Fringe fun kicks off in Edinburgh

SAID to be the planet’s largest arts festival, the #EdinburghFestivalFringe (to August 31) is under way, with 50,459 performances of 3,314 shows from 49 countries in 313 venues across the city.  

Established in 1947 as an unofficial alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it’s a showcase for the performing arts – cabaret, children's shows, comedy, dance, circus, exhibitions, music, and the spoken word.

In addition to ticketed, programmed events, there are street shows every day on the #RoyalMile and at the Mound Precinct.

Kath M. Mainland, festival chief executive said: ‘The Fringe is a festival like no other.  Completely open access – where artists don’t need to wait for an invitation, where anyone with a story to tell is welcome.  Where there’s no curator, no vetting, no barriers.  Just incredible talent from almost fifty countries all over the world.

‘It’s also an incredibly important festival for #Scotland, the UK, and our performing artists.  A vital platform to showcase the range and diversity of creative skills on offer.  A profoundly international market place which can have transformative effects on careers.  An explosion of culture which can be life-changing for the audience.  And lots and lots of fun.’

For full events listings, go to www.edfringe.com

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/15441925@N00/213284703">Strong Man Circus Show for Festival Fringe on Edinburgh's Royal Mile</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Festive Edinburgh … and how to survive it

A GUIDE produced by VisitScotland might help to ensure that visitors to the Edinburgh Festival this August are not left red-faced after trying to pronounce Cockburn Street. 

Sporty types, music lovers, fashionistas, history and comedy buffs are also advised about acts and performances to suit their preferred tastes within the thousands of shows on offer.

The Edinburgh Festivals Survival Guide is the first ever handbook of its kind.

Performers on Edinburgh's High Street for the Festival Fringe 2014 by Brian McNeil

Tips include advice on looking out for Edinburgh’s new trams when crossing roads, starting the day early to get the best tickets, and bringing a bag for all the flyers picked up around the city. 

Information on where to eat, what to bring, correct pronunciations and how to travel to the city are also included, plus the history of the festivals, recommended LGBT bars and pubs, where to go if travelling further afield and the 10 most visited attractions.

The Edinburgh Festivals Survival Guide is free to download from www.visitscotland.com/edinburghfestivalsguide.


*The Edinburgh Festivals Impact Study in 2011, stated that the festivals over the course of the year generated £261 million of economic impact for Scotland, sustaining 5,242 full time jobs in Edinburgh.

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Fringe tickets at Edinburgh airport

VISITORS arriving at Edinburgh Airport for this summer’s Fringe Festival (August 1-25) will be able to collect their pre-booked tickets from the airport – a first ever offer by the world’s biggest arts festival. A ticket machine is to be installed at the airport this month (June) giving visitors the opportunity to print their tickets before they leave the airport.

Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: ‘Having a dedicated ticket collection point available at the airport means passengers arriving into Edinburgh from all over the world will have easy access to their tickets from the moment they touch down.’

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