The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is one of the greatest events of its kind, but it can also be a relentless attack mentally and physically, here are Theatre Weekly’s top ten Edinburgh Festival hints and tips.
Wear, and carry the right clothes
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe takes place in one of Scotlands most beautiful cities, but it is still Scotland, and that means there’s a good chance you’ll experience at least three of the four seasons all in the same day. We wouldn’t dream of leaving the hotel without a backpack containing: an umbrella, sun cream and one of those plastic ponchos we all know look ridiculous but are so handy in a sudden downpour. We’ll also pack a few snacks (see next tip) and make sure we are wearing comfortable shoes – there’s going to be a lot of walking!
Don’t forget to eat
You’ve planned every second of your day at the Fringe; you’ll be seeing a lot of shows in quick succession to get the most out of your time in Edinburgh.  But you’ve forgotten to plan one thing, when are you going to eat?! Remember and leave time for some much needed sustenance, there are plenty of beautiful restaurants in Edinburgh, but if you are dashing between shows you’ll find lots of high-quality fast food vans near all the big venues, we would recommend you try a haggis burger.
Be realistic about show times
It is so tempting to book that show you want to see at 4 pm knowing the show you see before it finishes at 3.50, but it’s not worth it. It’ll take you some time to get out of a busy venue, and you need to be at your next show in enough time, especially if it’s a free one. We’d recommend getting to a show at least 15 minutes before it’s advertised start time.
It’s also worth noting that the Edinburgh Festival operates its own time zone, ‘Fringe-Time.’  Shows will be promoted using the 24-hour clock, but the ‘fringe-day’ starts at 05.00 and ends at 04.59, so shows in the early hours (i.e. 02.30) will be listed on the previous day’s date – it can get confusing!
Plan distance between venues
Even if you have planned your show times to perfection, you could still find yourself in difficulty if the venues of successive shows are at opposite ends of the city. Now, to be fair, the sites are somewhat concentrated, but there are a few that are out of the way. Even the venues that are close will take a bit of transit time on a busy, tourist-filled, fringe day. So take a few extra minutes to check the distance between venues before you book tickets.
Walk the Royal Mile
Perhaps you’re not much of a planner, and just want to take your visit as it comes, and that’s fine too. In fact, some of the best shows we’ve seen at the fringe are ones we hadn’t planned to see at all. If you are turning up unprepared, then we’d suggest heading straight for the Royal Mile. Here you’ll find hundreds of performers handing out flyers for their shows, take a wander along picking up flyers, talking to artists and before long you’ll have a strong list of shows you want to see.
Street performers will keep you entertained between flyers and, even better, are the stages set up along the whole street. On these stages, performers will give a short snippet of their show, so you can see if it’s something you would be interested in, before splashing out on a ticket.
Download the app
If you’re like us, then you’ll be a planner, in which case the official Fringe App is a must-have. You can use the app to see all of the shows that are on, find the venues on a map and buy tickets. You can even set up your own planner and add shows to it when you see something you fancy.
Carry a phone charger
Using the app is a must, but it will drain your battery fast! So carry a charger with you, luckily most venues have plug points and unallocated seating, so just look for a seat near a plug point and charge for the whole show.
Visit the Half Price Hut
The Virgin Money Half Price Hut is on Princes Street at the Mound Precinct and sells tickets for shows that day at half price. You won’t be able to guarantee that you’ll get tickets for the show you really want to see but there’s always a huge selection of shows available, and it’s a great way to save some money, just be prepared to wait in a queue. The Half Price Hut is open daily from 10 am to 9 pm
Carry some change (or Fivers)
Of course, you don’t necessarily have to pay anything and still see some great shows. There are hundreds of shows that are completely free and you don’t need tickets for, just turn up at the venue at the stated time and take your seat. Don’t be fooled into thinking the free shows aren’t as good; often quite the opposite is true! But these performers do need to pay for their venue and accommodation, so will always ask for a donation at the end of the show. Keep plenty of pound coins and a few fivers (for the really good ones) and enjoy the great performances available.
Finally, enjoy!
After all the planning, packing, queuing and ticket buying, relax and enjoy the biggest and greatest festival fringe on earth.
