Where is the Edinburgh Fringe?

It takes place at lots of places, such as an old medical school called Summerhall, a student’s union named Pleasance Dome, and loads of smaller bars. They're mostly close together, so you can walk between them in about 15 minutes.

Fringe Central now has a permanent home on Infirmary Street, in the heart of the Old Town, having moved on from its old role as a temporary pop-up rebuilt from scratch each August, where artists, the arts industry, and media gather. The permanent base gives performers and industry professionals somewhere to turn for support year-round rather than just during the festival itself, offering personalised assistance, from panel events to networking, helping the arts industry find new opportunities and showcase Fringe artists beyond the festival.

In terms of how long it would take to get to a venue from your suite at Fraser Suites Edinburgh, average journey times by foot are:

• Assembly George Square Gardens – 11 minutes
• The Stand Comedy Club – 13 minutes
• George Square Theatre – 14 minutes
• Pleasance Courtyard – 12 minutes
  
• Gilded Balloon Teviot – 8 minutes (via George Bridge)
• Traverse Theatre – 12 minutes
• Assembly Rooms – 10 Minutes

How can I get tickets to Fringe events?

To secure your spot at Edinburgh Fringe Festival events, the official Fringe website is your go to platform for convenient ticket purchases and comprehensive event listings. While many shows may sell out in advance, the option to purchase tickets in person remains available.

Can I buy tickets in person?

Yes. Many shows do sell out in advance, but you can still buy tickets on the day for many shows. The main Fringe Box Office is located at Old Assembly close on High St, 150 metres away from Fraser Suites Edinburgh.

How can I get to the Edinburgh Fringe from Edinburgh Airport?

Navigating your way to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from Edinburgh Airport is both quick and convenient.

The Airline 100 bus runs non-stop from the airport, with a bus every 10 minutes at peak time leaving passengers off at Waverley Bridge, a 4-minute walk from our front door. Fares are affordable and available as single or return tickets.

There is also a tram link that operates from 6am – 10pm every day and leaves passengers in the city in around 30 minutes. Fares are broadly comparable to the bus, and it's worth checking current prices and routes directly before you travel, as both can change.

Your Base for the Fringe

By the time the last curtain falls on the bank holiday Monday, Edinburgh will have hosted more shows than most cities see in a year, and no two Fringes ever look quite the same. Whichever performances make your list, having somewhere close to the action, and somewhere to properly rest between them, makes the whole thing easier to enjoy. Deciding where to stay for the Fringe really comes down to proximity: the closer your base, the less of the festival you lose to travel time.

Fraser Suites Edinburgh sits right where that balance is easiest to strike, close enough to walk to most venues yet quiet enough to unwind in after a long day of shows. If you're building a longer trip around the festival, our two-day Edinburgh itinerary is a good starting point for filling the hours outside the Fringe programme itself. Rooms fill quickly once the festival programme is announced each summer, so it's worth taking a look at our current offers sooner rather than later if you're planning to be here for the Fringe.

FAQs about the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

How many venues take part in the Edinburgh Fringe?

A few hundred, and the exact number shifts slightly each year as the programme is finalised. Recent editions have run to somewhere in the region of 250 to 300 venues across the city, ranging from grand theatres to tiny back rooms above pubs, so the handful named elsewhere in this guide, like Summerhall and Pleasance Dome, are really just a starting point for exploring what's on.

Can I join the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society as a member?

Yes. The Fringe Society, the registered charity behind the festival, is an open membership organisation that anyone can join, typically for a modest annual fee in the region of £5. Members have a say in how the Society is run, including electing its board each year, and it's one of the more overlooked ways to feel genuinely part of the festival beyond simply buying a ticket to a show.

Is the Edinburgh Fringe suitable for children and families?

Yes, and it's more family-friendly than its late-night-comedy reputation might suggest. Alongside the adult-oriented shows the Fringe is best known for, hundreds of dedicated children's and family shows run throughout the festival each August, spanning magic, circus, storytelling and interactive theatre for a wide range of ages. Venues around George Square Gardens tend to be a particular hub for family-friendly programming, with several shows clustered close together, and the official Fringe programme lets you filter listings by age suitability to help narrow things down.

What other festivals take place in Edinburgh at the same time as the Fringe?

The Fringe is the largest of several festivals that all run through August, overlapping for most of the month. The Edinburgh International Festival brings curated theatre, opera, dance and classical music, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes over the Castle Esplanade each evening, and the Edinburgh Art Festival and Edinburgh International Book Festival add visual art and literary events into the mix. It's entirely possible to take in more than one festival in a single visit, though most people find it easier to focus on two or three rather than trying to cover everything at once.