It’s that time of year again when the biggest and most prestigious arts festival in the world takes over Edinburgh city centre. This spectacular event, which has been running since 1947, is colossal in both scale and scope. The Edinburgh Festival or Festival as it commonly known is actually a collection of five separate events, which this year are running from 31 July right through to 26 August.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The most well-known, perhaps, is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Festival (31-26 August; www.edfringe.com). As one of the original festivals, it is celebrating its 72nd year. Today everyone from famous comedians and professional actors to charmingly chaotic amateur performers take to stages across the Scottish capital. There are literally thousands of artists performing in hundreds of shows in what appear to be an infinite number of venues. The production spaces themselves are something to behold, ranging from magnificent concert halls through to storage crates and even toilets.
Even for seasoned visitors planning a trip to the Fringe can be mind-boggling. While it is great to throw caution to the wind and just pick a show at random, if you want to book something with a degree of quality control then main venue events – Assembly, Pleasance, Gilded Balloon and Underbelly – are a good bet. If you can bag tickets for a free BBC at the Edinburgh Festival events, these are also of high quality as many are broadcast live on BBC radio. Most of the BBC’s free shows are officially sold out, however they often release extra tickets on the day of the show and it might be possible to gain entry without a ticket due to no-shows. Adults attending a BBC event will need photographic ID.
Edinburgh International Festival
Ensuring quality isn’t an issue at the Fringe’s cultured sibling the Edinburgh International Festival (2-26 August; www.eif.co.uk). It delivers everything from cutting-edge theatre and classical concerts through to opera and spectacular dance productions to Edinburgh’s theatres and grand venues like the Usher Hall. Highlights from this year’s programme include Scottish Ballet’s The Crucible, Neneh Cherry and the glorious firework concert in Princes Street Gardens on Sunday 26 August.
Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Edinburgh Military Tattoo (2-26 August; www.edintattoo.co.uk) meanwhile is another of Edinburgh’s world-renowned festivals. Every night during its three-week run thousands of people scale the stands located on the castle esplanade to marvel at the jaw-droopingly spectacular sight of international military bands performing against the floodlit Edinburgh Castle.
Edinburgh International Book Festival
The Edinburgh International Book Festival (10-26 August; www.edbookfest.co.uk) is the largest event of its kind anywhere on the planet. It was first held in the graceful surrounds of Charlotte Square Gardens in 1983, becoming an annual event 1997. This years’ festival will see thousands of authors meet their readers in a series of intimate events (most have a flat ticket price of £5, some are free). The programme is also full of events and drop-in activities for children (many free of charge), which makes it a firm favourite with local families.
Edinburgh Art Festival
The Edinburgh Art Festival (25 July -25 August; https://edinburghartfestival.com) delivers visual art to dozens of venues across the city, including its galleries, museums and outdoor spaces.
Street Enteratiners
At festival time Edinburgh’s city centre comes alive with street performers in all guises. These range from professional fire eaters through to street buskers and youth groups giving a taster of their bigger fringe show. These enterainers pull in the crowds along the Royal Mile, on the Mound, at Bristo Square and down in the Grass Market. These free shows are great for those on a budget, as is PHB’s Free Fringe (http://freefringe.org.uk) and the Free Festival (http://www.freefestival.co.uk; 29 which runs alongside the ticketed events. Most free events are non-ticketed so you’ll need to arrive early and be prepared to queue. Bargains can also be found at the Virgin Money Half Price Hut (https://tickets.edfringe.com/box-office/virgin-money-half-price-hut), which this year opens on 7 August.
Oor Wullie Big Bucket Trail
Although its not part of the official Edinburgh Festivals, visitors to the this year’s events can’t fail to notice the collection of brightly painted Oor Wullie statues (Oor Wullie being a famous Scottish comic strip character) dotted around the capital. This is part of the Oor Wullie Big Bucket Trail (www.oorwullie.com) event, a community art project and art trail whose ultimate goal is to raise money for various Scottish children’s charities.
