This page is intended to help you get to grips with the Fringe and find out what support is available to you if you need it. The information here is intended to be useful for everyone, while also being particularly aimed at d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse artists.
Some context about the Fringe
The Fringe can be an incredibly rewarding experience for artists, but it can also be very difficult – especially for those who are unfamiliar with it, or who face additional barriers to taking part. Understanding the basics and managing your expectations will go a long way to ensuring you get the most out of your Fringe experience.
The festival is open access, which means anyone with a show is welcome – there’s no central judging panel or artistic director deciding what shows are on. This open access approach is one of the key things that makes the Fringe special, but it also presents some challenges.
For one thing, it means there’s no limit on the number of shows taking part. Literally thousands of shows take part in the Fringe each year, which creates lots of variety but also lots of competition, eg for audiences, reviews and industry attention. It’s important to understand that getting a review of your show, or attendance from an industry representative, is not guaranteed. Other people’s experience and expertise in this area can be invaluable – if possible, seek out artists who have attended before for their perspectives. Your venue – and, of course, the Fringe Society – will also be able to offer support and advice.
The large scale of the festival can also be intimidating. In addition to the thousands of shows, the Fringe is home to around 300 venues, all run independently of the Fringe Society and each other, many with their own way of doing things (eg box office systems or technical support for artists). Performance spaces can be in theatres, concert halls, bars, cafes, even the back seats of taxis – and while this is another example of what makes the Fringe exciting, it can be bewildering.
Finally, putting on a show at the Fringe is expensive. As a historic, tourist-friendly capital city, prices for things like accommodation in Edinburgh are high – and adding the world’s largest arts festival into the mix only adds to the cost. (The Fringe Society do what they can to help – check our artist accommodation portal if you need somewhere to stay in August.)
Get in touch with our Artist Development team to discuss setting goals and managing expectations, or read our guidance on:
Navigating the city
Many Fringe venues are located around Edinburgh’s historic Old Town, a part of the city that can be tricky to navigate: there are lots of cobbled streets, narrow alleyways and steep hills, not to mention pavements that are busy with visitors during peak tourist season.
Some venues are similarly old-fashioned – some spaces are only accessible via steps, so aren’t wheelchair accessible, and lack modern facilities such as air conditioning; others are temporary pop-up venues with limited backstage facilities.
These are factors you may want to take into account when choosing your venue, for both yourself and your intended audience.
Find out more about:
- venues with a wheelchair accessible stage
- support we offer to D/deaf, disabled and neurodiverse artists
- things you can do to make your show accessible for different audience types
- attending accessible performances as an audience member
... or get in touch with a member of our Artists Services team for bespoke advice.
General accessibility will vary between venues and businesses in Edinburgh: some will have access enhancements such as hearing loops and wheelchair ramps, others won’t.
People with assistance dogs have the legal right to access most public places in Scotland, including shops, restaurants and taxis.
- Find Changing Places toilets around the city centre.
- Find out more about how audiences can use our access bookings service.
In terms of getting around the city, there’s a robust bus network provided by Lothian transport, and a tram line that runs from Edinburgh Airport, through the city centre, to Leith; the city is also serviced by several private taxi firms.
However, road traffic tends to get very congested during the festival, and there are restrictions on private vehicles (such as parking charges and low-emission zones), so you might find that, if you’re able to get around on foot, this might be the best option.
Thankfully, the city centre is very compact, though also quite hilly, so it may be worth checking gradients on Google Maps. These points are all worth bearing in mind when planning your accommodation.
Language at the Fringe
It’s worth noting that the Fringe is almost entirely English-language – not just in terms of what is performed, but also the registration process, venue agreements etc will be conducted in English.
If you don’t speak English, this may present a barrier to you participating, though some translation services – for example, for British Sign Language users – are available.
The Fringe Society provides a Fringe language key in several different languages, explaining the core terminology of the festival; our Registration team can provide a Word document of EdFringeware, our show registration platform, as well as other bespoke services upon request.
How you can prepare
Where possible, we recommend attending the Fringe as an audience member before bringing a show – this will give you a good understanding of how the whole thing works, without the added worry of promoting and performing a show every day. We appreciate that this option will not be financially viable for everyone.
When bringing a show, there are numerous free resources online that you can use to research – on this website, for starters, but also individual venue websites. The first step in registering a Fringe show is getting a venue contract in place, so we recommend reading up on your desired venue options before signing anything. Indeed, securing the right venue is one of the most important steps on your Fringe journey, so do as much research as possible, and speak to us if you have any questions.
You’ll also find lots of Fringe veterans on social media – if there’s a particular artist you follow who’s performed at the Fringe, don’t be afraid to ask them about their experiences. Keep an eye out for groups and forums online as well, such as on Facebook – though bear in mind that everyone will have their own experiences, biases etc that might influence their feedback!
And, of course, you can talk to us!
How we can help
The Fringe Society was founded by artists to support anyone bringing work to the Fringe. Helping you come to the festival is our number one job, and we do this in several ways:
- Our website – the one you’re reading right now – is filled with resources related to putting on a show, whether you’re attending the festival for the first time or considering a post-Fringe touring schedule. There’s also advice on finding a venue, making your show more accessible, looking after your mental health during August... Look around to find out more, or use the search function if you’re looking for something specific. If there’s something you can’t find, talk to us!
- We host regular information sessions, both in person and online. These include our monthly Fringe Focus webinars, each of which tackle a different aspect of bringing work to the Fringe – from registration and marketing to finding your Fringe community once you arrive in Edinburgh.
- Fringe Connect is the online platform where we host our online events; it’s also where you can find out about different opportunities available to Fringe artists and make connections with fellow artists and arts industry. It’s completely free to join – sign up to Fringe Connect now.
- If you feel like you’ve looked everywhere and still can’t find an answer to your question – ask us! Our team is on hand to respond to any queries you might have about bringing a show to the Fringe – drop a line to [email protected].
- During August, we’re also available in person. Fringe Central is our wheelchair-accessible participant hub for the festival, where we provide services and host in-person events for artists, media and arts industry. Check out the Fringe Central access guide, and come along to say hi!
- We’re always working to make the Fringe as inclusive and accessible as possible – all Fringe Society events, both online and in person, are BSL interpreted or captioned, and we provide a relaxed session prior to our popular Meet the Media event at the beginning of each festival, to accommodate those who might find the environment overwhelming.
- We provide sensory resources for anyone who finds the festival environment overwhelming – these can be collected from Fringe Central or the Fringe Box Office.
Resources
If there’s a situation where we can’t help you directly, we will always try to point you in the direction of someone who can. The following list includes some of our own resources and some from other organisations that you might find helpful.