Monday 17 July 2023

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

WHAT IS IT?

The world's largest performance arts festival (almost 60,000 performances from over 3,000 shows in over 300 venues in 2019), running almost every year since 1947 (cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic).

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WHEN IS IT?

Three weeks in August, starting from the first Friday of the month, and ending on the last Monday (Bank Holiday). 


WHERE IS IT?

Mostly in the centre of Edinburgh, a lot of it in the Old Town. This is NOT the only festival in town though. Most years, there are more than five festivals going on during the same period:

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PRO TIPS

When to go and for how long?
  • My personal preference is the second weekend of the festival. Mainly because it means that most acts have already warmed up, but are not yet jaded and tired. If not, then third weekend is the next best option. I always avoid the first and last weekends.
  • Anything less than 2 days is just not enough, and while there isn't an upper limit on how long you should go for, over a week might just feel like too much. 
  • Due to budgetary constraints, I usually do no more than 3 days / 2 nights, and because of work commitments, it's usually a weekend (Fri-Sun). 

How to get there?
  • By Train
    • My favourite way.
    • Takes about 4-5 hours from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley, which is right in the middle of the city and the festival.
    • Earliest trains can get you in just after 10am and last trains get you out of the city as late as after 6pm, so you can really make best use of your time there.
    • Book travel on Trainline.
  • By Plane
    • Can sometimes be much cheaper than the train, which is usually the only reason I opt for this.
    • While the flights are roughly around 90min long, the travel time to and from airports, plus the pre-flight airport time, means that you lose time on both sides and it takes as long to fly as it takes to take the train.
    • But because flights are less frequent than trains, you might not find the best combinations, and would then get into the festival area later than the first train and would need to get out of the city earlier than the last train. 
    • So it's a balance of cost vs opportunity.
  • By Bus
    • Usually the cheapest way - but it may not be the most comfortable.
    • Requires almost 8 hours of sitting up straight - but if you can sleep in that position, the overnight buses can be an option. 
    • Gets you into the centre of the city - and doesn't require much pre-departure wait time.
    • Book travel on National Express.


Where to stay?
My personal preference is to stay central. On my many trips, I've stayed north-east, south-east, south-west of the centre - and after multiple trials and errors, have decided that staying central is the best idea. It means that if I need to grab anything from my room (a jacket, an umbrella, etc) or need a short break and rest, or a clean restroom even, I can be in and out of my accommodation without fuss and without wasting time. Plus, when you're exhausted at the end of the day, being central means you don't have to plan your walk/journey back to your accommodation with trepidation.

There are many affordable options available in town - but the budgets vary depending on whether you would stay in a hostel, a very basic accommodation or need a nicer hotel. It also depends on whether you want a room or a flat, whether you're travelling solo or in a couple or group, and whether you want breakfast included or not (I'd say 'not', because there are a lot of coffee places and you're there for the fringe, not for the food - but it's a personal choice).

My go-to site is Booking.com


What to see?
  • Every year, just before I travel to Edinburgh, I read a few reviews across the press. Everyone from the Guardian to the Telegraph to the Independent to Time Out has reviews and some shows just sound more interesting than others. Another site I use is Three Weeks.
  • There are some performers I have seen in previous years who are favourites so I definitely try and see them again, regardless of what shows and how many shows they bring to the Fringe that year.
  • There are some international performers that have been on Netflix specials who launch their new material from Edinburgh Fringe (e.g. Eddie Izzard, Vir Das, Aditi Mittal, etc) so they get preference.
  • My go-to website to search for shows and buy tickets is Edfringe.com
    • I create an account here and save the shows I am most interested in (if they are performing during my days in Edinburgh) under my account.
    • I try to balance stand-ups, drama, improv, magic, storytelling, burlesque etc and choose at least one of each if possible. 
    • This way I can start building a calendar and ensure that I have 2-3 shows lined up for each day - and if I'm especially interested in shows that have conflicting timings, then I can shuffle my calendar to accommodate them on different days.
    • Most shows are 50min long and I try to have at least 1-2 hours free between shows (unless the venues are very close to each other) to allow myself to navigate through town and hordes of people.
    • When certain shows feel must-watch, or if I know they will be sold out based on their popularity, I pre-buy tickets to avoid the stress - otherwise I wing it on the day if I don't care too much. 
    • I try to pre-plan no more than three shows for each day, which allows me to make some last minute decisions on the day.
    • The most I have been able to pack into one day is five shows - but I usually start around 12pm and normally don't do shows past 10pm. FYI, shows start as early as 9am or 10am and go on as late as 2am in some cases. So, it's not about options, it's about stamina.
  • One unmissable annual event is the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, possibly the most expensive outing of the trip. I think it needs to be done at least once (I've done it more than five times and would do again). 
    • If you can, then do this on the Saturday, and do the later show (they have 2 shows on Saturday), because the second one starts at around 9pm and culminates with a BIG fireworks show. 
    • Best views are from the left angle of the castle (because the fireworks take place behind the right wall of the castle), but no seats are terrible - and it all depends on your budget. 
    • Regardless of the general weather, it always gets super cold as you are sitting high up on castle hill in open air, exposed to the elements for three hours. So be prepared for everything.
    • The effort is worth it - even if military music isn't your thing (you don't know till you experience it), because the show is extremely international, extremely spectacular and it's different every year.

Where to eat?
My weakest area of expertise in Edinburgh - because who has time to eat when you're running all over town trying to cram more and more shows into each day.
  • Pizzas and kebabs and Subway sandwiches on the go!
  • Haggis Box (meaty or veggie) - coz you're in Scotland.
  • Larder for breakfast. Might need to book, because it's very popular.
  • Mimi's Bakehouse for coffees and cakes.
  • Fudge Kitchen for the sweet-toothed. It's an English company, but I always associate it with Edinburgh.
  • Clarinda's Tea Room for a kooky breakfast or tea break.
  • Mother India for decent Indian snacks (and lunch/dinner).
  • Mosque Kitchen for very average Pakistani food, but it's such an Edinburgh institution.
  • Beirut with decent food and the nicest owner.

What else to do?
Edinburgh is a very historical, very cool, very interesting city. Some things I have enjoyed doing over the years, in an order of preference (sort of):

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