The Fringe festival in Edinburgh

The Fringe festival in Edinburgh

The Festival is one of the greatest celebrations of arts and culture worldwide and takes place each year in August. This year in 2024 the dates cover from the 2nd – 26th August so go and make the most of it if you are in the city during these dates. Often our Scottish Tourer customers either stop here prior to coming to our depot or on route home so if you are, please pop into the city and enjoy this electric atmosphere. 

The Fringe Festival originated in 1947 as the alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival which focussed on classical arts. In this time a group of eight theatre companies performed their shows on the fringes of the event and since then it has continued to grow and expand into the Fringe as we know now. Every year the festival attracts thousands of performers and visitors. 
One of the most special things about the Fringe is that it is an open access policy. Any artist or performer can participate in the festival. This is irrespective of their reputation or professional status. This inclusive approach has led to an enormous diverse range of performances and acts. Each act is unique and covers almost all genres, including theatres, comedy, music, dance, cabaret, circus spoken word and much more. Its really something you won’t believe until you see and experience a variety of the shows. 
 

The venues of the acts take place all over the city. The city during this time transforms into a vibrant hub of artistic activity. These venues vary from your traditional theatres, makeshift spaces, pubs, clubs and outdoor locations. There are so many different ways to experience the entertainment on offer and it offers a unique experience you will struggle to find anywhere else. 
You will gain from experienced performers to emerging artists. I'd recommend if you go to see a bit of both as often the emerging acts are utterly wonderful and also you can be a part of their story in them building their repertoire in the artistic world. 

Although Scotland like to promote their own wonderful artists, the Fringe showcases talent from all over the world. This includes tourists coming to visit just for the Fringe, art professionals, critics and industry insiders. This provides them with the platform to be able to gain the exposure, connect with their audiences and potentially secure their future opportunities. Here you may in years look back and say i have seen that person when they weren’t famous or just starting out!

Street performances and flyering, is amazing in summary. The streets are alive and bursting with noise, entertainment including acrobats, magicians and artists showcasing their skills. You will also gain lots of flyers from people handing out information about their shows that are up and coming. There is a wonderful atmosphere with that real sense of celebration and creativity filling the air. With the mixture of performers, artists and festival goers the melting pot of culture, ideas and art is just perfect to create that festival ambiance. Not to forget the wonderful food stalls, pop up bars and the important social spaces. 

The Edinburgh Fringe has become not only a phenomenon in Scotland but worldwide for that melting pot of everything and everyone. They have won several awards including the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Pop over to the website www.edfringe.com for more information.