Creativity is a powerful force that, if nurtured, can achieve incredible things. And there’s one festival that proves this year after year. The world’s greatest celebration of arts and culture, which has transformed from a rebellious act in 1947, into the global cultural phenomenon 77 years on – the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Fearless creativity pays off
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe was born when eight uninvited theatre groups rebelled against the Edinburgh International Festival in 1947 and started to perform their shows at venues along the ‘fringe’ of the main festival – and so the Edinburgh Fringe Festival found its name.
It’s now open to anyone with a story to tell and a venue to tell it in. Taking place for three weeks every August, the Fringe has become a bastion of creativity, innovation and experimentation within the performing arts. It contributes massively to the Scottish economy every year.
Why invest in creativity and culture?
Creativity fuels economies
In 2022, the economic impact of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on Edinburgh alone was £407 million. That’s not including tourist spending, which was reported to be £137 million. The impact on Scotland was £367 million in 2022. Additionally, it creates thousands of employment opportunities.
Opportunities open doors
Edinburgh Festival Fringe has given emerging artists a stage to launch their careers and become global icons in their field. Acts like Billy Connelly, Steve Coogan and Phoebe Waller-Bridge premiered their shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
A venue for innovation
By giving anyone with a story to tell a venue to tell it in, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe pushes boundaries and allows the freedom to revolutionise theatre, comedy and other acts – anything goes. Like our annual Zag conference, we believe we can learn from unconformity and unconventional thinking to give room to innovation and experimentation.
Culture breeds connection
There’s a level of open-mindedness when you go into these sorts of creative events. And the willingness to soak in the stories and situations brings people together across different cultures, backgrounds and perspectives.
So, what’s the lesson?
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is 77 years of proof that when creativity is given a stage and room to grow, beautiful things can happen.
Creativity is irreplaceable, and investing in creative people, spaces, events and ideas is essential to building thriving communities and economies.
Making the most of creativity on our doorstep
As a creative agency in the heart of Edinburgh, our team makes the most of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe every August. Whether that’s using it to inspire our creativity, perform or even be an official reviewer, like our very own Girdy (AKA Andrew Girdwood), who wrote for us last year on his experience.
So, we thought we’d ask one of our newest experts, who also happens to be an ex-Fringe Society employee, to share their top tips on how to get the most out of your festival experience. Once capturing and telling stories through film for the Fringe, we’re now lucky enough to have him as our own Moving Image Creative with an inside scoop on the festival. Introducing Alex Starr.
Ready to jump into the Fringe 2025?
This year’s programme boasts over 3,300 shows across 265 venues, with over 50,000 individual performances. The numbers are staggering and, frankly, a little overwhelming. So, if you’re attending this year, whether it be your first Fringe or your fiftieth, here are my top tips for cutting through the clatter and getting the most out of Edinburgh’s most famous festival.
Are you a Planner or a Punter?
The most important thing to note at the outset is that there’s no correct way to experience the Fringe. Whether you’re looking for comedy, theatre, dance, cabaret, or circus, there are as many ways to find the things you love as there are people in attendance (well over 1 million)! That said, there are two distinct audience types which you’ll find in Edinburgh this August: The Planners and The Punters.
A Planner's Guide to the Fringe
Step one
Let’s start with the Planners. The best place for a Planner to start is with a free (yes, free) copy of the Fringe programme, which contains information on all 3,352 shows and 265 venues. You can pick one up from the Fringe shop or key locations across the city. They’re almost impossible to miss, but if you do need help finding one, the Fringe Society has a map of distribution points and even a digital copy available for download here: edfringe.com/experience/plan-your-visit/fringe-programme
Step two
Once you have your free programme, it’s time to dive in. Grab a coffee and a highlighter, switch your phone off, and find yourself a cosy nook to paw through the 350-page catalogue and start curating your personal festival experience.
If you can’t get a copy of the programme, then the official Fringe website or app can serve as a suitable digital alternative. As well as favouriting your shows, these digital tools also allow you to read reviews, view the venue on a map, and purchase your tickets.
To browse shows online, go to edfringe.com/tickets
To download the app, go to edfringe.com/experience/plan-your-visit/fringe-app
The programme, website, and app offer the most comprehensive overview of the festival, giving you access to everything you need to plan your visit. For Fringe veterans with sharpened instincts for finding the shows they like, these tools are all they need. For Fringe first-timers, it can be a little overwhelming. If you’re new to the Fringe, you may find it easier to browse individual venue programmes. These smaller, curated programmes will allow you to plan your experience more concisely, without sacrificing variety!
Here are a few recommendations for venue programmes to get started with. Not only do they put on some of the best of the Fringe, but they’re also great places to soak in the festival atmosphere, enjoy a drink or bite to eat, and maybe even encounter a surprise:
Or choose your own from this complete list of all 265 venues: edfringe.com/tickets/venues/map
Final Step
One final tip for the keenest Planners is to check out reviews for shows from other Fringe festivals. Brighton and Adelaide are the next two largest, and many performers on the line-up at these festivals will also be bringing their shows to Edinburgh in August. They’ll already have received reviews during their runs at these other Fringes, so you can turn up on the first day and be confident that you’ve booked a great show!
Planning your days at the Fringe can help maximise your time and ensure that you get to see the best of what’s on offer, but in planning too much, you miss out on an essential aspect of attending the Fringe – finding something unexpected.
A Punter's Guide to the Fringe
Step one
This is where The Punter’s approach takes centre-stage. By embracing the chaotic, anarchic nature of the Fringe, this group of attendees is tapping into what some think is the true essence of the Fringe.
A great place to start exploring this unpredictability is on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh’s most iconic street. Here, you’ll be able to experience the best of world street performance while simultaneously basking in the beauty of Edinburgh’s sandstone architecture and cobbled streets. The Street Events are free to attend (though donations are encouraged) with several pitches along the Royal Mile, the variety on offer between circus, music, magic, and more is certain to offer up a surprise or two.
Step two
Not only does the Royal Mile host some of the greatest entertainment available at the Fringe, it’s also the premier location to unwittingly participate in one of the Fringe’s oldest and strongest traditions – being flyer’d. To a Punter, this is an unrivalled opportunity to browse the festival without ever having to glance at a programme or app. Simply take a walk down the Mile and you’ll be presented with a plethora of potential shows to fill your day with. Not only that, but you’ll be surrounded by the thousands of artists and performers whose shows combined make the Fringe happen. This personal level of interaction between audience and performer is part of what makes the Fringe so special. Accepting a flyer from an artist, listening to their pitch, and taking a punt on their show is one of the most fulfilling and unique experiences a festival can offer.
If you’re not ready to decide on the spot, take your handful of flyers, find a venue with refreshments and outdoor seating, and flick through the collection, making your choices of shows for the day. Keep your eyes out for free shows and 2-for-1 offers to stretch your budget as far as possible (those refreshments don’t come cheap) and give yourself over to impulse and instinct. While here, you’ll also likely strike up a conversation with other Fringe-goers, milling about between shows. Be sure to ask them for recommendations and, if you can, offload some of your discarded flyers to them to enjoy a second life.
Step three
Finally, if the flyers aren’t doing it for you, then the official Fringe app has one final trick up its sleeve– shake to search. This feature is like asking a magic 8 ball for help with a decision; with the edfringe app open, just shake and you’ll be presented with a random show suggestion alongside all the relevant information you need to purchase tickets. This overlooked feature is enormous fun when out with a group and unable to reach a consensus.
Enjoy
So, whether you’re a Planner or a Punter, we hope this guide helps you enjoy what the Fringe has on offer.
Keen to chat about what you’ve seen at the Fringe or looking for other sources of creativity this summer? Give us a bell.
