visit the edinburgh festival

Edinburgh Fringe 2022: *everything* you need to know about this year’s festival

Jul 21, 2022 • 13 min read

Edinburgh Fringe Festival rule one: leave the fireeating to the professionals © georgeclerk / Getty Images

It's back, baby! The world's largest arts festival, the Edinburgh Fringe , will return to the cobbled streets of the Scottish capital in 2022 to blow out the candles for its 75th birthday.

Following a Covid-enforced cancellation in 2020 and a slimline open-air edition in 2021, the bells, whistles, costumes and comradery of the Fringe proper will once again turn Auld Reekie into one giant entertainment venue.

In a little over three weeks, Edinburgh will play host to a massive 3171 shows from 58 countries across comedy, theater, dance, cabaret, music and near-enough anything loosely described as art and entertainment. Sounds overwhelming, right? Wait until you hear there's audience participation too…

Here's how to get the best out of Edinburgh Fringe 2022 (without being called up on stage).

What is the Edinburgh Fringe Festival? 

The Fringe Festival was "established" in 1947 after eight renegade theater troupes gatecrashed the fledgling Edinburgh International Festival having not been asked to perform. Undeterred, they put on their own shows on the “fringes” of the International Festival – hence its name – and vowed to return a year later with more performers. 

By 1958 there were enough unofficial performances for the Festival Fringe Society to be created. The event mushroomed, eventually becoming bigger than the Edinburgh International Festival itself, and today you can barely pass a pothole without an ensemble of fire-breathing mime artists popping out with an impromptu musical performance of Hamlet (well, almost).

It’s comedy that steals the spotlight at the Fringe but the 250-or so venues put on everything from circus, cabaret and children’s acts to physical theater, poetry and Polish performance art. 

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When does the Edinburgh Fringe 2022 start?

The Fringe runs from August 5-29 (with a few sneaky preview curtain-raisers from Aug 3) and happily coincides with five other summer festivals in the city: Edinburgh Art Festival (July 28 to August 28); Edinburgh International Film Festival (August 5-27); Edinburgh International Festival (August 5-28); The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (August 5-29); and Edinburgh International Book Festival (August 12-20).

Sounds busy. How many people attend?

They say that Edinburgh doubles in population during August’s festival season, leapfrogging the likes of Liverpool, Sheffield, Bristol, Glasgow and Leicester in terms of size. We think that’s a bit a of an urban myth, but the city does get packed. More than three million tickets were sold in 2019 – when the Fringe was last held in full – including more than 850,000 tickets snaffled by locals. However, festival-goers usually attend more than one show, so the population doesn’t quite double.

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Who’s on the 2022 lineup?

The printed Edinburgh Fringe program is so big that if you unfolded it completely and lay out all the pages next to each other, they would be longer than Hadrian's Wall . Stuffed to the gills from comedic storytellers 1 Ball Show to the absurdist Zach Zucker, its the biggest names from the world of comedy that people hope to see.

Comedians at Edinburgh Fringe 2022 include Scottish offender-in-chief Frankie Boyle, the legendary comic Omid Djalili, Al Murray as the Pub Landlord and Stewart Lee who will perform two different shows this year. 

Other rib ticklers in the festival brochure include Reginald D. Hunter, Josie Long, Phil Wang and controversial Scottish wit, Jerry Sadowitz. RuPaul's Drag Race stars Bianca Del Rio and Jinkx Monsoon will also be up on stage. On the more serious side, the fabled English thespian, Sir Ian McKellen, will also put on a performance of Hamlet .

Fetsival-goers can buy the full, printed program from the Fringe Shop at 180 High Street. The Edinburgh Fringe lineup is also available on the official website.

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What should I see?

• German comic Henning Wehn will put on this latest two-hour laugh-a-thon at The Queen's Hall (Aug 4-6; Aug 11-13; Aug 18-20; Aug 25-28);
• Former Joke of the Fringe finalist Ivo Graham performs My Future My Clutter at Pleasance Courtyard (Aug 3-28 except Aug 6);
• Standup John Robins (Aug 4-7; Aug 10-14; Aug 17-21; Aug 24-28) at Just Up The Stairs and Aug 23 at Just the Spiegeltent;
• Writer, comic and poet Tim Key (Aug 3-17 at Pleasance Dome; Aug 18-28 at the Pleasance Courtyard);
• The queen of ventriloquism and improv star, Nina Conti , will play the Pleasance Courtyard (Aug 3-28 except Aug 16);
• Fast-witted politic funnyman Nish Kumar will appear at the Gordon Aikman Theatre on Assembly George Square (Aug 22-28);
• Underbelly on Bristo Square will host Irish comic Jason Byrne as he performs a one-man play as his recently departed father, Paddy (Aug 8-28 except 16 & 22).

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Is there a Fringe app for 2022?

Financial constraints from the pandemic mean there is no Fringe app this year . However, the full Fringe timetable is available online and includes a ‘Nearby Now’ section for those accessing it via the mobile website once in the city.

Where are the best venues at the Fringe?

There are a whopping 255 venues at the Fringe – from St Giles Cathedral and 17th-century Greyfriars Kirk to a black Routemaster bus turned theater called the Necrobus. If somewhere has room for a show, the Fringe will usually squeeze in an act.

Most of the action takes place in and around the city center, predominantly George Square, Bristo Square, Cowgate and the Royal Mile, which makes it easy to hotfoot between shows. New venues for 2022 include St Andrew Square and St James Quarter.

The most renowned venue promotors are Assembly , Gilded Balloon , Pleasance and  Underbelly . They are seen as the “Big Four” – with Just the Tonic trying to break their monopoly. Each hosts famous acts and TV names alongside up-and-coming artists on their main stages, as well as several branded venues across Edinburgh.

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With seven venues across the city, Assembly is where you’ll catch the likes of Frankie Boyle, Fern Brady and – wait for it – Peppa Pig. As well as the Assembly Hall on the Mound, which also pulls together some ace comedy, circus and dance shows, the group has a cool outdoor hangout in George Square.

You’ll know when you’ve reached the Udderbelly venue on George Square – it’s the massive, upside-down, purple cow. Expect to see funny bunnies like Mark Watson, Rhys Nicholson and Troy Hawke. Underbelly also has another 18 venues across Bristo Square, the Meadows and Cowgate.

Gilded Balloon

Andrew Maxwell, Tara Boland and Basil Brush are among the big ticket names put on by Gilded Balloon this year. Their venues include the National Museum of Scotland , Adam House and a whopping nine performance spaces inside Edinburgh University’s Teviot Row House.

With 27 venues to fill, you’d think you’d come across a duff act or two with Pleasance. But yet again they’ve crammed their calendar full of chuckle royalty like Rosie Holt, Nina Conti and the pun-master Tim Vine.

Other Edinburgh Fringe venues worth checking out include:

The Queen's Hall

During the Fringe this former 19th-century chapel on Clerk Street turns into a comedy hot spot. In 2022, Henning Wehn will perform his latest show, It'll All Come Out In The Wash .

With 20 spaces across the city – including the masonic Roman Eagle Lodge on the Royal Mile – C Venues host forward-thinking theater, innovative cabaret and plenty of decent comedy. 

East of the Camera Obscura & World of Illusions , Greenside will take over the historic Riddle's Court in 2022 alongside its usual Nicolson Square and Infirmary Street venues. No line-up as yet, but luminaries like Maggie Smith and Stephen Fry have performed previously.

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Are there Fringe events along the Royal Mile?

Absolutely. The city’s infamous cobbled runup to Edinburgh Castle springs into life during the Fringe with street performers, circus acts, dancers, buskers, drag, improv comedians, balloonists, marching bands – heck, just about every kind of live act you can imagine – doing their thing in front of thousands of onlookers along the Royal Mile and Mound Precinct. All Fringe street events are free to watch – but as a busking festival, it’s great if you can gift the performers some coin.

What’s the Free Fringe?

The Free Fringe has one of the most extensive programs at the Fringe with than 300 shows for 2022. While the performance rooms may be slightly more ramshackle (think pub backrooms, tunnels, even tents!) the Free Fringe still features some of the best and brightest comics on the circuit – keep an eye out for surprise bigger names as well.

Each show is either “Free & Unticketed” or “Pay What You Can” and performers pocket 100% of the money. Check out the Free Fringe line-up here .

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There’s so much on! How do I pick which Fringe shows to watch?

If you put your back out trying to lift the physical copy of the Edinburgh Fringe Guide, there are plenty of other ways to work out what to see. Twitter is a great way to see what’s hot. Follow your favorite acts and @edfringe or #edfringe for show updates, reviews and recommendations.

It also pays to talk to people: bar staff, those flyering for shows, the mime artists – everyone will have a show to recommend. Box Office staff are the keepers of the keys – cozy up to them for tip-offs on the best shows and under-the-radar, one-off performances.

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How do I get Fringe tickets?

You can buy tickets online or straight from the venue box office. All Fringe shows use e-tickets. There is a central fringe office on the Royal Mile that has some cute merch (Fringe-branded umbrella, anyone?) and doubles as an information point and box office for all Fringe shows. You can also buy tickets via the booking line: +44 (0)131 226 0000.

Free shows are typically non-ticketed,  you can just rock up and pop some cash in their bucket at the end. Comics are increasingly providing card readers these days too so you can give a contactless donation, kiboshing your own excuse, tightwad.

There is no obligation to pay for a free show, but, if you can, chuck some cash in (“not tipping can cause erectile dsyfunction”, one Fringe comic told us). Even free shows get busy, especially at weekends, so arrive early to guarantee a seat. 

If your show is listed as “Pay What You Want”, you can either count it as a free show and try your luck on the door, or buy a ticket at the box office to guarantee a seat – useful if the show regularly sells out.

“Sold out” boards outside the bigger venues highlight the most popular shows, so book ahead where possible, else check the box office for returns (released about 10 minutes prior to show time).

How much do Fringe tickets cost?

Ticket prices start from nothing and go up to around £35. Most shows cost £7-10.

2-for-1 tickets, voucher codes and the Half Price Hut

Looking to score discounted Edinburgh Fringe tickets? A swift Google will reveal a number of discount codes but there are better ways of snagging a super saving. 

The Half Price Hut

Located at the Fringe Box Office, just look for the Black Friday-style catfights, the Half Price Hut has thousands of half price tickets on sale each day.

Preview shows

Shoved right at the start of August, often before the festival starts officially, preview shows can be a good way of getting some money off big-name performers before they really hit their stride.

2-for-1 tickets

Exactly as the name suggests, some performers run buy one, get one free deals. Use the “Special Pricing” filter on the website to see who’s offering these deals.

Group discounts and family tickets

If you’re in a group of 10 or more, you can often get a 10% discount on shows. Confirm via the Box Office before you book. Family tickets (two adults and two children; or one adult and three under 18s) are available too and can shave a little off the ticket price.

Concessions

Students, customers with disabilities, OAPs (65+) and under 18s can all receive money off tickets. ID is required.

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Where should I stay during the Fringe?

If you want to hear the chuckles from your window, stay around the Old Town near Grassmarket. The New Town and Holyrood are both walkable too, else you could make you way out to Leith (a short bus ride away) if you wish to pay a little less.

However, unless you’ve magically gone back to the 1500s during the reign of Mary Queen of Scots to book a room, the chances of you finding a hotel with vacancies during August is slim – unless you’re being bankrolled by the royal family.

By June, around 85% of the accommodation in and around Edinburgh has all been snapped up, but there are some rooms available at the likes of Malmaison (£297 a night) and the Balmoral Hotel (£790 a night). Even the mid-range hotels like the Holiday Inn Express cost around £277 a night. Ouch.

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More affordable lodging options:

• Camping: Nab a pre-erected tent at the Royal Highland Centre. Prices start from £27 a night. You can bring your own tent to save some cash.
• University housing: Edinburgh University Halls Swot up with a stay in student accommodation – this is where many of the performers will bunk up.
• Glasgow: Only an hour by train, Scotland’s second city will have better value options if you don’t mind the journey in. 

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Where can I escape the madness?

We’re not going to lie: the Fringe can be full on. For a little peace and quiet, head to  The Meadows . This green expanse is one of Edinburgh’s best parks and is an oasis of calm compared to the city center (though there are some shows on the Fringes here too). 

If you’ve got the energy, the schlep up to  Arthur’s Seat feels like a world away with views right over the city and out to the coast. The  Botanical Gardens are another peaceful spot worth checking out and if the weather is warm, you may want to go to the sea at either Leith or Portobello Beach, one of the  best stretches of sand near the city.

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Where’s best to eat during the Fringe?

Street food stalls and pop-up bars spring up all over the city during the Fringe with clusters of huts found near the big venues in Bristo Square, George Square Gardens and along Charles Street. The Pleasance Courtyard is one of the best places to grab a drink and soak up the festival atmosphere.

Elsewhere, fill your belly at Mums , a greasy spoon that uses top-notch ingredients or wander out to trendy Timberyard – not far from Ulster Hall – a warehouse restaurant that does excellent fine dining like monkfish with wild sea kale, jersey royals potatoes and horseradish.

Provided you’re not hungover, the White Horse Oyster & Seafood Bar on the Royal Mile sells incredible seafood small plates, including a £2 happy hour on oysters. If you are hungover, we can recommend Ting Thai Caravan , Thai takeout served in what looks like a New York City loft. For something more hearty head to the Mosque Kitchen where you can get a giant portion of fragrant curry for less than a tenner. 

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And where should I drink?

For a quiet wine while you digest your intake of culture, Under the Stairs is a hidden bolthole in the city center. Don’t miss stopping by Panda and Sons in New Town either: you enter through the bookcase of a barber shop to reveal a speakeasy selling intriguing cocktails. 

If you really want to shake off the Fringe crowds, head down Leith Walk and make a beeline for Joseph Pearce’s for a sloe gin or  The Black Fox for craft beer and drool-inducing pizzas. For something more traditional, it’s hard to beat the low-raftered White Hart Inn along Grassmarket or party pub the Beehive Inn .

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This article was first published Jul 31, 2019 and updated Jul 21, 2022.

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Everything You Need to Know About the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

How to get tickets to edinburgh fringe, where to stay, and what to do in scotland’s charming capital city..

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Performers at the Fringe advertise their shows on the Royal Mile.

Photo by jan kranendonk/Shutterstock

Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, is one of the few cities in the United Kingdom left untouched by the bombs of World War II, making it a beautiful juxtaposition of medieval buildings and modern skyscrapers. At any time of the year in Edinburgh, you can visit Holyroodhouse , one of King Charles’ official residences, climb up the adjacent Arthur’s Seat for a view of the city’s skyline, and learn about the history of the Scottish people at the National Museum of Scotland . August features one of the city’s biggest events of the year, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, aka the Fringe . The schedule at the Fringe is jam-packed, so use this guide to plan and make the most of this unique event and your visit to Edinburgh.

What is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (which is also known as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) celebrates theater in all its forms, offering everything from one-person shows to fully staged classic musicals, from stand-up to opera to spoken word. Begun in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival , the Fringe was conceived as the casual cousin to that prestigious and expensive event. Many cities have Fringe festivals now, but Edinburgh’s was the first. It’s unjuried, meaning that anyone can participate as an artist. In 2023, the Fringe saw a record number of attendees , selling a cool 2.4 million tickets to more than 3,500 shows, with many venues presenting multiple shows throughout the day and into the night. Thousands of people flock to the city to perform, many hoping to be the next Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emma Thompson, Rachel Weisz, or one of the other celebrities who got their start at the Fringe.

Performances take place all over the city—visiting theater companies rent spaces from restaurants and churches, pubs and schools, or even perform outdoors—but the center of the Fringe is along High Street, particularly in front of St. Giles’ Cathedral on the Royal Mile (the Old Town’s main thoroughfare). The Fringe box office is nearby, and theater companies often perform short scenes in the pedestrian area throughout the day to try to draw in theatergoers.

There’s even a Fringe market, the West End Fair , that sells items like woven shawls, watercolor prints of Scotland, handcrafted beauty products, farmers’ produce, and locally made small-batch spirits .

A busy summer evening with crowds of tourists along the Royal Mile during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Photo by Stephen Bridger/Shutterstock

When is the Edinburgh Fringe Festival?

The Fringe takes place every August, running from the first Friday through the next 25 days of the month. In 2024, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival runs August 2 to 26. Plenty of artists arrive before the festival begins to rehearse, and lots stay to enjoy a break after a grueling three weeks of performing, so the feel of the Fringe starts and ends before the festival.

The Fringe now runs concurrently with the festival it was meant to be an alternative to, the Edinburgh International Festival. The Edinburgh International Book Festival also runs during the Fringe.

As you might imagine, the festival takes over Edinburgh, a city of about 500,000 people. The energy, and Fringe fanatics, are everywhere in the heart of the city, so there’s not much point in heading to the Royal Mile during the Fringe if you’re not excited about watching street performers (so many bagpipers!) and enjoying the inescapable cheerful buzz.

How to get tickets

Tickets are available online and, in 2024, were released in batches in February, April, May, and June. Many shows are free; most nonfree shows cost £5 to £15 (US$6.40–$19.20), and Edinburgh Fringe ticket prices top out around £20 (about US$25)—less than half (or even a third) the price of a ticket for most shows on London’s West End and New York City’s Broadway . Half-price tickets are available every day in the Half-Price Hut at the Fringe box office next to St. Giles’.

You can book tickets in person at a Fringe office location in Edinburgh as well, but we recommend checking the official Fringe program in advance. The program is the handbook for the Fringe, listing every single one of the thousands of official shows and performances. Note that not all shows run for the entire length of the festival.

Try to book at least one show at one of the “big four” venues—Assembly Hall, the Gilded Balloon, the Pleasance, or the Underbelly, all of which are within walking distance of each other. They’re the most famous and professional venues, although even there, shows change every 90 minutes or so, keeping the tech elements simple. For a change of pace, wander into a show that’s desperate for an audience; if nothing else, you’ll have a great story to tell. Don’t overbook yourself, though. One of the joys of the Fringe is stumbling upon a show, buying a last-minute ticket, and eventually bragging about seeing it years later.

Where to stay in Edinburgh during the Fringe

Space is at a premium during the Fringe. But the city is also determined to welcome and house as many people as possible. Most Fringe performers bunk in rented private houses or apartments, so hotel rooms are relatively easy to book, though prices are significantly higher than during the rest of summer. We recommend InterContinental Edinburgh The George , W Edinburgh , and Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel . You can also try Airbnb or the Fringe’s official accommodation partner, Edlets , which lists everything from simple double rooms to three-bedroom apartments.

The Fringe is a casual counterpart to the Edinburgh International Festival.

Photo by Ivica Drusany/Shutterstock

Other things to do while attending the Fringe

Many of Edinburgh’s tourist attractions are centrally located, so it’s easy to see the sights as well as attend shows. Because shows happen in so many venues, you could easily end up catching one very near the castles, the Scottish Parliament, Greyfriars Bobby , the Elephant House, the Princes Street Gardens , and Arthur’s Seat .

Keep in mind that Fringe shows run nearly all day and night. It’s perfectly possible to watch a show at 9 a.m., climb Arthur’s Seat for a lunchtime picnic, visit the Edinburgh Book Festival for a panel discussion in the afternoon, and attend another show in the evening. Bring your walking shoes, and plan to spend time wandering down the Royal Mile and through the city’s many lovely parks.

Where to go from Edinburgh

After the Fringe, consider combining your trip with a visit to Glasgow , Scotland’s other major city, which is only an hour’s high-speed train ride away. Or, up in the Scottish Highlands, two-and-a-half hours’ drive from Edinburgh, hike through Cairngorms National Park and see where The Crown was filmed at Balmoral Castle before spending the night with 14,000 works of art and a glass of whiskey at the Fife Arms.

This article was originally published in 2019 and was updated most recently on June 13, 2024, with current information.

A First-Timer’s Guide to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland

The month of August is like no other in  Edinburgh . Thousands of people descend upon Scotland’s capital to attend the largest arts festival in the world: The Fringe Festival . The city transforms into a whimsical fusion of street buskers, pop-up bars, food trucks, raucous nightlife, and an all-round, gigantic street party atmosphere.

This year’s Fringe Festival boasts over 3,000 shows across 294 venues throughout the city. Mainstream headliners, up-and-coming entertainers, and everyone in-between perform shows of every genre: comedy, dance, theatre, circus, live music, cabaret and musicals – to name a few. From the weird to the wacky, to the funny, touching, and downright bizarre, there are literally shows for anyone and everyone.

Between the crowds and the sheer number of things to see and do, August can be an overwhelming time in Edinburgh – but visiting the city during the Fringe Festival is an experience you don’t want to miss!

Fringe Basics

What is the Fringe Festival? 

Simply put, it’s the largest arts festival in the world , with over 50,000 performances of more than 3,000 shows held at 294 venues across the city over a three week period. The Fringe Fest is an open-access festival, which means anyone is eligible to register and perform.

When does it take place? 

Every year in August for three weeks – starting on the first Friday of the month, and ending on the last Monday.

This year, it runs from August 5th to the 29th.

Where are the venues? 

All over Edinburgh! There are literally hundreds of venues – everything from traditional theatres to university halls, pubs, churches and pop-up theatres. (Check out the venues map  here .)

Some of the larger venues and main hubs of activity include Assembly George Square Gardens, Pleasance Courtyard, Gilded Balloon, and Underbelly.

How much does it cost?

Most shows average between £8 and £15.

Choosing Shows

Deciding what to see can be one of the most difficult and overwhelming aspects of attending the Fringe, so consider the following tips to help narrow down your options.

• Check out major publications like  The Guardian ,  The Telegraph , and  Independent.co.uk  for reviews before the festival starts.
• Social media is a great way to see real-time reviews: search the #edfringe and #pickofthefringe hashtags to see what’s popular.
• Browse reviews from recent audience members on the Fringe Festival website when searching for shows.
• Fringe performers will often display previews of their shows on The Royal Mile and The Mound, so be sure to stroll around those areas to get a better idea of what’s on offer.
• Don’t ignore the people handing out flyers on the Royal Mile! Advertising in the Fringe Festival programme is very expensive, so many people will use street marketing as their main means of promotion.

Buying Tickets

The Fringe Festival Website.  The official Fringe website ( edfringe.com ) is the easiest and most convenient website for browsing shows and booking tickets. (An additional booking fee is charged when using this site.)

The Fringe Box Office.   This is the main box office, located on The Royal Mile (180 High Street). You can visit for general information about the festival, purchase and collect tickets, and buy Fringe souvenirs at this location.  

The Fringe App.  This app is perfect if you’re wanting to book tickets on the go, and to see a list of the shows on offer each day. You can also use the ‘nearby now’ feature to see what’s happening near your current location. (An additional booking fee is charged when booking through the app.)

Half Price Hut.  Visit the Half Price Hut on The Mound for discounted tickets to shows playing that day. The Hut is open for sales and ticket collections starting the second week of the Fringe.

Ticket Collection Points.  Tickets can also be purchased and/or collected from  Fringe collection points and a number of venues  across the city.

Stretch your budget

Take advantage of free shows.   PBH’s Free Fringe  has a programme filled entirely with free shows happening every day of the festival. Many venues, such as The Laughing Horse and Paradise Palms, host free shows frequently over the course of the month.

Cheap eats. Pop-up food stalls and trucks can be found all over the city – especially in George Square Gardens, St Andrew Square, and along The Royal Mile – and it’s easy to grab inexpensive street food from these vendors. 

Other budget-friendly restaurants in Old Town include Oink (£4 pulled pork rolls), Piemaker (savoury pies starting around £2), Mosque Kitchen (cheap, authentic Indian food), and The Baked Potato Shop (massive baked potatoes topping with an array of fillings).

Discounted shows.  Weekday shows tend to be a bit cheaper than shows on the weekend, and 2-for-1 tickets are often available throughout the first week of the festival. Preview shows are also offered a day or two before the festival officially starts, and they can be up to 50% cheaper.

A few Fringe survival tips

Be prepared for all weather conditions. Despite the fact that the Fringe Fest is held at the height of summer, the weather can be unpredictable, and it’s not uncommon to experience the equivalent of all four seasons within a span of 24 hours !

Book accommodations in advance. Accommodations sell-out quickly in August, and the prices skyrocket during this time. Book as far in advance as possible, and consider alternative accommodation options, such as camping at The Royal Highland Centre, Homestay, Couchsurfing, and  student dormitories .

Know where to go to escape the madness.  If you need a bit of peace and quiet during the Fringe, head to some  off-the-beaten-path spots  in city, like Portobello Beach or Blackford Hill.

Are you heading to the Fringe Festival this year? What tips would you add for Fringe first-timer’s?

What a great and helpful post! 🙂 I grew up performing and it’s always been my dream to go to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. I’ve not gone yet, but maybe I will next. I’ll definitely be saving this post for whenever I do end up going. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

You’re welcome, Ella! I hope you do make it to the Fringe Festival soon! It’s such a fantastic event 🙂

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Finding the Universe

Travel tales, photography and a dash of humor

Edinburgh Fringe: Guide to Attending the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024

Last updated: January 1, 2024 . Written by Laurence Norah - 4 Comments

Edinburgh is famous for its festivals, with perhaps the most famous of all of them being the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This is also referred to as the Fringe Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe, or just simply as The Fringe.

It may also be referred to as just the Edinburgh Festival, but given that Edinburgh has 11 official festivals each year, including the Fringe, that title is inaccurate. Its official title is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Anyway, title aside, the Edinburgh Fringe is a major festival which takes place every August in Edinburgh. It’s by far the biggest event the city sees each year, with millions of people flocking to the city to either watch the shows, or take part and host their own performances.

We lived in Edinburgh for a number of years, and always made time to take in some of the shows at the festival. We’ve also attended all the other festivals that take place in the city throughout the year, including Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and the Science festival .

With this in mind, we wanted to share a guide to help you plan your own visit to Edinburgh to see the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We’re going to share everything we think you need to know, from finding out what’s on to booking your accommodation.

As always, we’re also open to your suggestions, questions and feedback, and you can use the comments section at the end of the post for those. Let’s get started.

Table of Contents:

What is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. During the festival, which usually runs for just over three weeks, there are thousands of shows held across hundreds of venues in Edinburgh.

The Fringe festival started in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF). The EIF is also a performing arts festival, however, it has a more formal curation process. To appear at the EIF, acts have to be invited to perform.

In 1947, in a sort of protest about this invitation only process, a number of performance groups turned up in Edinburgh and hosted their own shows on the “fringe” of the EIF. By 1958, the Fringe festival had grown a great deal, and the Festival Fringe Society was born.

Today, the Edinburgh Fringe is significantly larger in terms of performances than the Edinburgh International Festival, and in fact, any other festival in Edinburgh.

This is down in large part to the fact that the Edinburgh Fringe is an open access festival. This means absolutely anyone can perform any kind of show. There is no curation or selection process.

As you might imagine, this means the quality can definitely be variable – this is part of the fun!

Historically there has been a bit of rivalry between the two festivals, however, this is less the case these days. Both festivals take place at the same time, and we definitely suggest it is worth attending performances at both of these festivals during your time in Edinburgh.

When is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024?

In 2024 the Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs from the 2nd of August to the 26th August.

These dates vary slightly each year, but the festival is always held for just over three weeks in August, usually to include four weekends, starting on a Friday and ending on a Monday.

For example, in past years, dates have been:

• 2019 : Friday August 2nd – Monday August 26th
• 2020: Cancelled, but originally scheduled for Friday August 7th – Monday August 31st
• 2021 : Friday August 6th – Monday August 30th
• 2022 : Friday August 5th – Monday August 29th
• 2023: Friday August 4th – Monday August 28th

As you can see, the festival generally starts on the first Friday of August, and runs for four weekends, ending on the Monday after the fourth weekend.

What happens at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has a lot going on. In 2018 for example, the festival was host to 3,548 shows, which had a total of 55,000 performances across 317 venues.

Performers include a huge range of talent, from well-known names to unknown acts.

What is perhaps most fascinating about the Fringe, and essentially its guiding principle, is that it is an open access festival. This means there is no vetting process or oversight by the Fringe organisers as to the performers.

The role of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival organization is primarily logistical – they help ensure there are event spaces, programs, ticketing services, and information available to both performers and attendees. They also market the festival, running the official social media channels and so on.

In terms of what shows to expect, the Fringe is best known for the comedy acts. This is the largest type of show on offer, with around a third of Fringe performances being categorized as comedy.

However, as a performing arts festival with an open access policy there is no restriction on the type of act allowed. So, you can expect everything from theatre, to classical music, to circus shows, to cabaret, opera – the list goes on!

When we’ve visited, we’ve seen everything from stand-up comedy through to theatre, street performers to cabaret. We’ve watched a lady roll around on eggs and people swallowing swords.

There really is something for everyone at the Fringe.

Can I Take Part in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

You absolutely can take part as a performer in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – it’s open access, so it’s open to anyone.

If you want to host your own show, you just have to go through the registration process. This includes steps like finding a venue and making some key decisions such as whether it will be a free show or a paid show.

This process is outlined in detail with a series of excellent resources on the official site here .

If that sounds like too much work, many of the shows involve audience participation, which is an easier way to get involved in a Fringe show without actually doing any work!

Where Does the Edinburgh Fringe Actually Take Place?

There are over 300 venues which are registered as official Fringe venues. These cover a huge range of locations, from street corners through to pubs and cafes, and then on to the larger capacity locations which have more traditional theatre like layouts.

Each venue can contain multiple performance spaces, so in total there are actually well over a thousand performance locations where you can watch Fringe shows.

In the history of the Fringe, there have been some truly unique venue locations, including on the back of a motorbike, portable toilets, a taxi – the list goes on.

For the most part though, venues are individual locations. The way it works in terms of who performs where is that performers have to apply to each venue they want to perform at.

Some venues specialize in different types of shows or genres, and those that are closer to the city centre are often more appealing to acts.

If you are thinking of hosting your own venue, you can read how to do that on the official website here .

There are also four larger venue operators, which are Assembly , Gilded Balloon , The Pleasance and Underbelly . These each have their own central hub location which generally has multiple performance spaces, often across more than one site. They also operate popup bars and eateries during the festival.

In between the small venues and the large venue operators, there are also mid-size operators like theSpaceUK , Summerhall , and C venues .

Finally, there are also the street performers, who are primarily found on the Royal Mile – stretches of which become pedestrian only during the Fringe.

Basically, in August, it’s hard to go a few meters in Edinburgh without finding a Fringe venue with a performance happening. This is both exciting, and kind of overwhelming. Which brings us to our next question.

How Do I Find the Must See Shows of the Fringe?

This is the big question for everyone coming to Edinburgh. Which Fringe show is worth going to?

To be honest, there is no easy answer to this question. Everyone wants to see the next big thing, or the best show of the festival. And with over 3,000 shows to consider, the task of finding the “best” show is fairly monumentous.

Here are some options to help you find shows which should get you started.

Tip 1 – Use the Edinburgh Fringe Resources

The first place to look for Fringe shows is the official Edinburgh Fringe website , which is usually where shows are first announced.

They have a tool on the site where you can see all the shows that have been announced, plus you can filter by different types of show, save shows to your favourites, and create your own Fringe event calendar to keep on top of everything.

Obviously you can also book tickets for shows here too – see more on tickets in the next section. For exclusive news and information, you might also want to become a Friend of the Fringe . Prices for this start at £32 a year, and you get a range of benefits including an exclusive box office, exclusive offers, and access to special Friends of the Fringe only tickets.

Tip 2 – Read the local news sites

The majority of Edinburgh’s local newspapers and news and arts websites have extensive coverage of the Fringe shows, both during the Fringe, and also in the run up to it.

Popular shows that are announced for the Fringe are often mentioned on these resources in the months leading up to the Fringe, including predictions for the shows not to miss.

Some sites we recommend you check out include Edinburgh Live , The Scotsman , the Edinburgh Festival section of The List , the Edinburgh Reporter , the Edinburgh Theatre News section of WhatsOnStage and the EdinburghGuide .

National newspapers and listings sites also often have news on the bigger shows, as well as coverage during the Fringe. Some to check out include the Times , the Guardian and Beyond the Joke .

Of course, once a show hits national newspapers the tickets are likely to go very quickly, so if you see something you like the look of and tickets are available, we recommend getting them as soon as you can.

Tip 3- Look out for the previews

Many of the larger venues, and especially those in the Big Four (Assembly, Gilded Balloon, The Pleasance and Underbelly), host preview shows of their Fringe lineups.

These are a good way to get a taster for some of the shows on offer, and they tend to showcase some of their best acts. This is also a good way to see a number of shows to get an idea of what is out there, and usually tickets will be available for purchase after the preview from the on-site box offices as well.

Tip 4 – Look for the returning shows

Whilst many acts at the Fringe are one off performances, there are also many performers who come back to the Fringe for a second year (or for many more years!).

These acts are tried and tested and you are pretty much assured that the quality will be good. If an act is returning for a second year, it’s normally a sign that it did well in its first year. Plus you can read reviews from the previous year to see if it is going to be for you.

The acts that come back year after year are often well known and popular, so these are often a safe bet.

Tip 5 – Get on Social Media

During the festival one of the best ways to keep on top of what’s hot is by keeping an eye on social media. If people see a great show (or, conversely, a not so great show), they are likely to be quite vocal about it on social media.

Twitter is probably the best place to start, just keep an eye on tweets using the hashtag #edfringe , as well as #Edinburgh in general. We can also suggest following the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe twitter account, as well as the This is Edinburgh twitter account.

Other social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook can also be useful, but as posts are not always public or searchable, we think Twitter is the best option.

Tip 6 – Check out the Big Four

The four major venues that we mentioned already tend to be popular venues for performers to want to try and play at. This means the vetting process can be more strict, and there is a good chance that these will be quality acts.

Often a fair bit of advertising is spent on these larger performance venues, so from a business perspective, they obviously want to recoup this cost with shows that audiences will want to see.

Of course, this isn’t a guarantee!

Free shows can be more of a gamble than paid ones hosted at big venues, but it is perhaps more satisfying to discover a hidden gem in some pub basement or street corner.

Tip 7 – Wander the Royal Mile

During the Fringe festival, the streets become filled with performers touting the virtues of their upcoming show.

This is largely concentrated around the Royal Mile, Cowgate, and St. Bristo Square areas of the city, but to be honest, you won’t get far through the main streets of Edinburgh in August before someone earnestly tries to press a flyer into your hand.

When you first arrive in the city, you will undoubtedly accept these with nary a care in the world. However, as you hold your flyer, you will become a magnet for other performers. Soon, you will be weighed down by a mass of flyers, for a range of shows you won’t possibly be able to attend.

To protect your sanity, and the environment, we suggest trying to be judicious over your flyer selection.

Instead of just accepting the flyer and walking on, if it’s a show you think you’ll be interested in, chat to the people handing them out and find out a bit about it. Consider taking a photo of the flyer instead of adding to your swelling pockets.

We have seen some of our favourite shows of the Fringe from random encounters on the Royal Mile, but we’ve also seen some of the worst shows via this somewhat haphazard approach.

You’re also going to see posters absolutely everywhere, and hey, if you can judge the quality of a wine by its label, surely you can have a go at judging an act by its poster? And if not, at least it will give you some clues as to the performance, as well as a general idea of what is on!

Tip 8 – Don’t worry about it

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a real problem in Edinburgh in August. Our suggestion, if you can manage it, is to try not to succumb to it. Try to go to a wide variety of shows, including free and paid, those you have heard about and those you haven’t, and that cover a variety of performance types.

Some of our most memorable Fringe experiences were at the shows we’d never heard of, and the ones we seem to talk about the most were actually the worst. People love to talk about the terrible shows they’ve seen (just listen to strangers talking on the Royal Mile for a few minutes, it’s bound to come up).

So just embrace the festival, have a good time, see as much as you want to, and enjoy the experience. That’s what it’s all about!

Do I Need Tickets for Shows at the Fringe Festival?

The answer to this is that it very much depends on the show and the venue, although in general the answer is yes.

There are three main models for show tickets at the Fringe.

First, the traditional model that you are likely familiar with, where shows are ticketed with pre-paid tickets at a fixed price.

Second, free shows. These are either ticketed or unticketed, and usually give the audience the option to pay a donation at the end. This usually involves a hat (or similar) being passed around after the show for you to donate. A good place to find free shows is the Free Edinburgh Fringe website .

Finally, shows may operate a sort of hybrid model, where they’ll have an option to buy a ticket in advance and guarantee entry (and maybe even a seat), plus have a pay what you want component.

Note that generally the street performances don’t require a ticket. However they will normally operate a pay what you want system, usually in the form of a hat that is passed around after the performance for donations.

Generally it is polite (and also expected) that you will provide a donation if you are attending a free performance of some sort. There’s no minimum – everything is appreciated!

Where Do I Buy Tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe?

There are a number of options for buying tickets for shows at the Fringe, which will depend on the show you want to see and the venue where it is being hosted.

For advance tickets, the first place to look is generally the official Edinburgh Fringe box office website .

Shows start to become available for booking on the website from January onwards for the festival that year, and as the festival dates gets closer more and more shows will be available to be booked. Note that not every show will have early ticket purchase available.

If you have chosen to become a Friend of the Fringe you will also have exclusive access to a Friends of the Fringe Box Office as well as the opportunity for discounted and early access tickets.

The full Fringe program usually launches in early June.

This is the date when all the ticketable shows will be available to book, and from that point on you will be able to book all shows as follows:

• on the Edinburgh Fringe box office website
• by phone (+44 (0)131 226 0000)
• in person at the Fringe Office, which is at 180 High Street, Edinburgh.

It is a requirement that any performer at the Fringe has to make at least 25% of their ticket sales available for booking through the Fringe Box Office. This is also usually the best way to get early tickets for shows you really want to go to, although not every performer will opt in to have their shows on early release.

During the Fringe, you will also be able to use the Edinburgh Fringe app, (available for both Apple and Android devices), which should help you book tickets on the go. Just be aware that in Edinburgh in August there are a lot of people around, and mobile data speeds can suffer as a result

For cheaper tickets, another option during the festival is the Virgin Money Half Price Hut, which offers half price tickets throughout the festival, and can be found on the Mound Precinct.

Do also keep an eye on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe website and social media feeds, as discounted show offers and 2 for 1 deals do pop up from time to time.

As well as the official Fringe website, many of the venues operate their own ticket booking system. Some of these offer online ticket sales, as well as an in person box office or on the door sales.

If you know a certain performer is going to be at a particular venue, it’s always a good idea to check the venue website for ticketing purchase information.

Because the allocation of tickets often comes out of different pools of availability, if a show is showing as sold out on the Edinburgh Fringe Box Office, tickets might still be available through the venue, or vice versa. Some tickets may also be reserved for folks who turn up at the door. It’s always worth contacting the venue to find out before giving up hope!

How to Get Your Edinburgh Fringe Tickets

If you buy your tickets in advance rather than in person (recommended if it’s something you really want to see), then you need to get them somehow. You have a few options, depending on where you buy your tickets from and how far in advance you buy them.

If you buy your tickets from the official Edinburgh Box Office, you have the following options:

• Have tickets posted to you . If you buy your tickets well in advance of the Fringe, you can opt to have them posted to you for a small additional fee. Tickets are usually posted in June.
• Collect them in person.  You can book your tickets in advance via the website and opt to collect them yourself. There are many locations you can collect tickets from, and you’ll need to bring a copy of your payment confirmation or the payment card used for booking. Note that usually you can’t collect pre-booked tickets from the venue, only from the official collection points (full list on the website here ).

If you buy your ticket using the official app, currently these have to be picked up in person. The app is designed to make it easier during the festival to find and book tickets, but they still need to be picked up in person from an official collection point.

Due to the vast range of venues taking part in the Fringe, and the complexities involved with ticket verification systems and the technology required to implement a paperless system, currently there is no paperless system or print at home solution.

However, the Edinburgh Fringe has committed to a moving towards dramatically reducing the paper used by the festival. You can read about this, and other future plans for the festival, in the Fringe Blueprint document .

If you buy your tickets by other means, such as from a specific venue, then they will have their own process. Many offer the option for posting tickets, or you can opt to pick up your tickets directly at the venue box office.

For collection purposes it’s really important to keep track of where you booked tickets (directly with the venue or via the Fringe Box Office), because this will dictate where you pick those tickets up if you opt to collect them in person.

Is The Fringe Accessible?

Great efforts have been made over the years to make the Fringe more accessible, including improving wheelchair accessibility, adding closed captioning services and providing sign language interpreters.

As you might imagine though, given the wide range of venues and huge number of shows, accessibility is not universal, and really comes down to each venue to implement.

The best resource if you are looking for accessible shows is the Fringe box office website, which allows you to filter shows by accessibility (e.g., wheelchair accessible venues, captioned performances, signed performances), and to see what is available.

The Edinburgh Fringe Box Office has a whole section of their website dedicated to accessibility for the festival, as well as a special staff in place to help with specific information, from helping arrange extra assistance to providing personal assistance tickets.

This would be our recommended first port of call for accessibility information for the festival.

What Other Festivals Take Place in Edinburgh in August?

Many folks who come to Edinburgh for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August aren’t always aware that Edinburgh is actually home to no less than five festivals during the month of August.

As well as the Fringe, the other four festivals are as follows, in order of when they start in 2024:

• Edinburgh International Festival . The original performing arts festival, which has shows at six major venues and a range of smaller venues across the city. Expect everything from opera to dance to classical theatre and music. Same dates as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
• Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo . The most watched of the Edinburgh Festivals, with a televised audience in excess of 100 million people. Features military marching bands and performances against the stunning backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. Unmissable.
• Edinburgh Art Festival . A month-long festival across a range of museums, art galleries and pop-up spaces. Focuses on promoting a wide variety of art related shows, including performances and installations across a wide variety of mediums.
• Edinburgh International Book Festival . If you want to get away from the madness of the Fringe, we can highly recommend the book festival. Found in peaceful Charlotte Square Gardens in a specially created tent village, this is the place to come to grab a book and relax in a deckchair in the sun.

We have a complete guide to all the August Edinburgh Festivals to help you with planning your Edinburgh Festival experience.

Where to Stay for the Edinburgh Fringe?

The good news is that Edinburgh has a wide range of accommodation options, from hostels through to luxury hotels, and everything in between. There are also numerous apartments available for short term rental.

The bad news is that even with all these options, Edinburgh still fills to capacity during the August festivals, with the city hovering around 97% occupancy throughout August.

For this reason, if you are planning on visiting Edinburgh during the Fringe, we highly recommend you book as far in advance as possible so as to secure your preferred accommodation. Note that prices are usually higher in August due to increased demand.

Here are some options to consider for your stay in Edinburgh, which we have ordered by budget from least expensive to more expensive. These include some of our favourite places to stay in the city.

• Castle Rock Hostel – This is a large and well-rated hostel with a castle theme, offering both dormitory and private rooms. It’s adults only, and has one of the best views of the castle of any hotel in the city. Five minutes walk from all the Fringe action.
• Royal Mile Backpackers – This is a centrally located hostel on the Royal Mile which offers dormitory style location in a great location, just moments from the Royal Mile
• Stay Central Hotel – This is a well rated budget hotel with rooms that can sleep between 2 and 9 people, making it ideal for a group on a budget.
• Elder York Guest House – If you’re looking for a budget – midrange B&B option, this is one of our favourites. Rooms are small but comfortable, and the breakfast is good. Note there are quite a lot of stairs and no elevator.
• Travelodge Edinburgh Central – Travelodge’s offer reliable good value accommodation across the UK, and this is a central option in Edinburgh at a good price
• Holiday Inn Express – A 3-star hotel offering well-priced rooms in the Old Town and is located near the Royal Mile.
• The Grassmarket Hotel – This is a 3-star hotel  found in the Grassmarket area, making it close to multiple Fringe venues.
• Leonardo Royal Hotel – A business focused 4* hotel in the Haymarket, about a 20 minute walk from the Royal Mile. We have stayed here and found rooms to be comfortable and the food was good.
• The Balmoral – One of the most well known landmarks in the city, and found right next to Edinburgh Waverley train station. This 5-star hotel offers a range of beautiful suites, including the one where JK Rowling famously completed the Harry Potter series.
• The Witchery – This boutique luxury hotel & restaurant is one of our favourite places to stay in Edinburgh. It only has a limited number of suites, all themed and decorated differently, and the restaurant is one of the best in the city. It’s also right next to Edinburgh Castle.

So that is a small selection of some of the options available. We recommend checking out the listings on booking.com for Edinburgh , which includes apartments , as well as the hostels on Hostelworld for Edinburgh .

We can also recommend apartment rentals as an option. You can see the Edinburgh listings on Plum Guide here , but do also see our list of rental websites in the UK here for more options.

If you can’t find anywhere in the city centre, do consider looking a little further afield. There are a number of towns within a 30 – 45 minute bus ride of the city which also have accommodation. Another option is to look at options in Glasgow, which is less than an hour away by train and bus.

Tips for Attending the Edinburgh Fringe

Having attended a number of Fringe Festival events during our time in Edinburgh, we wanted to share some quick tips to help you get the most out of your visit, however long you are coming to Edinburgh for.

Dress for Any Weather

Edinburgh does not have what could be called a reliable weather pattern. Well, it’s reliable in that it’s reliably unpredictable.

In August in Edinburgh we’ve experienced everything from sticky 30C /86F temperatures to far cooler days where the temperatures barely crawls into the low teens C (low fifties F).

Rain is a possibility at any time of year, with August being no exception.

The good news is that the weather never seems to last very long. If it rains in the morning, it can be sunny in the afternoon.

Of course, this all makes it somewhat challenging in terms of what to pack and wear. The key is lightweight layers that you can remove and carry easily, plus something to keep you warm if the temperature drops. We can also suggest either a light raincoat or a travel umbrella.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

Edinburgh is a wonderfully walkable city, and you are likely going to be spending a lot of time on foot during the Fringe. With that in mind, you are going to want to wear some comfortable shoes. Check out our guide to the best travel shoes for men to get you started (ladies version coming soon!).

Photography and Video

For the vast majority of shows, photography and video is not permitted. In our experience, only the street performances really allow for photography. Most of the indoor shots in this post are from press events we have attended where we had specific permission to take photos of the performers.

Overall, unless it is explicitly allowed, we’d suggest you avoid taking video or photos at the venues as you may be asked to leave.

Don’t forget your tickets!

A great many of the Fringe shows require tickets, so it is really important that you have your ticket in advance of the performance.

If you opt to pick up your tickets, make sure to leave plenty of time prior to the show to do that, and identify where you’ll be picking your tickets from.

If you’re having your tickets delivered by post, make sure to leave plenty of time for them to arrive before you come to Edinburgh.

Go with the Flow

There are two reasons for this tip. The first is that Edinburgh gets mind bogglingly busy in August, meaning the streets are crowded, the pavements are slow moving, and it’s going to take you longer to get anywhere.

So our suggestion is to just relax, accept this as a fact, and allow extra time in your itinerary for getting between venues.

The other reason for this tip is to not worry about overplanning and seeing everything, or missing the hottest acts that everyone on Twitter is going nuts for. It is a fact of the festival that you won’t be able to see everything, and you will undoubtedly miss some cool stuff.

But you will also have an experience that is unique to you, see some fantastic shows, and have a great time. So focus on that, and let the fear of missing out just wash away.

Do your research and planning

As you are reading this post, and have gotten all the way down here, I would say that you are already on top of this tip.

It is important to do at least some research and planning for your trip to get the most out it. Certainly, you’ll want to book your accommodation well in advance, as already suggested. You might also want to look at a street map of Edinburgh if you haven’t visited before, to get an idea of the layout.

We’d also advise booking at least one or two shows in advance so you have something planned out, but also to leave plenty of space that you can fill with discoveries as you go.

The unheard of shows that you discover can often turn out to be the best Fringe experiences, and you don’t want to overfill your calendar to the point you can’t see any!

Don’t forget to see Edinburgh and Scotland!

With all the excitement of the Fringe, don’t forget to spend a bit of time sightseeing in Edinburgh. There’s a great deal to see in the city, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. See our guide to things to do in Edinburgh to get you started, as well as some of our resources at the end of the post.

If you want to escape the crowds, you might consider planning a break in your time in Edinburgh to catch your breath. Between the busy nature of the Fringe and the crowds at the attractions, a trip out into beautiful Scotland might be just the ticket.

We’ve taken multiple day trips from Edinburgh , including trips to the Scottish Borders and a tour of a number of Whisky distilleries . We also explored Outlander Filming locations and many more sights.

We nearly always use and can highly recommend Rabbie’s Tours for day trips from Edinburgh. They offer small group tours to all the major sights in Scotland, with knowledgeable drivers and comfortable vehicles.

Further Reading

Hopefully this guide to attending the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August has answered many of your questions about this wonderful event. As always, we’re happy to answer your questions and take feedback in the comments below.

We also have some more resources that we think will help you plan your trip to Edinburgh more effectively, based on our years living in the city. Here are some that we think are most relevant.

• First of all, since you’re visiting Edinburgh in August, check out our guide to all the August festivals in Edinburgh
• If you’re new to Edinburgh, or just want to take in some sights in between events, take a look at our detailed guide to  things to do in Edinburgh , as well as our tips for  getting off the beaten path in Edinburgh
• Harry Potter fans will want to take a look at our Guide to the Best Edinburgh Harry Potter locations , as well as Harry Potter filming locations in Scotland
• Want to head out of the city for a day? How about a trip to the Scottish Borders or a tour of some Whisky distilleries ? Get more ideas in our complete guide to the best day trips from Edinburgh .
• If you want to explore more of Scotland in general, we also have guides to  what to do in Aberdeen ,  what to do in Glasgow , a  guide to the Black Isle , suggested  day trips from Inverness , our guide to the  best day trips from Glasgow  and lots more  Scotland  content to keep you going for a while!
• Want to see some of Scotland’s most remote and stunning scenery? Check out our guides to driving Scotland’s epic North Coast 500 , or the North East 250 – two beautiful driving routes.
• For budget planning, see our guide to  how much it costs to travel in the UK
• And finally, if you want a guidebook to bring along with you, check out the  Lonely Planet Pocket Edinburgh Guide  or the  Rick Steves Snapshot Edinburgh Guide .

And that’s it for our guide to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe! Have you been, or is a visit to the Fringe on your to-do list? Let us know in the comments below.

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There are 4 comments on this post

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Nicole says

2nd July 2022 at 2:52 pm

We planned our trip to Edinburgh before we were aware of The Fringe festival. We will be traveling with small children, and are just wanting to see some of the sights around Edinburgh. Is it small kid friendly? Would it be more advisable to travel farther out?

Laurence Norah says

2nd July 2022 at 3:33 pm

So the main difference when visiting during the Fringe is that everywhere is just going to be a lot busier. Expect crowds of people all around. However, it is certainly kid friendly, and many of the shows are family friendly for sure. You will just have to keep a close eye on your kids as you would in any crowded place, and expect it to take a bit longer to get from place to place. Dining out and attractions are also liable to be busier at this time.

Have a great time in Edinburgh 🙂

Stella Wiseman says

27th August 2019 at 1:24 am

Hello Laurence & Jessica,

Due to some bad planning on our part we are missing out on the Fringe for this year as we going to be in Edinburgh this weekend (Fringe ended today I believe….). We are wondering if there will be post Fringe events or other festival events happening this weekend in the city? Any recommendations for shows, events, festivals, comedy shows that we might do or see would be great. We are a couple in our mid-30’s and will not have a car so travelling by train and public transportation.

Appreciate your help very much! Stella

27th August 2019 at 7:54 pm

So there are actually five festivals in Edinburgh in August – you can see them all here: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/visiting-edinburgh-for-august-festivals/

The two that are still on when you visit are the Edinburgh International Festival (finishes on the 31st) and the Edinburgh Art Festival (finishes on the 30th). So if you check out the websites for those two you should be able to find something fun to do!

Enjoy your time in the city!

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Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024: your ultimate guide

The Fringe is upon us once again: here’s our guide to the world’s biggest arts festival

What is the Edinburgh Fringe?

Its full name is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, ie it was conceived as a fringe event to the Edinburgh Festival, aka the Edinburgh International Festival. Both events began life in 1947: the big, government-funded EIF was staging its first edition, and eight theatre companies rocked up into town to capitalise on its presence. The EIF still exists in loosely the same form as it did 77 years ago, but the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – usually just called ‘the Fringe’ – has become much bigger and isn’t really the fringe to anything , with thousands of shows all over the Scottish city each year. While theatre remains a vital component of the Fringe, it’s probably best known for stand-up comedy these days.

When is the Edinburgh Fringe?

The Fringe always officially runs for three weeks, ending with the August bank holiday weekend. Its official dates for 2024 are  August 2 to 26.

Where is the Edinburgh Fringe?

It’s in… Edinburgh, duh. Oh, you want specifics ? It takes place at a huge number of venues, ranging from a sprawling former medical school ( Summerhall ) to a student’s union (Pleasance Dome) to innumerable smaller bars. They are generally concentrated within a fairly small area, though, and the majority of venues are within a 15-minute walk of each other.

How much does it cost?

It varies significantly, but generally tickets top out around £20, with most considerably cheaper (think £12-£15). Seating is also almost never reserved, so you can get the best seats in the house by queuing promptly before a performance. The Fringe has undeniably become a lot more expensive than it used to be, which has led to the rise of the Free Fringe, a largely comedy-based festival-within-a-festival where the shows are indeed free (though you’re encouraged to tip at the end).

The cost of temporary accommodation in Edinburgh has rocketed in recent years and is liable to be your biggest expense: there’s no easy solution, but here are our top tips on booking affordable accommodation . 

Why should I go?

To have a good time! As the biggest arts festival in the world there is an endless variety of theatre, comedy and more on display, and while there are big names, it’s also a place where legends are made – the likes of Tom Stoppard, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and endless top comedians have sealed their reputations via buzzy Edinburgh runs.

How do I buy tickets?

There is a centralised ticketing system and so you can buy everything via the official Edinburgh Fringe website . Many of the venues will also have their own websites where you can buy a ticket. And all venues are heavily manned by box office staff throughout the day if you want to buy walk-up tickets (which many people do).

Are there any other festivals I can catch in Edinburgh at the same time?

Yes: a lot . As well as the aforementioned Edinburgh International Festival , there’s the hugely popular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo , which is essentially a series of fancy military parades, plus the Edinburgh International Film Festival . You can also enjoy the Edinburgh Art Festival  and the Edinburgh International Book Festival .

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Top 14 Things to Do in Edinburgh

There are plenty of exciting things to do in Edinburgh, from stunning architecture and endless winding streets to an awe-inspiring castle perched on a dormant volcano. By day you can admire artworks in galleries and treasured wonders in museums, and by night you can enjoy tours, musical and theatre performances, or find your favourite dram in a charming whisky pub.

Explore Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle and city

Perched atop Castle Rock overlooking the city, this should be a must-see on your list of places to visit in Edinburgh. Edinburgh Castle houses important Scottish artefacts, such as the Honours of Scotland -  which are the oldest crown jewels in the UK - and The Stone of Destiny, an ancient symbol of the Scottish monarchy. Explore the vast castle grounds, take a guided tour with a castle steward, or listen to the audio guide, which is available in eight languages.

Top tip: Tickets often sell out quickly, especially during the summer months. Make sure to book early to avoid disappointment! Listen out for the firing of the One O'Clock Gun from the castle grounds, which can be heard daily (except on Sundays). Ships in the Firth of Forth once set their maritime clocks according to the sound of the shot.

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Discover the treasures of the National Museum of Scotland Edinburgh

The National Museum of Scotland

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Scotland is known for having unpredictable weather, and if you happen to get caught in the rain you might be wondering what to do in Edinburgh. Visit the National Museum of Scotland, one of the best indoor attractions in Edinburgh - and entry is free! With over 20,000 unique artefacts to see, there's something for everyone and fun for all the family. Spend the day learning about the catacombs of Egypt, the wonders of nature and even modern-day technology.

Top tip: If the sun makes an appearance, head up to the rooftop terrace to enjoy amazing views of Edinburgh.

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Climb Arthur's Seat and stroll through Holyrood Park Edinburgh

Friends on Salisbury Crags in Edinburgh

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Perhaps one of the most iconic places to go in Edinburgh is Arthur's Seat, located within Holyrood Park. This ancient volcano sits 251m above sea level and offers 360-degree views of Edinburgh and the Lothians. You can see the medieval remains of St Anthony's Chapel or feed the ducks and swans on Duddingston Loch. There's an array of paths and trails to follow, suitable for all, including the trail to St Margaret's Loch which is both wheelchair and buggy accessible.

Top tip: Climbing up to the top of this dormant volcano is hungry work! Why not pack a picnic and enjoy it from the best 'seat' in Edinburgh?

Be amazed at Camera Obscura and World of Illusions Edinburgh

Camera Obscura and World of Illusions

This top attraction in Edinburgh is fun for all the family - we dare you not to be amazed, whatever your age. There are five floors of interactive curiosities and illusions to explore, so lose yourself in the puzzling mirror maze or try to keep your balance in the exhilarating Vortex Tunnel.

Top tip: Be sure to get an allocated show time so you don't miss out on seeing the 169-year-old Camera Obscura in action. This Victorian spectacle is a truly unique way to see Edinburgh and takes sightseeing to the next level. 

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Ascend Calton Hill to the National Monument Edinburgh

The Edinburgh skyline viewed from Calton Hill

For outstanding views, get up early and climb to the top of Calton Hill to enjoy the sunrise over the city. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to a collection of historic monuments, most notably the National Monument, which was inspired by the Parthenon in Athens.

Top tip: Thinking of staying in Scotland this New Year's Eve? One of the best things to do in Edinburgh at night on Hogmanay is to climb Calton Hill and enjoy the annual firework display above the castle. Many festivals in Edinburgh, such as the Celtic Beltane Fire Festival, are also celebrated here.

Explore the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Edinburgh

The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

A trip to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art won't leave you disappointed - whether you're an art lover or not. Comprising two impressive buildings, this top Edinburgh attraction contains masterpieces from the 1900s to present day. Admire art by Matisse, Picasso and Emin, as well as Scottish contemporaries. The landscaped grounds of the galleries feature sculptures by Tony Cragg and Barbara Hepworth, amongst others.

Top tip: After enjoying coffee and a slice of cake in the gallery's cafe, don't miss the recreation of Scottish artist Eduardo Paolozzi's original studio in Modern Two.

Taste the finest drams at Johnnie Walker Princes Street Edinburgh

Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh

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The flagship Johnnie Walker Princes Street is spread across eight floors and is the capital's newest hotspot, perfect for whisky lovers and novices alike. Complete with dining experiences, bars and a whisky retail area, book your personalised whisky experience where you can explore the flavours of Scotland. 

Top tip: Enjoy world-class cocktails and incredible views of the Edinburgh skyline at the 1820 rooftop bar.

Stroll through Lauriston Castle and Gardens Edinburgh & The Lothians

Lauriston Castle and Gardens

There are plenty of attractions around Edinburgh away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. Lauriston Castle and Gardens is the perfect place to go for anyone visiting Edinburgh looking for a piece of Scottish history, as well as peace and quiet. Step back in time as you explore the castle's impressive Edwardian interiors, and don't miss the daily guided tour to learn more about its fascinating history.

Top tip: Enjoy the woodland walk that surrounds the castle, then retreat to the tranquil Japanese Garden, a true hidden gem in Edinburgh.

Brave the Edinburgh Dungeon Edinburgh - City Centre

Edinburgh Dungeon 2021

© Edinburgh Dungeon 2021

Looking for things to do in Edinburgh that are a little unusual? For a thrilling alternative adventure, visit The Edinburgh Dungeons, where you'll learn about the city's gruesome history. Walk the plague-ridden streets of 1645, evade the murderous duo Burke and Hare, and even face trial - good luck! With live actors, underground rides and special effects, you're guaranteed a 'spooktacular' time.

Top tip: The Edinburgh Dungeon often holds Dungeon Late events for adults, so if you're looking for things to do in Edinburgh at night, this could be it.

Launch into space at Dynamic Earth Edinburgh

Dynamic Earth

Looking for somewhere fun to take the kids that's also educational? Dynamic Earth is a fantastic attraction for the whole family to enjoy. The interactive adventure takes brave young explorers on a journey through space and time to learn how the forces of nature shaped Earth over millions of years. 

Top tip: Dynamic Earth is part of the National STEM Engagement Campaign and has a whole host of events for kids to enjoy; check out their website to find out what's on in Edinburgh.

See a show at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh

Edinburgh's Festival Theatre

Edinburgh's Festival Theatre is one of the largest stages in the UK, hosting show-stopping opera, ballet and musical events all year round. Many famous performers have graced its stage, including Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy and David Bowie.

Top tip: Legend has it that the Festival Theatre is haunted by famous illusionist 'The Great Lafayette'. Lafayette lost his life in a fire at the theatre in 1911 and is said to roam the stage to this day.

Enjoy a wee dram at the Scotch Whisky Experience Edinburgh - City Centre

The stunning Diageo Claive Vidiz Whisky Collection

No trip to the Royal Mile is complete without a visit to the Scotch Whisky Experience for a dram of fine Scottish whisky. The attraction offers a range of tour experiences that will suit first timers and whisky lovers alike. Take a tour of the virtual distillery and learn about the distilling process, then discover the art of whisky blending in a guided sensory presentation.

Top tip: After you become somewhat of a whisky connoisseur, why not continue into the attraction's Amber Restaurant, where you can enjoy modern Scottish cuisine with another dram.

Go sightseeing from the Scott Monument Edinburgh

The Scott Monument in Princes Street Gardens

The Scott Monument was built in 1832 to commemorate the death of one of Scotland's best loved writers, Sir Walter Scott, and is decorated with carvings of characters from his novels. The Gothic spire stands at the eastern end of Princes Street Gardens and is the largest memorial to a writer in the world, standing at just over 200 feet high. Climb the 287 steps to the top for beautiful views of the city and visit the Museum Room inside the monument, which holds an exhibition on Scott's life and work.

Top tip: Not a fan of heights? Not to worry, you can get a great view of the monument with your feet firmly on the ground from the bottom of the Playfair Steps on The Mound. At the base of the monument, you'll also find a statue of Scott himself with his beloved dog.

Indulge in sweet treats at The Chocolatarium Edinburgh

Chocolatarium visitors with their finished chocolate bars

Looking to add a bit more sweetness to your trip? Just off the Royal Mile you’ll find The Edinburgh Chocolatarium, a place dedicated to all things chocolate. Enjoy a 90-minute guided tour of the chocolate-making process before making your very own chocolate bar where you’ll have lots of toppings to choose from. To finish off, head to the chocolate Tasting Room where you’ll taste a variety of Scottish and international chocolates. Now that sounds like chocolate heaven!

Top tip: Make sure to stock up on your favourite chocolate bars at the gift shop. You'll find all the classics including some interesting flavours such as gin and tonic dark chocolate and haggis.

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Surviving The Edinburgh Festivals

Top Tips and Survival Strategies to Get You Through The Edinburgh Fringe

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is big, hectic and chaotic. There are way too many people, way too many shows, way too many impromptu parties, pubs and clubs.

Sounds great, doesn't it?

If you are going to make the most of your time at the Edinburgh Festival, a few survival strategies should help. Here are some ideas that will help you have a great time without missing out because you've tried to squeeze too much in or because you are too tired, cold, wet, hungry, thirsty or hungover.

Get your bearings

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival takes place all over town. Before you arrive, look at some Edinburgh maps, and, most importantly, locate the tourist information office near Waverly Station. If you've never been to Edinburgh before, it's the best place to go for maps and a general overview of the city.

Don't overbook

It's possible to book Edinburgh Fringe shows before you arrive. But don't overdo it. If you book up every free minute, you miss the opportunity of picking up on the festival buzz and going after what strikes your fancy on the day. What makes Edinburgh so special is the way you can follow your nose, an attractive poster, a funny leafletter or the advice of a stranger you meet in a pub to discover a show you hadn't heard of two minutes before. You might end up watching a dud, but you also might fall upon the discovery of the festival. That's half the fun.

Start out early

You know who gets the worm. Be an early bird yourself if you want a chance at the best tickets -- or the best chance at the tickets you want. Sleep late and you'll have to settle for the leftovers, so wakey wakey.

Make a daily plan - and a plan B

Read the festival program or online guides like the WOW Guide, put out by The Scotsman, Edinburgh's local paper. Talk to people over breakfast and then head out with a plan of what tickets, sights, daytime events you'll be going after. Try to stick to it. Otherwise, if you let your head be turned by every tempting offer you pass, you'll end up like one of those people who have to read every menu of every restaurant in town before deciding and end up missing lunch.

Do have a Plan B though, and probably a Plan C and D. If a show (cabaret, comedy act, dance party etc) is hot, tickets will go quickly so it's a good idea to have a few alternative ideas.

Aim for a mix of experiences

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Go after tickets for theatre, stand-up comedy, music, cabaret, physical theater and so forth. Try a couple of daytime workshops or talks with writers and performers. Go tea dancing in The Famous Spiegeltent. Edinburgh showcases everything. Make the most of that fact by trying a variety of performance styles and theatrical forms.

Check out the other festivals

At least five other festivals take place in Edinburgh at the same time as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Check them out for a change of pace or to mingle with a different crowd. While at the Fringe, you can also attend:

• The Edinburgh International Festival - The curated festival of music, dance and theater that began it all before being overwhelmed by the Fringe.
• The Edinburgh International Book Festival
• The Edinburgh International Art Festival
• The Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Pack suitable clothes

Edinburgh is a casual party with a lot of walking, plenty of outdoor events and a pretty good chance of rain. This is not the time to break in a new pair of shoes or to totter around on stilletoes. If you don't want to be burdened with an umbrella, plan on having a rain hat and a waterproof mac for the wet weather days you can pretty much count on. Similarly, bring something waterproof for sitting on the ground. And don't forget to bring a few warm things. Even in August you can never tell when the temperature may drop. There is nothing worse than trying to have a good time when you are cold and wet and your feet have blisters.

Carry snacks and water

The time can really slip by during the festival. Days are long and distractions are many. It's easy to miss a meal or two because you are having fun, or because the queues are too long to bother with. Carry some lightweight, high energy snacks and a bottle of water with you. The munchies can strike at any time.

Pace yourself

Only you know how many late nights in a row you can handle, how many miles you can walk, how much head banging you can take. Edinburgh is full of sirens to lure you into one more cabaret act, one more pint of beer, another half hour of conversation. And the pubs and clubs stay open until 5 a.m. for the festival. Keep your own limits in mind. That extra drink that seems like such a good idea on the night may seem less of a good thing when you miss a show sleeping off a hangover. Have fun but keep your stamina up.

Be flexible

Maybe you've never considered renting a room in a private home before. Or staying in a hostel. Just because you've set your heart on an Indian meal, don't turn your nose up at pizza. And if you can't get tickets for the comedy act, play, gig, you're after, be willing to take a chance on something else.

The more flexible you are - about accommodations, meals, entertainment - the more you are likely to go with the flow and have a great time.

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Edinburgh International Festival

History of the hub, the history of our building.

With its gothic spire making it the highest building in Edinburgh, The Hub attracts attention from tourists and locals alike.

On 3 September 1842, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert arrived in Edinburgh to lay the foundation stone to the building.

Three years later, the building opened as the Assembly Hall for the Church of Scotland, although curiously it was never consecrated. Designed by Augustus Welby Pugin and James Gillespie Graham, it became the meeting place for the Church of Scotland until it moved to the larger Assembly Hall, close by on The Mound, in 1929.

The building was then renamed The Highland Tolbooth St John’s Church and was used by a variety of congregations until becoming derelict in 1984.

1996–Present

In 1996, the building was acquired by the Edinburgh International Festival with the goal of transforming the building into a hub for the festivals of Edinburgh. The project was led by Nick Dodds, the Festival’s then Executive Director, and the architect Ben Tindall. Several artists were commissioned to transform the interior design of the building, from the decorative fabric wallpaper you see in the main hall, to sculptures representing different supporters of the building and the Festival in the stairwell.

After a rebranding, ‘The Hub’ as we know and love it, was opened in 1999 by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. In its first few years of opening it hosted educational events; performances from both the International Festival and Edinburgh International Jazz and Blues Festival; a lecture series called Cultural Reflections; and was even used as a meeting place for the Scottish Parliament prior to the completion of its home at Holyrood.

The Hub is our home. It’s where we work to make the festival happen each august, and welcome our communities throughout the year.

It's the place where...

We welcome thousands of primary schoolchildren to take part in free Art of Listening workshops introducing classical music, through songs, games and live performance. Guided by a professional opera singer and a pianist, pupils learn to engage their imaginations, develop stronger listening skills and respond creatively.

Our Edinburgh Festival Chorus rehearses. These volunteer singers from across Scotland give voice to the International Festival’s choral programme. They perform cornerstone works of the classical repertoire with some of the world’s greatest soloists, conductors and orchestras.

We nurture emerging talent and showcase virtuoso performers in intimate, informal performances during August. The Hub is a microcosm of the Festival where we bring artists and audiences closer together for cross-genre musical performances and lively dialogue and debate.

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Help our impact grow

Edinburgh International Festival’s impact extends beyond these walls and out into the communities of Edinburgh and to the audiences and artists who engage in our annual Festival.

As a charity, the International Festival relies on support from donors, funders and partners, whose collective generosity enables us to provide the deepest experience of the highest quality art for the broadest possible audience.

Make a donation today and you will be playing a part in bringing world cultures together through the arts.

Find out more about The Hub with our Digital Guide

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NEWS: Edinburgh’s Hidden Door Festival announces biggest venue to date and confirms launch party

Hidden Door are thrilled to announce the takeover of a vast industrial site for their 2025 arts festival, with a venue launch party planned for this November. The Paper Factory is located in the Maybury Quarter, a 15.5-acre site occupied by the former Saica paper and cardboard manufacturing facility on the western edge of Edinburgh. The site features a mix of warehouses, factory floors, offices and outhouses. Bounded by the Edinburgh Gateway tram and rail station, there are excellent transport links to the city centre as well as to Glasgow and the west. Hidden Door will transform the entire site for a full-scale multi arts festival in spring 2025, and have also announced a special launch party to give audiences a preview of some of the extraordinary spaces within. Featuring live music, visual art and performances, the event will take place on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 November. Full details of the November programme will be announced next month, with tickets now on sale. As with previous Hidden Door events, there will be free access during the day on Saturday 23 November.

The property has been empty since Saica’s relocation to a purpose-built facility in Livingston. Regeneration specialists Summix Capital are now developing proposals for the future of the site, and have offered Hidden Door access until the end of 2025.

Hazel Johnson, Festival Director of Hidden Door, said:  “Every new venue we take on presents unique opportunities and challenges, and this vast space is no different. We can’t wait to start work transforming the towering buildings, acres of warehouses and – in true Hidden Door style – all the nooks and crannies into one of our most ambitious arts venues yet. 

“In addition to the festival, The Paper Factory will provide a base for Hidden Door to work with artists on site specific performance and art, commission new work and take huge steps towards our sustainability goals with workshops, studios and more. Our Venue Launch Party in November will provide a sneak peek into what we have in store – we look forward to welcoming you to the Paper Factory!”

Stuart Black, Development Director for Summix Capital, said: “We are proud to be part of Hidden Door’s story by making this unique space available to them and the creative community they have built.  Our vision is for Maybury Quarter Edinburgh to be one of the most exciting and best-connected development sites in Scotland. We’re really excited to see what Hidden Door’s artists can do with the space this autumn and throughout 2025.” For more information on Hidden Door including tickets and venue location please check the website here .

About Hidden Door Hidden Door was originally founded in 2009 by a group of creatives seeking to make something interesting happen in the city. Their mission was to create events where audiences could experience art away from the traditional “white cube” gallery format. The collective curated two events at the former  Roxy Art House  in 2010, bringing together visual art, performance, film and music. The closure of the Roxy left the group with no venue and over the subsequent years they explored options for running a multi-arts event in derelict spaces. 

The idea grew as the volunteer team expanded, and in 2014 the first full Hidden Door Festival happened, when the team cleared out the disused  Market Street vaults  to run a 9-day celebration of the arts focused on showcasing local creative talent. In 2015 the festival moved to a hidden courtyard behind  Kings’ Stables Road , and returned in 2016, attracting over 12,000 visitors to experience a wealth of art, poetry, theatre, cinema, dance and music. In 2017 the festival breathed new life into the old  Leith Theatre , attracting rave reviews and critical praise for resurrecting “Scotland’s best new live music venue”, winning  VisitScotland’s Thistle Award  for “Best Cultural Event”.

In 2018, the festival returned to Leith Theatre, also taking up residence in the derelict former  State Cinema , just around the corner. A farewell weekend event took place at Leith Theatre in 2019. During the pandemic, Hidden Door put on a series of online events, and returned with a bang to live events for a five-day outdoor event at  Granton Gasworks  in 2021.

In 2022, Hidden Door took over the  Old Royal High School  on Calton Hill for a ten day festival that brought life back to the school for the first time in years.  In 2023, the  former Scottish Widows office complex  on Dalkeith Road was transformed for a five-day spectacular event. The unique “Environments” invited audiences to explore our venue in an immersive and atmospheric experience that attracted 5-star reviews and won Creative Edinburgh’s City Award. Earlier this year the  Basement 3 car park of the St James Quarter  was opened up for an immersive two-night birthday party celebrating 10 years of Hidden Door Festivals.

God is in the TV  is an online music and culture fanzine founded in Cardiff by the editor Bill Cummings in 2003. GIITTV Bill has developed the site with the aid of a team of sub-editors and writers from across Britain, covering a wide range of music from unsigned and independent artists to major releases.

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Edinburgh set for huge wine festival with tastings and masterclass

A huge wine festival is heading to Edinburgh's city centre, with tasting and masterclasses planned led by experts at The Balmoral Hotel - as well as live entertainment and treats for foodies.

• 17:40, 2 SEP 2024

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A festival celebrating all things wine is heading to Edinburgh's city centre .

The Rioja Wine Fair is being held at The Balmoral , and guests can expect hundreds of wine tasters to choose from and enjoy masterclasses from experts. Live music and a range of food will also be available.

Wine experts will also be hosting "educational wine walks" throughout the evening.

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The event is being held on October 15 at 6pm, with tickets on sale now.

Ahead of the event, organisers said: "Rioja has it all, from elegant whites and refreshing rosés to vibrant, fruit-forward reds and rich, barrel-aged classics.

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"For one night only, guests will have the opportunity to taste over 100 wines from some of the region’s top producers against the stunning backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. For those keen to broaden their knowledge, there’ll be the chance to join a flavourful masterclass with renowned wine writer and Master of Wine, Rose Murray Brown, where she will uncover the rich diversity of this captivating wine region.

"We’ll also have a qualified Rioja expert on hand all night hosting educational wine walks for the curious. And for the foodies, there will be an exciting array of globally inspired canapés expertly selected to highlight the full gastronomic potential of Rioja wines.

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"Get lost in the soothing melodies of live Spanish guitar music and spend one unforgettable night in the majestic landscapes of Rioja."

Tickets include hundreds of wine samples, specially selected canapes, educational wine walks and masterclasses.

You can find out more about the event here .

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