Edinburgh Fringe 2023 is officially here: August has crept up on us sooner than we thought. Whether you’re looking to see all the shows and drink at all the pop-up bars, sub-let your flat to earn some bank (don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone), or leave the city altogether to avoid the crowds, preparation is vital.
Edinburgh Fringe is described as “the greatest celebration of arts and culture on the planet”, and it certainly lives up to the name. Edinburgh comes alive every year in August and is filled with positive vibes, pop-up bars and plenty of shows on and off the streets for everyone to enjoy. Visitors and locals alike can enjoy theatre shows, comedy, dance, physical theatre, circus, cabaret, children’s shows, musicals, opera, music, spoken word, exhibitions and events from all around the world.
Edinburgh Fringe will mark its 76th year honourably showcasing European, and now worldwide, cultural life. The Fringe was first founded in 1947 just after the Second World War to give people something to look forward to after an incredibly challenging time. By 1958, the festival has launched their box office and had seen tremendous growth ever since.
When is Edinburgh Fringe 2023?
This year, the festival will take place on August 4 – 28, with some shows already starting from August 2 and 3. Registration for this year’s Fringe acts began on January 9. If you would like to register your show, you can do so here.
The first batch of the programme has been released on February 16, followed by the second release on March 30, and a third batch was published on May 11.
The final announcement and the full programme of the shows has been released on June 8.
Where is The Fringe taking place?
The full list of locations has now been confirmed, seeing familiar spots like George Square Gardens, Bristo Square, Gilded Balloon, Underbelly, The Stand Comedy Club, The Pleasance Courtyard and multiple venues and bars across the city. We also expect (or rather hope) lots of free shows will be returning to The Three Sisters. Edinburgh Fringe will also have a presence in Edinburgh’s touristy Grassmarket for the first time, as Assembly joins forces with Dance Base, a programme of dance and physical theatre.
Edinburgh Fringe line-up
Now that all the shows have been announced, we can expect to see an exact amount of 3,013 shows with some exciting acts this year. Tickets for all the shows are also already live, so it’s a great time to start planning your experience. Plus, this year the brand new Edinburgh Fringe 2023 App is launching once again, where show goers can browse, buy and store all their tickets in one place.
Some theatre highlights include Call Me Elizabeth on the movie star’s early life at theSpaceUK, Gilbert and Sullivan’s Nightmare at Greenside and Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story at Pleasance.
The comedy side is back with Grace Campbell with her show A Show About More Me(n) at the Gilded Balloon, Daniel Sloss at the Edinburgh Playhouse or Geoff Norcott at Underbelly.
Musicals are also a big part of the Fringe, and Potty the Plant at Gilded Balloon is a ‘new dark-comedy musical starring Potty, a singing, talking, tap-dancing pot plant’.
As usual, guests are also going to be able to also see cabaret, dance and physical theatre performances, as well as spoken word and children’s shows.
Fringe Society President Phoebe Waller-Bridge, whose Fringe show Fleabag debuted in 2013 said: “I am so proud to continue to be a part of this phenomenal event, 10 years after Fleabag premiered there. This programme will hit the Fringe with the creative wildness, political provocation and huge cultural impact that the festival delivers year after year, at a time when we need it most.”
“We need help processing what the hell is going on in the world as well as being treated with the imaginative escape that only the immersive experience of the Fringe can provide. Whether your appetite is for theatre, dance, music, circus or street performing, August in Edinburgh will have it all. The only thing it needs now, is YOU!”