Beginner’s guide to the Edinburgh Festival

So, we’re just days away from the start of August. This is when Edinburgh comes alive, the beer gardens pop up all over the city and the streets buzz with excitement. It is the best time to be in Scotland’s capital. However, it can be daunting for the uninitiated. You look through the Fringe guide but have absolutely no idea where to start. To make things easier, we’re going to help you out. We’ve compiled a beginner’s guide to the Edinburgh Festival. During August, we’ll posts more tips to get you through the best month in Edinburgh!

Dickins guide to the Edinburgh Festival for beginners! (Part I)

We’ll spend August giving you a guide to the Edinburgh Festival!

You’ll arrive in Edinburgh and think you’ve entered a different world completely – and you have because this is the Edinburgh Festival. Life in the city changes completely. Discussions change from the weather and the trams to which show to see and what celebrities have been spotted. This is an amazing experience but one that needs some consideration and insider tips.

Tip #1 – Plan ahead

Venues are everywhere, so planning is important

This might seem really obvious, but actually it is really important that you do even a rough plan. During the Festival, venues are everywhere and if you’re not familiar with the geography, you can end up lost very easily. Look through the Edinburgh Festival programme, try an find a few shows you want to catch and build an itinerary from there.

Tip #2 – Don’t overly plan!

The streets are alive during the Edinburgh Festival

Ok, it does contradict tip #1 slightly but hear us out. A day at the Edinburgh Festival can change so quickly. If you plan every minute, you can miss out on some really memorable experiences. Every once in a while, take a chance on a random show and just run with it – it could be amazing. If it is terrible, you’ll only need to brave it for an hour or so!

Tip #3 – Embrace Technology!

You must have these apps for the Edinburgh Festival

If you take anything away from this guide to the Edinburgh Festival, please follow this bit of advice. There are four smartphone apps that you must have on your phone. If you do, your life will be so much easier. You must download the Fringe 2015 smartphone app. This will guide you to venues, tell you what shows are on near you and you can buy tickets straight from the app! You also need the EdinBus app – this will help you get across the city without getting lost or ending up on the wrong bus! Taxis aren’t that expensive in Edinburgh but if you want to live like a local – you need to use the bus. It is really the best way to get around. If you’re using the bus – get the M Tickets app. Basically, you buy a block of tickets via your phone and it means you don’t need to keep looking for change every time you want a bus! Finally, make sure you have a GPS map. Edinburgh is confusing and it is easy to get lost. Maps will save you so much time!

Tip #4 – Half price isn’t half bad!

Buy your tickets half price!

If you’re here between 12-31 August then you can snap up bargain tickets at the Virgin Money Half Price Hut! This is for same-day tickets and shows the following morning only, but if you want to be a bit adventurous then this is certainly the way to get tickets. You can only buy tickets from here in person.

 Tip #5  – Listen to Edinburgh Festival tips!

Listen to show tips from other Festival goers, locals and performers

During the Edinburgh Festival, you are going to meet people in queues, in shops, in bars and at other shows. Everyone in Edinburgh will have tips for you – listen to them! Sometimes the best shows you’ll see are from recommendations! The best people to listen to are staff in shops and bars because more often than not, they’ve been given tickets to preview shows. They will have seen the best and the worst the Festival has to offer, so make sure to check with them before you go and see a show!

Have you booked your accommodation for the Edinburgh Festival?

Dickins has the best apartments in all the places you want to be! Dickins knows the Edinburgh Festival like no one else, so search our properties and get yourself the perfect home from home!