The Fringe Street Events are among the largest international gatherings of street performers anywhere, taking place throughout the festival and free for anyone to attend.
Each year, the historic Royal Mile and Mound Precinct are transformed into huge street performance playgrounds where hundreds of world-class street artists mix with thousands of festivalgoers, creating the most vibrant and visible event of Edinburgh’s summer.
This page is primarily for the use of street performers and buskers – find out more about attending the Street Events as an audience member.
Registration
Registration for the Fringe Street Events 2026 will open in summer 2026.
Registration for buskers and circle shows is free and remains open in the lead-up to and throughout the Fringe.
Before registering, you will require an up-to-date Public Liability Insurance (PLI) which will cover you for August, and all acts are required to be family friendly.
If you have any questions about performing as part of the Fringe Street Events, please email our team on [email protected].
Street Events handbook
The Street Events handbook provides information about when the street events will run, the categories, timings, daily draw, drop-in sessions, BSL interpretation, rules and regulations and the Fringe Society services for street artists and performers.
We'll update this handbook in 2026 once all the information is confirmed; in the meantime, please feel free to use the 2025 edition for reference.
How do I register to be part of the Street Events?
As part of registration, you will be asked to identify which street events category you fall into.
- Street performers (circle shows)
Street performers who perform within circles of people. They are capable of entertaining audiences for 45 minutes with a combination of circus skills and comedy. You should only register for these slots if you are an experienced street performer. Slots last 45 minutes and this includes the building and breaking of your act. - Buskers
Our busking pitches are aimed at performers who can work within a small area, performing to passers-by. Slots last 30 minutes including set up and pack down.
Unfortunately we cannot accept bagpiper applications for busking pitches due to noise levels. However there is a year-round pitch outside the courts – this is not managed by the Fringe Society and operates on a queue system organised by the pipers themselves, and is open from 17:00 onwards on weekdays and all day at weekends.
Please note: busking pitches are not to be used for the promotion of registered Fringe shows. - Festival artists
Artists and performers providing fun festival experiences on the street, such as portrait artists, henna tattooists, balloonists, etc. Our festival traders will be programmed on the Royal Mile and the Mound. You will require Public Liability Insurance, and images and / or videos of your proposed trading.
Please note: registration for festival artist pitches is subject to a deadline and pitch fees. We'll include those details on his page once they are confirmed ahead of Fringe 2026. - Finale shows
If you have something too big and noisy for our regular busking or Fringe stages, you can register to be a finale show. Finale shows happen at the end of each day. In the past we’ve had marching bands, huge choirs, drumming groups, brass bands and more. If you’d like more information on whether your performance would be a good fit for this kind of slot, email our team on [email protected]. - Living statues
Mime artists who pose as statues, sometimes with realistic, statue-like make-up. We require a level of experience in this category, and spaces for this are limited, so please submit your application as soon as possible. When applying, please let us know if you use an instrument or sound for your act.
Promoting your registered Fringe show at the Street Events?
First time at the Street Events?
Busker Anny Leigh has made a video of her experience as a first-time performer at the Street Events in 2022. It's full of useful hints and tips for prospective buskers – give it a watch:
How do the Street Events work?
Please note: plans are subject to change based on City of Edinburgh Council and Fringe Society licencing requirements. The following information was presented as a guideline for 2025; we will update this page with information for 2026 once these details are confirmed.
There are five circle show pitches and three busker pitches in 2025, across both High Street and Mound, as well a music pitch and living statue pitches.
Slots last 30 minutes for buskers and 45 minutes for circle shows. Your slot is timed from the moment the pitch is available to when you and all your kit is out of the area.
Performances are scheduled by a draw at the start of each day (see more information on the draw below), with the daily schedule published online by noon. There are also schedule boards at each performance area listing the shows happening that day, plus a large-scale map to guide audiences through the different areas. When registering, don’t forget to add your social media accounts – we often get queries from audience members looking for more info on the performances they saw that day!
The draw
All slots are programmed daily by a draw system to allot performers with a time and a pitch.
Performers meet before 10:00 every morning at Parliament Square to put their passes in the hat ready for the draw at 10:00. These are then pulled out at random: the first performer drawn given first choice of the available time slots and locations, the second performer drawn is given second choice, and so on. If there are slots remaining, they will be allocated by going back up the list of names in reverse order from which they were drawn.
What pitches are available?
Busker / alcove performance locations
Situated next to the Mercat Cross, this busking location has a large, paved area with a slight slope and is best suited to larger performances. Tucked in between the Mercat Cross and St Giles' Cathedral, this allows a large space for the performer and an even larger space for their crowd. This has mixed amplification due to events taking place inside the cathedral; there will be time slots with no amplification marked at the morning draw.
Things to bear in mind
- Crowd size impacting local businesses and tours.
- Speaker placement to avoid spill with other pitches.
- Amplifier volumes must be respectful.
The first of our two alcoves is located west of Mercat. This busking location is suited to medium-size shows and is on a paved surface with a slight slope facing the street. This has mixed amplification due to events taking place inside the cathedral. There will be time slots with no amplification marked at the morning draw.
Things to bear in mind
- Crowd size impacting local businesses, tours and Fringe artists.
- Speaker placement to avoid spill with other pitches and sound travelling into the cathedral.
- Amplifier volumes must be respectful.
The second of our two alcoves. This is located at the very end of the cathedral, facing the street on pavement and on a slight slope. This is the smallest of our busking locations, best suited to smaller shows. This has mixed amplification due to events taking place inside the cathedral. There will be time slots with no amplification marked at the morning draw.
Things to bear in mind
- Crowd size impacting local businesses, tours and the living statue pitch.
- Speaker placement to avoid spill with other pitches and sound travelling into the cathedral.
- Amplifier volumes must be respectful.
This is a shared performance space (split evenly with circle performers) and is considered by many buskers as a great pitch to try out a slightly larger show. Located east of Mid High (downhill), it is on cobbles, on a slight slope and is suitable for medium-to-large shows.
Things to bear in mind
- Crowd size impacting local businesses and tours.
- Speaker placement to avoid spill with other pitches.
- Amplifier volumes must be respectful.
This performance space is located on the High Street at the top of Cockburn Street, on the corner of the Tron Kirk, facing downhill. Suited for well-established, full-time music buskers who play original material and hold large audiences for one hour.
Things to bear in mind
- Crowd size impacting local businesses, food vendors and tours.
- Speaker placement to avoid spill with other pitches.
- Amplifier volumes must be respectful.
Circle show performance locations
The circle show performance locations are split between two sites managed by Fringe Street Events, the High Street and the Mound.
This performance space is located west of St Giles' in the large square. This is best suited to large circle shows. This has mixed amplification due to events taking place inside the cathedral and the Signet Library; there will be time slots with no amplification marked at the morning draw.
Things to bear in mind
- Crowd size impacting local businesses and tours.
- Speaker placement to avoid spill with other pitches.
- Amplifier volumes must be respectful and not spill into the cathedral.
This performance space is located directly outside the Fringe Shop on the High Street and is best suited to medium / large circle shows.
Things to bear in mind
- Crowd size impacting on local businesses and tours.
- Speaker placement to avoid spill with other pitches.
- Amplifier volumes must be respectful.
- Crowd flow management is essential – work with stewards to manage.
- If working as a semicircle show, there must be space for people to pass.
This performance space is located east and downhill from Mid High and is suited for small-to-medium-sized shows. This is a shared performance space with buskers. We can only facilitate on-the-ground performers here, rather than anything at height.
Things to bear in mind
- Crowd size impacting local businesses and tours.
- Speaker placement to avoid spill with other pitches.
- Amplifier volumes must be respectful.
- Crowd flow management is essential – work with stewards to manage.
- This space is significantly narrower than Mid High so not suitable for duos or performers with height.
This performance location is situated just off the High Street to the rear of the Tron Kirk. Hunter Square is the smallest of the circle show locations, so crowd management is essential.
Things to bear in mind
- Crowd size impacting local businesses, food trucks and tours.
- Speaker placement to avoid spill with other pitches.
- Amplifier volumes must be respectful.
- Crowd flow management is essential – work with stewards to manage and ensure people can walk between audience and restaurants here.
The largest of the two performance locations on the Mound, closest to Princes Street. This space is suitable for large shows.
Things to bear in mind
- Crowd size impacting local businesses, ice cream vendors and bar entry.
- Speaker placement to avoid spill with other pitches.
- Amplifier volumes must be respectful.
- Use the perimeter of the bar as your backdrop.
The smaller of the two performance locations on the Mound. Backed onto the gallery, next to the Playfair steps. This has a structure which members of the public can sit on and is suitable for smaller shows.
Things to bear in mind
- Crowd size impacting the flow of audience from the steps into the Mound.
- Speaker placement to avoid spill with other pitches.
- Amplifier volumes must be respectful.
- Encourage the crowd to be in front of you, rather than behind.
The Joint Edinburgh Fringe Street Events Charter
The Street Events Charter, published in 2022, outlines a set of values shared by the Fringe Society and the street performing community, as represented by the Street Performers' Council. The Charter, which includes commitments from the Fringe Society and street performers, will facilitate fair, open decision making between the two groups.
Among its various commitments, the Charter works towards increasing accessibility of street events, taking social responsibility for pay, sustainability goals, and improving health, safety and mental wellbeing among street performers.
Fringe Connect
Fringe Connect is our social network and events space that will be home for artists and arts industry professionals. Street performers are welcome to set up a profile, explore the opportunities section which houses performance opportunities, discounts and more, and attend discussion and networking events.
You will also be able to search for, reach out to and connect with other artists and industry professionals for onward opportunities and connections.
As well connecting with other members of the Fringe community on Fringe Connect, there also a few performer groups on social media (such as the Edinburgh Fringe Performers Forum on Facebook) where you can link up with other artists and performers to ask for advice and guidance from peers.
Frequently asked questions
Performers can use their own preference of payment service, however the Fringe Society does not offer any card processing services.
Food / drink traders are organised by our partners and neighbours; therefore, we cannot accept unsolicited applications.
There are food stalls / pop-up bars that do take part in the Fringe throughout Edinburgh:
- In the case of Bristo Square, this area is managed by the University of Edinburgh Student Association so you are best off seeking guidance from them directly if you wish to set anything up.
- For George Square, it is the University of Edinburgh; in the case of the activities on George Street and in St Andrew Square, it is Essential Edinburgh.
- Any other areas of the city you might be interested in could be managed by the City of Edinburgh Council Parks and Greens Spaces department.
The choice of whether to do a circle show or busk is all about experience, and the nature of your act. Circle shows attract big crowds and so will require more energy and volume than a busker spot. If you are performing on the street for the first time, looking to try new material, or have a quieter or more intimate style of performance, email us on [email protected] and we’ll see what we can do to advise you.
This will depend of the size and nature of your show. You cannot enter both draws on the same day however. Please email [email protected] for guidance.
We are keen to be as supportive as possible in making Street Events pitches accessible, so if you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with [email protected] regarding your requirements and we will do our best to signpost and ensure you have a safe and positive experience.
Public liability insurance (PLI) covers the cost of claims made by members of the public for incidents that occur in connection with your business / performance activities. PLI covers the cost of compensation for personal injuries, loss of or damage to property. You will need to get in touch with your own insurers to acquire a copy. We can offer information on some PLI providers that offer Fringe-specific deals.
If you would like to use the storage containers to store your equipment on the Royal Mile overnight, the cost is £80 for the full festival or £30 per week. You will have the opportunity to pay and store based on space when you arrive in Edinburgh. We do not have a huge amount of space, so please be considerate in how much you store within the containers.
In 2025, the Fringe Society will be running the operations for both High Street and Mound.