If you have never been to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe before, there are two ways to work out what's best to see. The first is of course the Fringe brochure. This is filled with every bit of information on the act, concert, dance, drama and musical entertainment that is available during the Fringe.
Sometimes the prospect of wading through this tome can be quite daunting, after all, I have seen thinner telephone directories, but once you understand how to use it, it is a mine of information just waiting for you to dig up a nugget of gold. In this brochure there is a list of venues, location of venues, the times and prices of each performance. Some of them are free, so it's best to check them out before heading out. Sometimes it can be like organising a military organisation, but it is worth it in the end.
However, if you don't feel like working your way through the brochure I would strongly recommend going to the free street events that take place on The Royal Mile. This is a great showcase for the artists to perform 20 minutes or so of their work to the general public. This year it began about 11am and finished in the early evening, although times may vary. There were three main stages placed at the bottom, middle and top of the pedestrianized area between the Tron Kirk and St Giles Cathedral, for the performers and additional stages for other acts to perform at the same time. There were also 'marked' areas for street performers to show off their talents.
And its free.
As you can imagine, if it starts at 11am and finishes in the evening, and there are a handful of stages, and each performance lasts about 20 minutes each, there is a lot, a lot, of entertainment going on. The great thing is it gives you a chance to see some of the stuff mentioned in the Fringe reviews and you a chance to judge for yourself if you want to go and spend your hard end cash.
Sometimes the prospect of wading through this tome can be quite daunting, after all, I have seen thinner telephone directories, but once you understand how to use it, it is a mine of information just waiting for you to dig up a nugget of gold. In this brochure there is a list of venues, location of venues, the times and prices of each performance. Some of them are free, so it's best to check them out before heading out. Sometimes it can be like organising a military organisation, but it is worth it in the end.
However, if you don't feel like working your way through the brochure I would strongly recommend going to the free street events that take place on The Royal Mile. This is a great showcase for the artists to perform 20 minutes or so of their work to the general public. This year it began about 11am and finished in the early evening, although times may vary. There were three main stages placed at the bottom, middle and top of the pedestrianized area between the Tron Kirk and St Giles Cathedral, for the performers and additional stages for other acts to perform at the same time. There were also 'marked' areas for street performers to show off their talents.
And its free.
As you can imagine, if it starts at 11am and finishes in the evening, and there are a handful of stages, and each performance lasts about 20 minutes each, there is a lot, a lot, of entertainment going on. The great thing is it gives you a chance to see some of the stuff mentioned in the Fringe reviews and you a chance to judge for yourself if you want to go and spend your hard end cash.
No matter what you decide to do in Edinburgh between July and the start of September, just go and enjoy yourself.
