First time going to the Edinburgh Festival?
The Edinburgh Festival can be a confusing place for a first timer. I got ya.
A seemingly endless programme of acts, non-stop performances, frantic leafleting on the Royal Mile and an incredible variety of food options. It’s easy to get overwhelmed if you don’t know what to expect — but fear not!
We’ve put together a complete Edinburgh Guide Package to see you through the first few days. Save these tips and Guides to your phone, and get ready for the best Festival ever.
1. Book ahead for shows you want to see
The performance schedules have been announced, and the full programme is available to view online. Now is the time to book ahead for must see shows to save disappointment. Whether these are traditional like the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, critically acclaimed and recent performances such as Starman by Steve Ratzke or popular comedy shows like Shit Faced Shakespeare you’ll not only save yourself time and money, but once these have been booked it’s also easier to work out the rest of your schedule. After all, you don’t want to see one show on one side of the city then have 5 minutes to get to the next! Here’s a handy on-the-go Guide to where the main Edinburgh Fringe venues are so you avoid any frantic dashes:
2. Don’t let your budget run away with you
There is such a carnival atmosphere at the Fringe it’s not hard to start throwing cash around — and if you don’t keep an eye there’s a chance you won’t be able to afford much by the end of your stay. One of the biggest expenses can be food, so do your best to either have a few cheap meals in if you’re staying in self catered accommodation, or head to these places for food if still want a treat that won’t break the bank:
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with splashing out either! If you can afford (literally) the cream of the crop then here’s a Guide to our favourite restaurants in the city.
3. Try something different
The Edinburgh Festival is a great place to get out of your comfort zone, and experience something you’ve never tried before. Whether that means taking in a stunning cabaret performance from The Lady Boys of Bangkok, seeing some totally brilliant LSD and dolphin inspired theatre from Breach, or just flipping through the programme and landing on The Singing Psychic then take that leap — you might find your new favourite act. Here’s a Guide to some of the wackier things to do in Edinburgh during the festival.
4. Join in the after-party
A large part of the festival comes after all the performances have finished for the day. Performers full of after-show adrenaline, and audiences full of during-show glasses of wine, all spill out onto the streets and into the various bars, pubs and clubs around the city. The atmosphere at this hour moves from festival to carnival, and if you have the energy it’s certainly worth checking out one of these venues and carrying on your night.
5. Give yourself a rest from the Festival
Sometimes it can all get a bit much — depending how long you are there for, the constant flyering and endless whirl of shows can leave you feeling drained. The best way to recover your bearings is to make a trip to one of Edinburgh’s beautiful parks, take a tour of one of it’s peaceful museums or do a short trip just outside of the city to one of it’s most famous landmarks, Arthur’s Seat. Below is a Guide to where you’ll find some of Edinburgh’s quietest spots to catch your breath in.
Now, go forth and have a great festival! I’ll see you there.
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