The Edinburgh Fringe Festival - Our top picks

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival – Top Ten things to do

Kirsty, Biscuit's newest team member, joined us last month as the Ecommerce Assistant so we asked her to round up her 10 favourite things to do in Edinburgh during August. 

Originally, the Scottish Edinburgh fringe festival was known as the worlds largest art festival and looking back to 2018 it spanned 25 days and had over 55,000 performances and 317 venues. Naturally, due to the Covid pandemic the festival will be scaled back for this year’s festivities however none the less there is still plenty to do.
  1. George square –
One of the hearts of the fringe has to be George Square, if you’re looking for some post Covid buzz or some weekend winddown this is the place to be. From local food trucks, cocktails and live performances George square is certain to entertain. With free entry all you have to pay for is the food or drink within the venue.

   2. Alanda’s –

If you like fish and chips or gelato be sure to experience Alanda’s.  They are a family run business (since 1991) selling seafood and gelato in vans that travel around Scotland. Great for dinner on the go and included in the George square foodie festival.

 

3. Gilded balloon

If you’re in the mood for some light-hearted giggles visit the Gilded Balloon for all things comedy! Having been around for 25 years the Gilded Balloon producers know exactly what people want and are sure to impress. You can find information about tickets online : https://gildedballoon.co.uk/

4. Everyone’s talking about Jamie

The hit West End musical which surrounds a teenager that dreams of a career in drag is set to showcase as part of the film festival on the 20th of August. The showcase will also include an afterparty tag lined “Edinburgh’s talking about Jamie” in St Andrews Square. If you fancy some fun costumes and fancy cocktails get booking as the Fringe always sells out!

  5. The royal mile – Camera Obscura

If you’re looking for something family friendly that is sure to keep the kids entertained be sure to book onto the Camera Obscura on the Royal Mile. After a busy morning of shows you might feel like taking a look at Edinburgh in all its glory by getting the best 360 degree view in town with what camera obscura has to offer.

   6. The Book Festival

Here At Biscuit everyone loves reading and passing on their newest book suggestions and although the book festival won’t be out in full force this year there are still lots of online events and some live too! Director, Nick Barley, said: “We are incredibly excited to produce our first ‘hybrid’ festival with authors and audiences joining us both in person and online.  We welcome a mix of Scottish and international voices to discuss their ideas, hopes and dreams and we aim to explore together how to move ‘Onwards and Upwards’ from this devastating pandemic."

  7. The Pleasance Theatre

From opening in 1985 the Pleasance Theatre has been at the heart of the Edinburgh Festival continually bringing a hive of activity in. The Pleasance is made up of two theatres facing into a courtyard and celebrates contemporary comedy, drama and entertainment. Open from Friday the 6th to Sunday the 29th there will be both online and in person events associated with the Pleasance, including there ever popular Cabaret. 

 

8. Edinburgh festival free street events

One of my personal favourite highlights of the Edinburgh fringe is the atmosphere it brings to Edinburgh and the buzz it creates. During the festival in areas like the Royal Mile, not far from Waverly station, there are a wide range of street performances that are free to watch and a definite crowd pleaser. The street events also usually provide snippets of bigger performances so if you're not sure what to go watch be sure to catch some previews.

 

 9. St Andrews square open air cinema.  

Make the most of the last of the Summer sunshine and wander down to St Andrews square to watch a free outdoor movie as part of the Edinburgh Film Festival. From old classic singalongs like Mamma Mia and Greece to hopeless romantic comedies like Bridget Jones Baby and Sleepless in Seattle the St Andrews square free movie theatre will provide something for everyone and an evening of entertainment.

10. Bruntsfield 

And of course, if you find yourself in our local area of either Bruntsfeild or Thistle street make sure to come in and say hello to some friendly faces. Alongside Biscuit, Bruntsfield is packed from independent shops, local coffee shops and delicious food spots like Honeycomb and Co, Tempo Perso, Decanter Winery and Fin & Grape. 

All images have been sourced from company's own websites or Instagram's.