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Edinburgh Festival Fringe
爱丁堡艺穗节 · Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Every August, hundreds of venues across Edinburgh stage thousands of theatre, comedy, dance and music shows, and the Old Town's Royal Mile becomes one big open-air stage.
Know before you go
- Taking photos or filming during performances
- talking loudly during shows
- blocking the way inside street-performance circles
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
Eight uninvited companies
When the first Edinburgh International Festival opened in 1947, eight theatre companies that had not been invited turned up anyway. With no place on the official programme, they found spaces on the festival's fringe: seven performed in Edinburgh, and one crossed the Firth of Forth to stage the medieval morality play Everyman in Dunfermline Abbey. These self-organised shows returned year after year and grew into today's Fringe.
Source: Wikipedia: Edinburgh Festival Fringe; Official site: What is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe was born in 1947, the same year as the Edinburgh International Festival. It keeps to an open-access principle under which anyone can register to perform, and it is now the world's largest performing arts festival. For about three to four weeks each August, hundreds of venues across the city host thousands of shows spanning theatre, comedy, dance, physical theatre, circus, cabaret, children's shows, musicals, opera, music and spoken word, with comedy the largest section. Venues range from proper theatres to churches, pub cellars and pop-up tents; the Old Town's Royal Mile is the hub of street performance and home to the Fringe Box Office. Ticketed and free shows run side by side.
Local customs
- Street performances on the Royal Mile
- picking comedy and theatre in small venues
- free shows
- browsing the programme at the Fringe Box Office
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- Taking photos or filming during performances
- talking loudly during shows
- blocking the way inside street-performance circles
Locals appreciate DO
- Book tickets online in advance
- arrive on time
- respect small venues' no-latecomers rule
- tip street performers
Plan your visit
Practical info
| 2027 dates | August 6 – 30, 2027 |
|---|
Travel tips
- The Fringe runs for about three to four weeks every August
- dates and programme are as announced on the official Fringe website. Each show is ticketed separately and some are free
- prices are subject to official announcement. Accommodation is scarce and prices rise during the festival, so book early
- the Old Town has many slopes and cobbles, so wear comfortable walking shoes and carry rain gear.
2027 schedule
- The 2027 Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs from 6 to 30 August as the 80th edition
- the dates have been announced on the official Fringe website.
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