A Guide to the Edinburgh Festival | United Kingdom

It should really be called the Edinburgh Festivals, as ‘the Edinburgh Festival’ is a collective term for individual celebrations of theatre, dance, the arts, film, music and comedy that take place simultaneously every August. Thousands of visitors descend on the city each year, enjoying the top quality performances and succumbing to the highly contagious festival fever that swims through the air.

The Royal Mile during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by Raymond McCrae

Edinburgh Fringe

The most well-known of Edinburgh’s festivals is the Edinburgh Fringe, which is the world’s largest arts festival. The city becomes a stage as street performers entertain the passing crowds and more than 2,500 comedy, cabaret, dance, music and theatre shows get underway.

There are venues spread across the Scottish capital, including the Institut Français d’Ecosse, St Stephen’s Church and the Underbelly. If you can, it is worth taking in a show at the New Town Theatre, just to catch a glimpse of the beautiful interior of this Freemason’s Hall. The Fringe is such a huge event, you won’t know where to start with your planning, but the website www.edfringe.com is filled with daily guides and even a handy app that you can download to get started.

The Art Festival

In stark contrast to its deep historic roots, Edinburgh becomes a modern cultural hub every August with the opening of The Edinburgh Art Festival. Galleries and museums are transformed into spaces from which to ponder exciting modern and contemporary visual art exhibitions from some of the world’s leading artists.

Turf Wars, Edinburgh, Scotland by Prank Sky Media

One of the highlights for 2012 is set to be a sound installation by Turner Prize winner Susan Philipsz, which is based on the traditional firing of the Edinburgh one o’clock gun. There are also a series of public exhibitions set up around the city that are free to attend, as well as special events for children.

The International Festival

Edinburgh’s theatres swing their doors open wide and enjoy several weeks filled to capacity as they host the International Festival, a celebration of the theatre, opera, dance and classical music. Tying in somewhat with the summer Olympics in the south of England, a key event this year is the Speed of Light performance, which will involve a choreographed performance by athletes wearing light-emitting suits to create a spectacle on the slopes of the famous Arthur’s Seat.

Other events will include re-workings of Shakespeare and Alice in Wonderland and a dance extravaganza from the wonderful Mariinsky Ballet. Download the full festival brochure at www.eif.co.uk.

Best of the Rest

August in Edinburgh sees the arrival of the Book Festival and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, in which tribute will be paid this year to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee against the spectacular backdrop of the castle. The Mela Festival begins on August 31^st and celebrates cultural diversity through the arts.

Edinburgh Miltary Tattoo, Scotland, UK by Martin Luechinger

Tickets

If you want to book tickets, a visit to the collective festival site will lead you in the right direction. You can buy tickets for most events online, and it’s worth checking in with the websites regularly as they run offers, 2-for-1 deals and more so you get the best value for money.

There are free events for travellers on a tight budget and websites such as www.freefringe.org.uk highlight the best of this program. Bear in mind, though, the huge amount of people who attend the festival for free events and make sure you get in early to avoid disappointment.

Eat

Edinburgh is crammed full of inviting eateries where you can grab a quick bite in between festival performances. The best pizza in town is delivered at La Favorita, which has long been a local favourite.

Brunch at the Roseleaf always goes down a treat, as does the fry up at the Kiliminjaro Coffee Café on Nicolson Street, great for easing a hangover if you’ve partied too hard the night before.

You can never go far wrong with fish and chips, either on the go or as a sit down meal, and when in Edinburgh it has to be from L’alba D’Oro. For the genuine haggis experience, head to Macsween, where there is even a vegetarian option of the classic Scottish dish.

Stay

My Edinburgh Life is a centrally located B&B offering a taste of luxury in the heart of the city. The guest house is stylishly decorated, with kitchenettes in the larger rooms, ideal for those who perhaps want to save a bit on food costs during the festival weekend. A standard double starts at £54 per night, while the deluxe studios with kitchenette start from £76.

If you’re seeking cheap and cheerful accommodation that will allow you to spend all your pennies on performances and dining out, you can’t go wrong with Panda Villa, where a double room starts at just £22 per night. Each room has been individually decorated, and this house will have you charmed from the moment you set your eyes on the cheery red front door.

Find out more at https://www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk/

Originally from Ireland but now living and working in London, Anita Doherty loves to travel. She indulges her passion for travelling and writing as frequently as she can and is part of the team at Enjoybedandbreakfast.com, a travel website for accommodation with personality in the UK. The website offers a growing selection of quaint B&Bs, charming inns, small boutique hotels and guest houses. 

Tags: art festival, collective term, comedy cabaret, contemporary visual art, edinburgh festival, edinburgh festivals, edinburgh fringe festival, edinburgh scotland, festival fever, o clock, public exhibitions, quality performances, royal mile, s hall, scottish capital, sky media, street performers, turf wars, turner prize, visual art exhibitions

Category: Festivals, United Kingdom