Topdeck Travel Blog

By Brett Edmonds

Each year for 3 jam-packed weeks in August the city of Edinburgh resigns itself to theatrical hijack. Thousands descend on Scotland's capital to amaze, tempt and entice the spectator into parting with their time: in exchange for laughter, tears, ridicule, and amusement.

From its humble beginnings in August 1947 when a handful of companies that hadn’t been invited to appear in the inaugural Edinburgh International Festival decided to perform anyway, the Fringe has grown into the largest arts festival in the world.

With every corner turned drama lurks, enticing bystanders with Asian acrobatics displaying extraordinary feats of balance and agility; Spanish entertainers performing breathtaking fire juggling and fire eating acts; modern Houdinis miraculously escaping elaborate chains and super-safe contraptions. If you’re lucky, you may even get to see a walking, talking, dancing Hoover or two.

Edinburgh Houdini

A handy tip is to get yourself an Edinburgh Fringe guide. This comes complete with map and handy venue guide. With over two hundred venues and over 30,000 performances running throughout the festival, it will you help navigate the city and get you to your favourite performances on time.

The Fringe takes place all over the city. Shows play not only in established year-round venues such as the Traverse Theatre, Cabaret Voltaire and The Stand comedy club, but also in ad-hoc spaces in rooms above pubs, public parks and even moving vehicles.

Fringe Actors may appear as strange, complex characters, but they are quite possibly some of the most entertaining, bewildering and loveable characters you will ever come across, who adore a sympathetic spectator. So while you meander down the Royal Mile, smile kindly on those poor, struggling actors clap and cheer their efforts, maybe even give them your small change. You never know, you may come face to face with tomorrow's next “big thing”.

In the evening, crowds that flood the city ascend the Royal Mile towards enchanting Edinburgh Castle to watch the spectacle that is the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. On the last Saturday in August during the Bank holiday weekend, the most dramatic and awe inspiring of these evenings occur.

Over 30 countries have been represented at the Tattoo over the years, from military regiments to African tribes. With performances from pipers, gymnasts, singers and dancers, the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo is an amazing display of music and theatre. Each performance is as varied as the next and with this diverse collaboration of musicians it is sure to entertain the many thousands that brave the Scottish weather each night.

Fireworks at Edinburgh Castle

The climax of this eventful evening is undoubtedly the thrilling fireworks display.  Set high above Edinburgh Castle, this awesome display lights up the night sky for many miles. These seemingly endless bursts of red, orange, green and purple hues bathe this beautiful city and make for spectacular photo keepsakes (a must for those budding photographers out there).

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