How to Enjoy Edinburgh Fringe

Imagine attending the world’s largest arts festival amidst the picturesque backdrop of a medieval castle, windy streets and mysteriously inviting passageways. Welcome to the Fringe in Edinburgh.

With over 30,000 dramatic, musical, comedy, children’s and other performances at nearly 250 venues, the Fringe is an easily accessible and an unforgettable cultural experience for travelers of all ages, interests and budgets. Edinburgh Fringe is well known not only for its variety of shows, but also for the atmosphere created by the visitors, large variety of international street performers and the vibe of excitement shared by all.

Taking place throughout August each year, Edinburgh Fringe was founded in 1947, the same year as the official Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) was founded. Some local theater owners decided to crash the high arts party that was to be the EIF and Fringe was born. The concept of fringe theater originates from the term given to small scale theaters in London, England; the equivalent to off-Broadway theater in the US. Fringe festivals inspired by Edinburgh Fringe are growing in number each year all over the world.

Find an accommodation in Edinburgh

Room rates in Edinburgh skyrocket as the month of August also draws millions of visitors to its other festivals including the International Art Festival, Book Festival, Jazz and Blues Festival, as well as the celebrated Military Tattoo. If you are planning on staying in town, then make arrangements well ahead of time: accommodation is usually booked up to one year in advance. You may be better off staying in Glasgow or another nearby city with good transport connections and coming into Edinburgh for the day.

Getting There

As mentioned above, consider staying in Glasgow and travelling to Edinburgh by train or bus. Both leave at frequent intervals from Glasgow Central or Buchanan Street Bus Station. The journey takes around an hour and costs approximately £8-10 for a return ticket. Tickets can be purchased from the bus driver or train conductor. Driving to and from Edinburgh is another possibility, although not advisable as parking is limited and quite costly. If you are flying into Edinburgh, grab the Airlink shuttle bus for £3 from stand number 19 at the airport.

Getting around town

Getting around town on foot is the easiest and most effective way to enjoy Fringe. Most venues and attractions are located within walking distance of the main train station, Edinburgh Waverly. If walking isn’t your thing, there are other options to consider. The local bus operator, Lothian, offers a day ticket for £2.50 and has easily navigable routes. Hailing a black cab or a bicycle rickshaw are also fun and easy ways to get around. There are also a multitude of tour buses leaving regularly from Waverly Bridge which sell hop-on, hop-off tickets providing transportation with narrated tours.

Find a show

There are two types of show goers at Edinburgh Fringe: those who research and book shows ahead of time and those who book same day. If you fall into the first category (as I did my first time), start off by consulting the daily paper, The Scotsman, or the Glaswegian daily, The Herald, and read the latest show reviews. With those in mind, visit the festival website to book your tickets and locate the venue. I also suggest picking up your tickets at the venue or the Fringe Box Office just opposite Prince’s Mall to avoid the line at the box office just before the show.

If you are more spontaneous, arrive in Edinburgh with a general idea of what kind of show you want to see. Then pick up a copy of the festival program, Fringe, check out the website or speak to the people handing out show leaflets all over the city. Finally, go to half-price ticket tent on Prince’s Street and check out which shows are discounted that day. Big name acts can cost more than £15, so this is your chance to save some money. Make sure you have decided before speaking to the agent – they aren’t able to help visitors select shows!

Come weather-ready

If you have ever visited Britain, then you are well aware of how rainy summers can be. The fun of Fringe is walking around and soaking up the atmosphere, but not literally! Walking around in wet clothes is the perfect way to put a damper on your experience of this amazing cultural event. Bring a rain jacket, poncho or at least an umbrella, as well as sensible shoes.

Go With the Flow

Overly planning your trip to Fringe is another way to spoil the day. Book a show if you must, but give yourself time to meander up and down the Royal Mile. Stop and take in the street performers, chat with one the people distributing show leaflets, pop into a café and warm up over a bowl of soup. You could also enjoy some of Edinburgh’s year-round attractions like a Castle tour, the National Gallery (free admission), Palace of Holyroodhouse, or take one of the many ghost, whiskey and literary tours.

A laid back attitude permeates Fringe, except for venue organization in which punctuality is a must. Most Fringe venues are not purpose-built performance halls, so don’t be surprised if your seat is an old church pew or folding chair. Many venues open a bar prior to each performance and even allow patrons to take their drinks into the performances (in plastic cups, of course).

Be it a circus or an opera, a comedy veteran or a collegiate theatrical troupe, there is entertainment for every taste at this unique cultural event. The atmosphere and the buzz amongst performers and visitors alike is unforgettable. Just like the actors on stage, you, the visitor, are also a performer on the stage that is the Edinburgh Fringe, contributing to this once-in-a-lifetime show.

Photos of street performers originally posted by piglicker

Topic:  How to Tuesday | 6 Comments
Tags:  Art, Edinburgh, family, festivals, UK

About the author

Britt is an American freelance author who lives and works with her German husband in Manchester, England. She has lived in Germany, Canada, England and the US. Britt writes about food, drink, travel, textiles and needlecraft when she is not actually enjoying them herself.