EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE 2023

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is one of the greatest celebrations of arts and culture on the planet, and it happens right here in Scotland’s capital.

Each year, thousands of artists and creatives of every stripe come to Edinburgh to entertain audiences, hone their craft and make a name for themselves – some of them going on to worldwide success! From podcasters and TikTok creators to stars of stage and screen, you can see them all at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

It all started in 1947, when the Edinburgh International Festival set out to demonstrate a ‘flowering of the human spirit’ following World War II. Despite being refused entry to the official programme, eight theatre companies (six of them from Scotland) turned up anyway and staged their own shows on the ‘fringe’ of the festival. It took a few more years for the name to catch on, but that’s when the earliest seeds of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe were sown!

Since then the word ‘fringe’ has evolved and taken on wider cultural significance – in the context of modern-day arts and performance, it describes shows that are fearless, rebellious or experimental. The concept of a fringe festival has also become more popular – following Edinburgh’s pioneering example, there are now around 300 fringes worldwide.

An amazing variety

Edinburgh’s Fringe programme is split into ten broad categories, covering the many different forms of live performance: cabaret and variety; children’s shows; comedy; dance, physical theatre and circus; events; exhibitions; music; musicals and opera; spoken word; and theatre. Within those categories are seemingly infinite combinations and variations – you might see a stand-up show aimed at kids or a ‘gig theatre’ performance that uses the power and excitement of live music to tell a story. In other words, whatever style of performance you like, you’ll find it at the Fringe.

As an open access festival, the Fringe doesn’t have an artistic director or programmer who decides which shows can take part – it’s up to the artists to decide whether they come or not. The Fringe is open to anyone with a story to tell and a venue to host them – if you think you might have your own idea for a show, you’re welcome too!

Fringe performances have taken place in a wide variety of venues – from traditional theatres and concert halls to more improvised spaces like basements, swimming pools, the summit of Arthur’s Seat or even in the back of a taxi. Some shows require you to buy a ticket in advance, the same as you would for theatre shows and concerts outside of Fringe time. Other shows are free to enter, though performers will usually ask for a donation at the end if you enjoyed it.

The world-famous Fringe street events take place on the Royal Mile and the Mound: you can watch as many shows as you like for free, but you’re encouraged to tip performers if you’re able to. There’s an amazing array of entertainment for all the family, from fire breathers and sword swallowers to jugglers, escape artists and hula hoopers!

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is the organisation that underpins the festival, and one of their main objectives is to ensure that everyone who wants to visit the Fringe is able to. However, Edinburgh’s historic layout and architecture mean that some shows aren’t accessible to everyone –basement venues, for example, aren’t always suitable for people with reduced mobility such as wheelchair users.

The Fringe Society is constantly working to make the festival as accessible as possible for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people, and while there’s more work to be done, they’ve already undertaken various measures in that direction. These include:

• Working with venues to provide clear information about which spaces are accessible for different audiences

• Providing British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation at the street events

• Making it easier for audiences to find shows with enhanced access features such as captioning, audio description, BSL or relaxed performances

• Arranging a centrally located Changing Places toilet for people who are unable to use a standard accessible toilet

• Operating an access bookings service where audience members with access requirements can book services such as hearing loops or specific seating, or arrange complimentary tickets for personal assistants.

The Fringe Society recognises that the festival experience can be overwhelming for neurodiverse people, such as autistic adults and children. To help make the festival more welcoming they loan out sensory backpacks containing items such as ear defenders and wobble cushions; these backpacks are free to borrow.

If you have an access requirement and would like to attend the Fringe, you can get in touch with the access bookings team by calling +44 (0)131 226 0002, emailing accessbookings@edfringe.com or sending a WhatsApp message to +44 (0)7923 525799

The Fringe isn’t just for August – there are projects and activities throughout the year that help schools and communities in and around the city get the most out of the festival, as well as the arts more generally.

Through Fringe Days Out, the Fringe Society works with charities and community groups in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas to provide Fringe ticket vouchers and bus tickets to people who might otherwise miss out – there have been around 12,500 recipients since the project started in 2017! Fringe in Communities works in the other direction – rather than bringing people into town, the Society helps artists work and perform in places like community centres and hospitals, delivering a taste of the Fringe in people’s own neighbourhoods.

The Fringe Society also works with primary, secondary and additional support needs (ASN) schools to give Scotland’s young people an experience of the festival and inspire the next generation of creatives and arts sector professionals. Projects include Schools on the Street, which invites classes to perform as part of the world-famous street events, and Teachers’ Theatre Club (in partnership with Imaginate), which gives teachers the skills and confidence to discuss performance in the classroom.

Shows are available to book NOW!

The Fringe isn’t till August, but there are already hundreds of show listings live on edfringe.com. You can find out what’s on offer in several different ways: the website allows you to filter search results based on your own requirements (such as date, time, cost and age suitability), and lets you build a shortlist of favourite shows for future reference. The official

Fringe programme is a printed brochure that lists every show at the festival – it launches on Thursday 08 June, but you can pre-order one on edfringe.com and have it delivered to your door in time for launch. And the official Fringe app will launch in late July, and includes the ‘nearby now’ function to find shows that are starting soon in nearby venues.

Of course, you can also just take a trip into town during August and soak up the Fringe atmosphere in person. Watch a street performer, or take a flyer from someone keen to tell you about their show –who knows, you might discover your new favourite entertainer before they hit the big time!

Edinburgh Festival Fringe takes place 04 – 28 August. Find out more at edfringe.com.