Spafax partners with NextUp and Just For Laughs to Bring Edinburgh Fringe Comedy to the Skies with British Airways
Spafax, a leading provider of inflight entertainment, is once again spearheading a celebration of British culture by taking humor “up in the air.” Following other successful collaborations with British Airways, including bringing Glastonbury content to the cabin and streaming the Coronation of King Charles III inflight, Spafax has enabled the carrier to showcase the crème de la crème of Edinburgh Fringe comedy festival on its inflight entertainment system.
Throughout August 2023, in synchrony with this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, British Airways will showcase seven distinct stand-up comedy gigs from the festival including Eleanor Morton with “Has Peaked”, Jamie D’Souza’s “Stop Drawing Willies on My Poster”, Katie Pritchard lighting up the scene with “Disco Ball,” Rajiv Karia sharing laughs in “Gallivant,” Rob Rouse’s hilarious “No Refunds,” the debut show “Hair” by musical comedy double act Shelf, and Will Duggan’s self-deprecating “Iceberg.”
The one-hour performances are filmed by UK-based production company and streaming platform NextUp in venues throughout the Scottish capital and licensed by Just For Laughs Distribution, giving passengers a sample of the festival’s renowned blend of humor and culture and promoting the ‘Best of British Comedy’. These selected shows are housed under the dedicated ‘Edinburgh Fringe’ inflight entertainment category for the month. After the festival ends, the bundle of laughs will enter the comedy section of the British Airways inflight entertainment system until January 31, 2024.
Yvonne Crossley, Senior TV Acquisitions Manager at Spafax, said, “The partnership with comedy streaming service NextUp and global comedy leader Just For Laughs, brings to the skies the biggest arts festival in the world. It truly celebrates an original British event, offering a taste of the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The Fringe Festival is to comedy as Glastonbury is to music, so this unique offering is an engaging way to celebrate British culture at 30,000 feet.”
Sarah Henley, co-CEO and co-founder of NextUp, adds, “This partnership with Just For Laughs and Spafax is one way to get our fantastic comedy content off the ground! Thanks to British Airways, this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Festival will be more accessible than ever with audiences able to experience this usually one-of-a-kind festival from literally anywhere in the world.”
Spafax’s innovative approach, enabling passengers to experience the distinct vibe of a top-tier cultural event, sets the company apart in the inflight entertainment industry. The collaboration, which brings Edinburgh Fringe highlights to inflight entertainment for the first time ever, underscores the commitment of both Spafax and British Airways to provide timely and culturally significant entertainment to their passengers. It’s undeniable that the duo has a knack for seizing and translating the current cultural zeitgeist into memorable inflight experiences.
Marina Di Pancrazio, Chief Content Revenue Officer for Just For Laughs, remarks, “We are pleased to be entering into a new joint collaboration with Spafax and NextUp to bring comedy from the renowned Edinburgh Fringe to British Airways passengers. At Just For Laughs, we are passionate about spreading laughter worldwide. We are thrilled to be adding British Airways to our expansive network of airline partners who already benefit from our extensive volume of comedy content as part of their in-flight entertainment.”
