Every August, the Fringe Festival takes place in Edinburgh. There are over three thousand shows across the month, running from the first Friday through to the last Monday.
First-timers usually try to plan what they’d like to see. But the Fringe rewards those who turn up with curiosity and no strict deadlines.
Here’s how locals make the most of it.
1. Don’t overbook
The instinct is to build a tight schedule and stick to it. You should resist this, leaving gaps with nothing booked in.
The best thing you’ll see all month is usually the show you wandered into because there was a queue outside and twenty minutes to kill. A packed schedule leaves no room to discover the shows you might not have seen otherwise.
2. Go Free Fringe
Ticketed venues often have the marketing budget and hype to draw the crowds. Free Fringe venues get those happy to leave it to chance.
Shows here are pay-what-you-want, which means performers are often trying something new and the audience is more forgiving. It’s rougher around the edges, but it’s also where a lot of the memorable bits happen.
3. Just wander
Some of the best hours spent at the Fringe often have nothing to do with a show at all. They’re usually spent sitting in the square and watching the bustle.
Edinburgh in August is its own performance, and you don’t need a ticket for it.
4. Know where the shows are
A lot of the best stuff is hiding inside the University campus, and knowing this saves you a lot of walking.
Bristo Square is the hub with food trucks and beer gardens. A great place to rest and figure out where you’re headed next.
Teviot Row, the University Student Union just off the square, is where the indie comedy and music shows are. You’ll find smaller rooms, younger crowds and more energy.
Pleasance Courtyard is the place to go for dramas; the acts here range from genuinely brilliant to amusingly questionable, sometimes within the same hour.
The Assembly Rooms, inside Edinburgh’s College of Divinity at the top of the Mound, is where some of the standout shows turn up. Worth a look inside regardless of what you’re seeing.
5. Plan for all weathers
Pack a layer regardless of the forecast.
Edinburgh in August can turn from bright sun to heavy rain within the same afternoon, and most of your day will be spent queuing outdoors between shows.
6. Enjoy half-price tickets
If you haven’t planned ahead, the half-price hut on the Mound sells same-day tickets at a discount for shows that haven’t sold out.
It’s a great way to fill one of those gaps you’ve left in the schedule.
Make it part of your stay
The Fringe rewards those who leave room for spontaneity. TARKA puts you within easy reach of the whole festival.
Book your stay with TARKA and go into August with nothing planned but the essentials.
