A Brief Guide to Edinburgh's August Festivals

The population explodes, it’s impossible to get anywhere, everyone is relentlessly overstimulated as every available space becomes a performance venue or pop-up bar. Edinburgh locals have a love-hate relationship with the August festivals – sure, it’s a privilege to have unfettered access to work by the world’s greatest artists, musicians, comedians on your (often actual) doorstep. But what about the traffic? And all the annoying people from London? 

If it’s your first time, it’s going to be an unforgettable experience. Don’t overthink it, go with the flow – plan some bits, take a chance on others. Accept that alongside some of the greatest audience experiences of your life you will undoubtedly come across some duds if you really immerse yourself in the Edinburgh Festivals. 

Here’s a quick primer of what’s what. It all started back in 1947 with the Edinburgh International Festival, set up in the aftermath of the Second World War to promote culture, exchange and the ‘flowering of the human spirit.’ This year they’re running 7 to 30 August – this is where you will find your opera, classical music, ballet and large production theatre. 

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe also began in 1947, coining the term ‘fringe theatre’ in the process with an open access approach to programming. This is where you will find your comedy, theatre, musicals, cabaret, circus and kids shows. It’s the biggest performing arts festival in the world with a programme rivaling the Bible for pagination. This year it’s running 7 to 31 August, and the major venues are Pleasance, Gilded Balloon, Underbelly, Assembly and Summerhall. 

The Fringe has a bunch of its own fringes, because in Scotland we encourage dissent and the starting of many festivals. The Free Fringe was set up in opposition to the high costs of venue hire and ticketing, with an alternative model where venues are free, tickets are free, and audiences pay what they want at the end of the show into a donation bucket. 

Edinburgh International Book Festival began in 1983 and currently occupies the Futures Institute of the University of Edinburgh, close to various Fringe hubs. This year they’ve got a packed programme of more than 600 events for adults and children running 15 to 30 August.

Edinburgh International Film Festival also began in 1947 but has not always run in August. It brings a touch of glamour to proceedings with a short but sweet run of 13 to 19 August, showcasing the best of Scottish cinematic talent alongside international work.

Finally, the newest addition to the August lineup is Edinburgh Art Festival, which started back in 2004. Running 14 to 30 August it presents a programme of specially commissioned events, performances and exhibitions across the city in year-round galleries and pop-up venues. 

What to bring
A raincoat, sunscreen, warm layers: Be prepared for any and all seasons to occur on any given day. 
A water bottle: Scottish water is famously better than the water wherever you live. Fill it up at filling stations around town. Or just from the tap. 

What not to bring
An umbrella: It will be immediately destroyed in the wind, also very annoying for squeezing through crowds of festival-goers. 

Find a guide
We recommend The Skinny’s August edition and the Edinburgh festivals-dedicated Fest magazine.
For top-tier recs, look out for our awards, The Besties, announced weekly in the Fringe.