The Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs for three weeks every August and is the largest arts festival in the world – around 3,000 shows across 300-plus venues, everything from stand-up comedy to circus to experimental theatre to music to things that resist categorisation. For first-timers, the scale is the first obstacle. Here is how to approach it without being overwhelmed.
The Venue Hubs
The Pleasance Courtyard, the Underbelly on Cowgate, Assembly Rooms on George Street, and the Gilded Balloon on Bristo Square are the four main multi-venue hubs. Each hub runs 10-20 shows per day across its internal spaces. The courtyard and garden areas at each hub are free to enter and serve as social spaces between shows – some of the best Fringe experiences happen in these outdoor areas rather than in the venues themselves.
Comedy
Stand-up comedy is the commercial heart of the Fringe and the genre where booking in advance is most important. The shows that win the Edinburgh Comedy Award – and the shortlisted shows – are the ones that tend to transfer to touring runs and TV. Attending the award nominees in the second or third week of the Fringe, after the initial press attention has settled, gives you the best value on what the year’s strongest comedy programme contains.
Free Shows and the Free Fringe
The Free Fringe programme – venues running pay-what-you-like shows – is the most democratic and often the most interesting part of the festival. The PBH Free Fringe organises shows across pubs and smaller venues throughout the city. The free venues in Cowgate and the Grassmarket area run a programme that rewards wandering in without pre-planning. Some of the best things at the Fringe cost nothing.
Booking Strategy
Book the must-see shows immediately when the programme launches in June. Leave space for spontaneity – the best Fringe days include at least one show chosen on a whim from a flyer picked up on the Royal Mile. Avoid the morning slots unless the show is specifically recommended; the evening 9pm and 10pm slots run the most interesting experimental work. The Royal Mile during August is an overwhelming experience – walk through it once for the flyering atmosphere and then use the back streets.
Where to Stay
August accommodation in Edinburgh is expensive and books out months ahead. The city’s festival B&Bs and guesthouses are the best value; the Marchmont and Bruntsfield areas are well-placed for the main venue clusters without being in the immediate festival crush. Book in January for August. Seriously.
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