Edinburgh festivals

So, you have posted in England and Edinburgh is in Scotland. :) . This is a wonderful time to visit Edinburgh. It will be bit more expensive, but more is going on in the city. If you want to know more, post in the Scotland Forum.

Pam

Do you have lodging locked down? If not, look at the rates before going any farther.

I have no tips since my first trip to Edinburgh isn't until July. I opted to leave town on July 31 rather than have to think about the Festival impact.

August in Edinburgh (which is in Scotland!) is kind of crazy but great fun. The first week is a good time to be there.

If you want to see the castle, probably best to pre-book your tickets. Bear in mind the Fringe & Festival crowds aren’t necessarily going to tourist attractions though: I’ve not encountered particular crowds at Holyrood Palace or other attractions.

The thing that is really, really busy is a short section of the Royal Mile. It will be full of street performers, people trying to get you to see their shows etc. At times it can be tricky to walk through, but it’s also a real experience.

Do try to experience some Fringe shows while you’re there. People will be trying to hand you flyers all over the place - do experiment with something that takes your fancy. Many shows are free, or during the first week you can visit the Half-Price Hut on the Mound.

Restaurants can be busy but you can always find something to eat.

Enjoy the vibe: it’s like nothing else on earth.

well I live in Edinburgh and it can be manic but great fun. I tend to avoid much of the festival these day, been there done that and have numerous T-shirts but still go to a few events each year. Make sure you have your accommodation booked ,it can be very limited at this time of year and VERY Expensive.

You're looking at three separate events, each of them popular: The military tattoo, the original ( and more classically oriented) festival, and the Fringe, spun off long ago and crowded with attractions. Obviously you need to book your lodging as soon as possible, transport too, and look at the playbills as soon as they are posted for advance ticket sales. I'd leave some space for last-minute ticket purchases if something suddenly appeals, but of course the surprise hits will also be the hardest to obtain.

I highly recommend seeing the Military Tattoo we saw it the very last night and it was good. Purchase tickets ahead of time and dress warmly. We also saw the Highland Games (Bramer) and the Queen! That was an amazing experience and well worth it. We loved Scotland, we spent 3 weeks there and wish we had spent a few more days.

You should post your question in the Scotland forum.

I visited Edinburgh last year in August. I was not there for the festivals and it was just way too crowded! You could barely walk on the royal mile and people were constantly trying to give you flyers and brochures. I took a day trip outside of the city one day and getting the train back to Edinburgh was horrible. I had to wait two trains because there was no room at all for anyone. Once I walked further away down on royal mile it did get better. Didn't ruin my experience though and still enjoyed myself but be prepared for crowds.

I have been to Edinburgh during festival and, not knowing any better, we didn't make reservations and just decided to "wing it". Ended up literally sleeping on a couch in the back of a bar thanks to a sympathetic bartender who felt sorry for us. Made for a good story but not great. Make sure to make your lodging reservations NOW. The place completely fills up, literally, during the festival.
That said, it's a fantastic time to be in Edinburgh! The concerts, plays, street performers, etc., make it really fun and memorable. Definitely go!

Anita said:

it's a fantastic time to be in Edinburgh! The concerts, plays, street performers, etc., make it really fun and memorable. Definitely go!

Couldn't have said it any better.

Being there during the festivals is wonderful, as long as you can get into the spirit of things and enjoy the crowds. Go see some shows...you can find reviews online that identify some of the more promising productions of the year. Use the official Fringe app to make ticket reservations easy as pie. We went to 12 shows over four days and had an amazing time! (Two adults, two teen boys--all very arts-oriented, admittedly.)