Edinburgh Festival Fringe

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe takes over the capital city for 3 weeks in August every year. It includes tens of thousands of performances featuring artists from across the globe, from big-name talent to unknown artists hoping to build their careers. Considered one of the greatest platforms for creative freedom, it has an open-access ethos with more than 300 venues welcoming to just about everyone, making it diverse and unique.

In 2019, a record 63 countries were represented, from New Zealand and Canada to China, Korea, France, and of course, Scotland. The single greatest celebration of culture and artistic talent, this festival caters to everyone. Expect comedy, theatre, cabaret, dance, circus, musicals, poetry, hip hop, beatboxing, jazz, opera, children’s shows, and more. When it comes to ticketed events, only the World Cup and Olympic Games outrank the number of tickets sold.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe - one of the highlights of 11 Best Festivals in Edinburgh and 10 Fun Festivals in the UK You Have to See to Believe (Read all about Edinburgh here)

photo by Festival Fringe Society (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified

What are the highlights of Edinburgh Fringe Festival?

What makes the Edinburgh Fringe Festival such a must-experience event is that these are shows that you’re unlikely to be able to enjoy in your hometown. Most will never go on big tours, playing in London or other major cities. By attending you might catch everything from a Korean drum band and an Aussie comic to Egyptian theatre. Just imagine the cost of airfare should you have to pay to travel to see them all.

The venues themselves make it a standout event, with traditional theatre spaces in the minority here. Performances take place in opulent circus tents, churches, clubs, pubs, tunnels beneath the city, and even inside moving busses.

photo by Visions of Domino (CC BY 2.0) modified

A brief history of Edinburgh Festival Fringe

The ‘Fringe’ dates back to 1947, held concurrently with the invitation-only Edinburgh International Festival. Its first year featured 8 theatre troupes who hadn’t been invited to perform but managed to arrange a performance space and put on their own shows while the official festival ran. As it was so successful, there were even more unofficial performers who showed up the following year. As they were operating within venues on the margins of the Edinburgh International Festival, this ‘alternative’ scene eventually became known as the Fringe, later officially named the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

With so many people performing and attending the festival, there are plenty of street foods to feed them. It’s a foodie’s haven, with Scottish favourites along with international cuisine. You might sample South African vegan curry, some indulgent o-so-cheesy mac, or creative sliders. Countless bars serve up pints and cocktails to ease the thirsts of the crowds too.

photo by Ian Robertson (CC BY 2.0) modified

Good to know about Edinburgh Festival Fringe

One of the keys to a great time is to avoid planning everything out by choosing all the shows to catch beforehand. The biggest treats tend to come when stumbling across a fantastic show, perhaps discovering your new favourite artist. Plan up to a point and leave the rest of the time to experience whatever happens to come your way.

While in Edinburgh, you won’t want to miss some of the attractions that draw people here from around the world year-round. You can tour Edinburgh Castle, which dominates the city from atop an extinct volcano, or climb to the top of Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park for magnificent views of the surrounding landscape. Exploring the National Museum of Scotland and sipping a pint in a historic pub like The 14th-century Sheep Heid Inn are must-dos in Edinburgh, too.

photo by Ahsan Ali (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified

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K.C. Dermody | Contributing Writer

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