If you haven’t wandered down Edinburgh’s medieval High Street on a balmy August day, dodging fire-eaters, chainsaw jugglers and merciless comedians, then you’re in for a treat! And we can help you prepare for the festival of a lifetime…
Welcome to the greatest show on earth!
There really is nothing quite like the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – the biggest, strangest and best arts festival in the world. For four weeks every August, Edinburgh’s relative calm and composure is disrupted by a blast of noise, colour and excitement that can leave you dizzy, breathless and desperate for more!
Last year witnessed a staggering 40,254 performances of 2,453 shows in 259 venues across the city, with almost 22,000 performers taking to the stage during Fringe 2010. But those statistics only tell part of the story. The real fun of the Fringe is the undiscovered side. The hidden gems and secret delights of this month long carnival that you won’t find in any official guide.
We’ve put together a handy insider’s guide to this year’s party to give you a taste of the real Fringe.
Embrace the weird and wonderful
The Fringe is all about shows that you just wouldn’t see anywhere else. For example, official venues last year included a chapel, a flat and a hotel swimming pool. Previous years have seen Waiting for Godot perform in a public toilet, a Faulty Towers tribute in a real hotel restaurant and a play set on a canal barge.
Do a bit of digging and you’ll find the most eclectic mix of music, cabaret, physical theatre and art installations. Nowhere is seemingly off limits so why not treat yourself to a truly unique night and pick one of the more unconventional venues?
This year is just as eclectic as last year's line up. There are of course a whole host of comedians, from Fringe regulars like Nicholas Parsons and Paul Merton to popular newcomers like Sarah Millican. But you’ll also find plenty of suitably offbeat and fantastically unconventional shows this year, including titles like Liberace Live From Heaven, The Human Tuning Fork, Disco in a Dungeon and No Pants Thursday…
Sneaky ways to save on tickets
Wander round the venue box offices and you'll find plenty of 2-for-1 offers around. These aren't advertised or available from the Fringe box office - you need to keep an eye out for deals chalked up on the venue blackboards. Then there’s the famous “half price hut” at the bottom of The Mound. Remember though, the shows change daily, and you’ll need to get down there early. A few of the major venue chains operate their own discount schemes, like the C Venues. Buy tickets for five shows, and get your next ticket for free. Five Pound Fringe offers tickets for all its shows at just a fiver. It operates three venues and the line-up is usually very impressive.
Finding free tickets isn’t easy but it is possible! Hang out on the Royal Mile where shows are flyering and get chatting to the performers.
Top tip: They tend to keep quiet about complimentary tickets until they know people are genuinely interested in their shows!
Finally, there are loads of free shows to see every day. From sword swallowers, flaming torch jugglers and axe-wielding unicyclists at the bottom of The Mound, to poetry readings, comedians and theatre groups on the Royal Mile.
A night to remember…
To make your trip even more memorable, why not stay somewhere a bit out of the ordinary? Here’s our top pick of Edinburgh’s original and intriguing hotels.
You can join the likes of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Catherine Zeta Jones who have stayed in the gothic splendor of the Witchery by the Castle. Or you could spend the night in a former city asylum, now the effortlessly elegant Hotel Du Vin. The Learmonth Hotel is reputed to have its own ghost who locks guests out of their rooms and switches electrical appliances on and off at will. And just outside the city centre is Channings – once home to Antarctic explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton. The quirky hotel is full of memorabilia and photographs inspired by his great voyages. Finally, you could choose to stay in a room inspired by the greatest cities of the world. The fashionable and unusual boutique hotel Le Monde boasts 18 rooms and is styled on the likes of Rio, Beijing and Los Angeles.
What else can you go and see?
There are an incredible seven festivals taking place in Edinburgh over the summer. Everything kicks off with the world’s oldest film festival, and finishes with the Edinburgh Mela – a colourful mix of theatre,
dance, music, visual arts and fashion, and the spectacular International Festival fireworks.
Edinburgh International Film Festival - 15th - 26th June
Edinburgh Art Festival - 4th August - 4th September
Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival - 22nd- 31st July
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo - 5th- 27th August
Edinburgh Festival Fringe - 5th - 29th August
Edinburgh International Festival - 12th August- 4th September
Edinburgh International Book Festival - 13- 29th August
Edinburgh Mela Festival - 2- 4 September