The Fringe Festival- the world’s largest performing arts festival and one of Edinburgh’s most popular annual events. If you’re traveling to Edinburgh in August, the Fringe is omnipresent and unavoidable.
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival began as an unofficial spin off of the Edinburgh International Festival, and quickly grew to become the world’s largest performing arts festival. Over 2.6 million tickets were sold during the 25-day 2024 festival alone!
Venues range anywhere from a professional theater, to the back of a pub, to an alley way. The idea is that the Fringe is open to everyone- if you’ve got a show and a location, you’ve got a Fringe performance.
It’s basically a city-wide, month long street party and the whole place is celebrating!
Performers are scattered throughout the city, promoting their shows with mini performances and fliers shoved into your hands.
Being from New York, I felt a sort of deep shame every time I was successfully stopped on the street, but I was also pretty impressed that they managed to get my attention in a sea of distractions!
Amateurs and professionals from all over the world premiere their shows here- the hit musical Six and the show Fleabag both got their start at the Fringe!
Buskers are also super common- most of them are musicians, but I even saw one or two magic shows! The performers generally rotate through different locations in the city throughout the day and there were a few I’d always make sure to stop and watch if I caught them. Performers not only accept Cash, Zelle, and Apple Pay, but most of them even have card readers to accept your tips- they have to pay for their accommodations too!
I had the questionable luck of being in Edinburgh for an entirely unrelated event. Unlucky because I got caught up in the festival pricing and crowds, but lucky because I arrive with zero expectations and had an absolute blast!
With that being said, these are some tips I wish I’d known before bookign a trip to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Book Early
Between the crowds for the Fringe Festival, the Military Tattoo, and the regular crowds of tourists just there to see the city, beds sell out fast!
Hotels take advantage of this popularity and raise their rates- I saw a Premier Inn (that wasn’t even city center!) selling their entry level rooms for over $400 a night.
Airbnbs quickly become unavailable, and even hostels sell out.
Save yourself the headache and the bill and book your hotel as soon as possible. Be decisive, do not hesitate, and book a refundable rate, just in case.
Be Prepared For Crowds
As the world’s largest performing arts festival, prepare to be swamped by crowds of tourists and performers alike.
If you’re familiar with the crowds of New York’s Times Square, picture that- but everywhere.
Still, it’s all good fun. The crowds are generally cheerful and happy to be there, which makes all the difference. Even the locals seemed happy to deal with the crowds- or at least stay out of city center until they left!
Just make sure to give yourself a few extra minutes to walk from place to place as you will most definitely run into foot traffic.
Be Flexible
You may have a certain number of shows planned out, but make sure you have some free time built into your schedule. With performers doing their best to get your attention, its inevitable that you’ll end up at a show you’ve never even heard of.
Other visitors will also be happy to share their experiences with you- I got some of my best show recommendations from a stranger over coffee. We’re all bonded by being one enormous audience!
How to Choose a Show at the Fringe
With literally thousands of shows to choose from, how does one pick!?
Start by checking the Fringe website for a full list of all of their shows- but don’t get overwhelmed.
First, narrow it down by date. The festival extends through most of the month of August- not all of the shows are playing for the whole time.
Once the dates are decided, use the website filters to sort by genre.
Almost 40% of the shows in 2024 were comedy, so anything more specific than that will narrow your options down dramatically!
Ask for opinions! There’s a million reviewers out there, giving their opinions on even the most niche of shows. This is typically how you‘ll find the cream of the crop.
I also like asking fellow visitors if they’ve seen any shows that they enjoyed. If it was a REALLY good show, they may even start telling you about it unprompted.
The Fringe Festival Society also publishes a physical copy of the Festival Program and offers support to both performers and visitors alike. They have a permanent location on the Royal Mile and are happy to talk guests through any questions they may have.
The Price
With shows ranging from free to £20 and most shows averaging around £10, its easy to see a plethora of shows while visiting. Of course the cheap tickets are balanced by the extremely expensive accommodation, but it’s all worth it in the end.
Is It Worth It?
If you’re wondering if you want to go to the Fringe Festival- go! It’s such an incredible experience and definitely worth attending at least once- though once you go once, you’ll absolutely find yourself planning trip for the following year!
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