How Adam Smith, the father of economics, unknowingly created the greatest arts festival in the world

It all started by accident in 1947, when 8 groups, told they weren’t good enough to perform at the inaugural Edinburgh International Festival, decided to come and do their shows anyway. What began as the “uninvited eight” grew up to be the largest annual ticketed event on Earth. By 2019 the Fringe attracted 4.5 million visitors from 157 of the world’s 1…