Art lets you explore a range of emotions and subjects without truly stepping out of your own world, which is why it’s such a great medium of communication to explore while travelling. As someone planning a trip to Great Britain or just Scotland, you absolutely must consider being a part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (or ‘The Fringe’, as locals call it). 

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the largest arts festival in the world and typically spans over 25 days (give or take a few days each year based on the performances scheduled). With a range of performances across categories like comedy, cabaret, theatre, children’s shows, music, opera, events, exhibitions, spoken word, dance and more. This means that there’s something here for everyone to enjoy. 

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival was established in 1947 with just 8 theatre companies performing at the time. During this period, the International Festival had already booked most of the conventional venues in Edinburgh, which is why these theatre companies had to resort to unconventional venues and open invitations to all. This established the heart of the festival, with performers today enjoying bragging rights over snagging unconventional spaces and audiences invited to see free performances at certain parts of the festival (along with paid ones, of course). 

Interestingly, as The Fringe was such an unknown entity, much of its early years of existence have faded into oblivion with no official records. However, in spite of that, word-of-mouth contributed to the festival growing larger each year and seeing a larger number of audiences as time went on. This itself is a testament to the fact that the festival offered interesting content for audiences to explore – something that the mainstream festivals at the time were failing to do.

During the 60s and 70s, when travelling to Europe became more mainstream and the Free Love culture was in the air, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival truly exploded into fame. The festival developed major street credentials and became the go-to festival for artists, musicians, audiences, and people who wanted to explore alternate culture. While the festival was largely organized by students at the University of Edinburgh, it eventually became such a huge event that a separate governing body was developed in 1969. Now, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the largest festival in the world that’s dedicated to arts, with millions flocking to it each year. 

Location:

The festival occurs all over Edinburgh, Scotland, with performances and stalls all over select streets, paid venue spaces (such as the Underbelly, Gilded Balloon, Assembly, Pleasance, and others), and public spaces.

Timings:

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival takes place between 7th – 31st August, with no specific timings for when you can attend the festival. However, do keep in mind that different shows and performances will occur at specific times, and keeping tabs on the same via the Fringe’s website will help you plan your trip more effectively. 

Highlights:

You can expect a range of great experiences when you visit the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Some of these include:

• Over 3,500 exciting shows to watch across different genres and media styles.
• Free performances in the form of street performances and street theatre that last for 30 minutes.
• Living statues that will certainly bring a smile to your face when you watch them come to life.
• Portrait artists and caricaturists who can create stunning pictures of you to share with your loved ones at home.
• A range of services such as hair braiding, palm reading, massages, balloon modelling, henna artists, face painting, and more.
• A range of market stalls that offer interesting tchotchkes and souvenirs that you can take home for your loved ones to enjoy.
• Amenities set in place to ensure that people with disabilities can also move around within the festival venues (and from one venue to another), making this a highly inclusive festival.
• Separate quiet areas to relax if you get overwhelmed by the bustling crowd – a great way to make introverts feel at home!
• Sensory backpacks for children and adults on the Autism spectrum to enjoy the festival without feeling overwhelmed.

Prices: Ticket prices range from being free to £25, depending on the shows that you want to see.

Exclusions:

Free tickets give you access to free shows, while other show-related tickets will only give you access to the show you plan to see. 

Recommended For: 

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is recommended for people across all age groups, as there are separate art shows and installments for children all over the city, making the festival a great space to introduce your child to art and self-expression. Additionally, the fringe is also appropriate for people with disabilities as there are plenty of accessible toilets, transport options as well as ramps for people to use. Apart from sensory backpacks that are appropriate for people across the Autism spectrum, you can also pick up tools that empower hearing impaired people to enjoy the festival too. 

Furthermore, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is perfect for anyone who wants to enjoy a great artistic experience by exposing themselves to great works of art, in the form of music, theatre, film, and more. If you happen to be in Scotland in August, there’s no way you can miss out on attending this festival.

Interesting facts:

• In 2018, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival featured 55,000 performances that spanned across 3,548 different shows.
• The festival was first established in 1947 and is still going strong.
• Comedy legends like, Stephen Fry, Rowan Atkinson Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson performed at the Fringe in the 1960s!

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is a huge opportunity to expose yourself to new forms of expression and increase your understanding of the human experience. As a traveler, isn’t that exactly what you want? While planning your trip to the Great Britain, do consider heading there in August just to be able to be a part of one of the most iconic arts festivals in the whole world!