Edinburgh Fringe

The Edinburgh Festival is really made up of five festivals. There's the Book Festival, set in leafy Charlotte Square and home to top authors and commentators; the International Festival, which hosts lush, clever high-arts productions; the Art Festival, which brings together special exhibitions and regular galleries; and the Fringe, which is what most people mean when they talk airily of the Festival, bulging with all manner of comedy, theatre, and music from pros and amateurs. The grandeur and danger of the Fringe - which, unsurprisingly, has its own unauthorized fringe - is that no one selects who gets to be a part of it; performers just pay to be included in the program. For a few pennies, you may witness students do Hamlet or Bouncers, watch wonderfully witty or immensely foolish stand-up, see fantastic new work from bold writers, or stand in a giant tent and watch a circus reinvent itself.

It's possible to have a fantastic day without seeing any concerts at all, instead hopping from makeshift bar to historic tavern and chatting with the performers, punters, and hangers-on that flock here like moths to a month-long flame. But it's better to be in the thick of it, wading through the drunks and garbage in the hope of seeing that rare and amazing beast: genius creating a name for itself.

Time: 5th -29th August 2022

Website: https://www.edfringe.com/