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First time at the Fringe or a regular attendee? No matter how many times you have visited the Edinburgh Festival Fringe it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming deciding what to see and do- you will soon discover that three weeks isn’t enough! Here are our top tips to ensure that you get the most out of this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Pick up a programme
Take a look online or pick up a free programme from shops, bars, the Ed Fringe shop or even just off the street! The Free Fringe Guide, full of all the free performance details, can be picked up from any of the participating Free Fringe venues. With detailed event listings and a map of venues, the Fringe programme and Free Fringe Guide are the perfect tools to help plan your day.
Look online for recommendations and ask around
Once you’ve picked up your programme you will begin to notice the immensity of the Fringe and its takeover of Edinburgh; each day is packed from beginning to end with shows. This is the most daunting; what will you choose to see? What if you miss a really popular show? What if the show you choose isn’t for you? To help with this go online and have a look at what has already been reviewed, ask around for recommendations or pick up a newspaper and have a read of their top picks! The most important is to have fun, who knows, maybe an obscure show you picked at random could be the highlight of your fringe experience….
Book ahead and don’t be afraid to plan
Popular shows will sell out fast so if you have your eye on a few that you are really interested in seeing don’t hesitate to go online and book tickets. The average ticket price is usually around £10 so you won’t have to break the bank to see a few shows. Also, make a plan of what shows you want to see and the dates/times so you can give yourself enough time to get from one venue to another to make sure you don’t miss anything!
Immerse yourself in the free fringe
The Free Fringe is one of the best parts of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. You can see a variety of great shows, including teaser performances for paid-for shows, and leave at the end without spending a thing! Most comedians will ask for donations, but you can give them as much or as little as you like. Pick up a Free Fringe brochure which gives you a list day-by-day of every free performance, plus a short description. Edinburgh comes alive during the Fringe with an abundance of street performers, outdoor bars, and food stalls so make sure you walk around the city in between shows to really soak up the atmosphere.
We hope you have a great time at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe!
(Image courtesy of Edinburgh Festival Society)
