Fortunately, the Assembly Rooms on George Street had been vacated by the Festival Club, which had found it unprofitable to operate there.

[4] An early success was Alternative Cabaret, a show featuring Tony Allen, Jim Barclay, Andy de la Tour and Pauline Melville, which became one of the critical hits of 1981.

In 2015, the Assembly Festival programme consisted of 163 shows, including performances by Milton Jones, Adam Hills and Jason Byrne.

In recent years, the contract for operating the Assembly Rooms building during the Fringe has been awarded to the promoters behind The Stand Comedy Club, separating the company from its origins.

It hosts a small theatre, music and comedy programme, and also operates as a function suite for weddings and corporate events.

The plan is for live music events to be held on the upper floor of the Grade B listed building, which has been soundproofed.

In 2014, the festival featured 140 acts across 16 days including Simon Amstell, Bridget Christie, Marcus Brigstocke, Jack Dee and Seann Walsh.