The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is big, hectic, and chaotic. There are too many people, too many shows, too many impromptu parties, pubs and clubs.
Sounds great right?
If you’re going to make the most of your time at the Edinburgh Festival, some survival strategies should help you. Here are some ideas to help you have a good time without getting lost because you’ve tried to squeeze too much or because you’re too tired, cold, wet, hungry, thirsty, or hungover.
Orient
The Edinburgh Festival takes place throughout the city. Before arriving, look at some maps of Edinburgh and, most importantly, locate the tourist information office near Waverly station. If you’ve never been to Edinburgh before, it’s the best place to look for maps and an overview of the city.
Don’t overload
Edinburgh Fringe shows can be booked prior to arrival. But don’t overdo it. If you reserve every free minute, you miss out on catching the festival buzz and chasing whatever you fancy that day. What makes Edinburgh so special is the way you can follow your nose, an attractive sign, a funny brochure or the advice of a stranger you meet in a pub to discover a show that you had not heard about two minutes before. You could end up seeing failure, but you could also fall for the festival discovery. That’s half the fun.
Start early
You know who gets the worm. Be an early riser if you want the chance to get the best tickets, or the best chance to get the tickets you want. Sleep in late and you’ll have to settle for leftovers, so wakey wakey.
Make a daily plan, and a plan B
Read the festival program or online guides like the WOW Guide published by The Scotsman, the local Edinburgh newspaper. Talk to people over breakfast and come out with a plan of what tickets, sights, daytime events you’ll be looking for. Try to fulfill it. Otherwise, if you let your offer attract you, you will become one of those people who have to read all the menus of all the restaurants in the city before deciding and end up missing lunch.
Have a Plan B though, and probably a Plan C and D. If a show (cabaret, comedy act, dance party, etc.) is hot, tickets will go quickly, so it’s a good idea to have some alternative ideas.
Aim for a mix of experiences
Find tickets to theater, stand-up comedy, music, cabaret, physical theater, etc. Try a couple of daytime workshops or talks with writers and interpreters. Go tea dancing at The Famous Spiegeltent. Edinburgh shows everything. Make the most of that fact by trying out a variety of acting styles and theater forms.
Check out the other festivals
At least five other festivals take place in Edinburgh at the same time as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Check them out for a change of pace or to blend in with a different crowd. While on Fringe, you can also attend:
- The Edinburgh International Festival
- The Edinburgh International Film Festival
- The Edinburgh International Book Festival
- The Edinburgh International Art Festival
- The Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Packing suitable clothes
Edinburgh is a casual party with lots of walking, lots of outdoor events, and a very good chance of rain. This is not the time to put on a new pair of shoes or stagger in stilletoes. If you don’t want to lug around an umbrella, plan to have a rain hat and waterproof blanket for those wet weather days that you can count on. Similarly, bring something waterproof to sit on the ground. And don’t forget to bring some warm things. Even in August you never know when the temperature may drop. There is nothing worse than trying to have a good time when you are cold and wet and your feet are blistered.
Bring sandwiches and water.
Time can really pass during the festival. The days are long and the distractions are many. It’s easy to miss a meal or two because you’re having fun or the lines are too long to bother. Take some light, high-energy snacks and a bottle of water with you. Munchies can attack at any time.
Sorry for loving you so much
Only you know how many nights you can drive, how many miles you can walk, how much you can hit your head. Edinburgh is full of mermaids to lure you into one more cabaret act, one more beer, another half hour of conversation. And pubs and clubs stay open until 5 a.m. for the festival. Keep your own limits in mind. That extra drink that seems like a good idea at night can seem less good when you miss a show while sleeping off a hangover. Have fun but keep your stamina.
Be flexible
Perhaps you’ve never considered renting a room in a private home before. Or stay in a hostel. Just because you’ve put your heart into an Indian meal, don’t turn your nose up at pizza. And if you can’t get tickets to the comedy act, touch, touch, what you’re looking for, be willing to take a chance on something else.
The more flexible you are, about accommodation, meals, entertainment, the more likely you are to go with the flow and have a good time.
