How do I choose?

Choosing what to see at the fringe can be difficult as there is such a variety of acts to pick from. A lot of people come with pre paid tickets and a plan of exactly what they want to see, others turn up with nothing but free time to fill with whatever shows they like the sound of when they're there. 

Whether you like to plan ahead or are someone who just wings it, it is always useful to know where to look for some of the best show on offer.

The Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is Edinburgh Old Towns busiest tourist street, especially during the festival. It is made up of a succession of streets running from Edinburgh castle down to Holyrood Abbey. During the festival, the High Street is full of different street artists, performers and flyerers. If you are looking for an idea of what to see, the High street is the perfect place to go. With Open air stages for acts to do snippets of their shows, you get the chance to decide what you would like to see before you buy the tickets. And don't be surprised when every second person you see is trying to hand you a flyer, but make sure you take them! You might find something you really like.  

The Pleasance Courtyard

The Pleasance Courtyard which is situated in the centre of the city and during the festival season it is transformed into one of the biggest and most well known venues of the entire fringe, with 16 venues all in one area of Edinburgh. 

Attracting over 500,000 visitors a year and complete with seven bars, three cafe’s and its own kids zone all in one courtyard it really is no wonder that the Pleasance is one of the hottest spots of the festival.

Many big comedy festival names have played at the Pleasance and this year is certainly no different. This year you can expect to see acts such as, Shappi Khorsandi, Andrew Lawrence, Tim Vine, Paul Merton (and chums), Josie Long, Sean Hughes and many more all playing in one of the many venues here at the Pleasance.

If you have some free time, it is well worth grabbing a drink and sitting in the courtyard. The atmosphere is brilliant and there are plenty of people around who can recommend the best shows to see.

The pleasance Dome

The Pleasance Dome is only a 5 minute walk from the Courtyard; it is situated inside The University of Edinburgh’s student union on Bristo Square. The Dome is a central venue in the city and because it is very popular it is usually a busy and vibrant venue day and night.

There are many facilities as well as five venues inside the Dome for example 2 bars, a cafe and the Union shop which are open every day to the public. Brookes bar is the official bar open during the evening for performers and crew members who are all involved at the Pleasance during the festival time and as insiders we recommend visiting this bar if you are a performer or if you will be working alongside the pleasance as it offers a very chilled and relaxed atmosphere, and is a good place if you want to meet other performers who can recommend things to see or if you want to be a part of the performing environment. 

The Half Price Hut

Situated on the mound precinct is the half price hut. Here you will find tickets for shows that are on offer, perhaps because there are only a few tickets left and they need to sell fast, or just for promotional offers. It is a great idea to get up there and check out whats available, you never know, you might find something you really love and for half the price!

It is also in a lovely area of Edinburgh where not only will you get great ticket offers but you can take in the scenery of the beautiful city too. 




So if you are stuck with what to see or where to look for inspiration, this post will hopefully be useful. And don't forget to grab a guide from the fringe shop on the high street, sit down in the courtyard with a pen and circle some of your favourites to see!