow antidote to the French Touch music coming from across the Channel in the 90s. Songs from the album were ubiquitous on radio but also on our screens in that era, featuring in everything from movies like Go, The Virgin Suicides and 10 Things I Hate About You to Queer as Folk and Daria on TV, so witnessing the duo – Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel – perform these tracks live over a quarter of a century later should be a blast from the past for many of you out there.
Bluebells | Image: courtesy of Fringe by the Sea
Also included in this first wave of announcements is Irish New Wave band The Boomtown Rats, as well as much-loved Scottish 80s stars The Bluebells, who’ve reformed multiple times since splitting in 1986; they're kicking off the festival on opening night on 1 August.
Fringe by the Sea is an eclectic multi-arts festival, so it’s not just music on the menu. Architect and the face behind many a Channel 4 home design show George Clarke will be in North Berwick to discuss the importance of home. Former Tory MP and The Rest Is Politics co-presenter Rory Stewart will also be in town to discuss his career as well as the two-year trek he made across Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India and Nepal, which he details in his new book The Places in Between.
And on 6 August, strap on your safety goggles for Brainiac Live! Inspired by the volatile television programme from the 00s presented by Vic Reeves, we’re told this live science show “takes audiences on a breathless ride through the wild world of the weird and wonderful.”
“As we start to roll out the first acts for the 17th Fringe by the Sea, we are already bringing together a programme that is in the true spirit of a fringe and a celebration of the arts, offers up something for everyone,” says Festival Director Rory Steel.
Fringe by the Sea 2025 will run in North Berwick from 1-10 Aug
The full programme is released in June 2025