Euan's Guide

Edinburgh's Festivals

A photo of some Fringe posters on a wall.

12/08/2014

Edinburgh is one of - or perhaps the - Festival capital of the world. Euan's Guide is lucky enough to be based here so here's a local's guide to some of our favourite festivals and locations.

We'll be adding to this regularly, and this page was last updated on 5 August 2014.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe (August)

What they say "The world's largest arts festival with just under 50,000 performances and more than 3100 shows packed into almost 300 venues across the city."

What we say "This is a brilliant time of year to live in Edinburgh. Disabled access is getting better at venues across the city - but with so many of the venues being temporary you do need to check out venue information before you go."

What our reviewers say We've not yet had reviews for all of the 300(!) venues but here's some we have:

Don't forget! Make sure to visit the pop-up venues around the city. They may only be temporary but they are lot's of fun!

What others say We asked Laurence Clark and Jess Thom what they thought of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and what their shows are about this year. We also interviewed Lost Voice Guy and Professor Graham Turner about their Fringe shows. Lastly, we have a guide to child friendly Fringe events.

Top Tip! This year's Fringe website has been updated and venues now state whether they have Wheelchair Access, Level Access, Hearing Loop and Accessible Toilets. You can also filter your search results on Wheelchair Access.

Edinburgh International Festival (August)

What they say "The world-renowned festival brings the very best in classical music, theatre, opera, dance and visual art from across the globe to Edinburgh for three exhilarating weeks."

What we say "Some unbelieveable performances from artists around the globe. The International Festival venues generally have good disabled access. Performances, including the Fireworks finale, sell out very quickly so book your tickets now!"

What our reviewers say We have disabled access information for most of the major venues...

Top Tip! The Edinburgh International Festival produce a handy Venue and Accessibility Information Guide.

Edinburgh International Book Festival (August)

A photo of the entrance to the Book Festival

What they say "The largest celebration of the written word in the world, brings entertainment and inspiration to Edinburgh- where top-class writers discuss words and ideas with fellow writers, thinkers and most importantly, you."

What we say "Visit this literary heaven on a sunny day to enjoy a host of events and relax in the accessible garden."

What our reviewers say "It was immediately obvious that the organisers had considered accessibility and gone to great lengths to welcome disabled visitors." Read disabled access reviews for The Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Top Tip! Make sure you leave enough time to visit the incredible book shop!

Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo (August)

What they say "A tremendous outdoor spectacle, the Tattoo presents a host of international performers, military and civilian, set against the incredible backdrop of Edinburgh Castle."

What we say "Wow! An amazing event to remember! The hill on the approach to the Castle is fairly steep and might be a hard push but the event is certainly worth the effort."

What our reviewers say "The ushers, military police and regular police were extremely helpful, polite and cheerful. They made it as easy as possible for wheelchair users to access the event." Read disabled access reviews for the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo.

Top Tip! It is an outdoor event. In Scotland. Come prepared for any eventuality!

Edinburgh International Film Festival (June)

What they say "The world-famous Edinburgh International Film Festival exists to discover and promote the very best in international cinema."

What we say "Your chance to be the very first to catch some inspiring, informative and downright different films. The majority of the venues have good disabled access but do check before you book."

And more festivals!

Edinburgh has many other festivals which we hope to feature as time goes on: