What is Edinburgh Fringe?: Everything You Need to Know

The well-loved festival is referred to by many names, including The Fringe Festival, The Edinburgh Fringe or simply, The Fringe.

With thousands of shows running across hundreds of venues in the city, it’s certainly a very busy schedule, but in the best way possible! It’s an open access festival, which means that absolutely anyone can perform any kind of show – there is no curation, selection or invitation process. If you want to host your own show, you just have to go through the registration process.

Performers include a whole range of talent, from internationally famous comedians to unknown acts beginning their career. The Fringe is most known for its comedy, with around a third of all the acts fitting into the that category, however there is so much more – cabaret, theatre and drag shows to name a few! No matter who you see or how long you’re there, you’re guaranteed to be entertained as there really is something for everyone.

When was Edinburgh Fringe?

This major festival takes place every August and is by far the largest event the city hosts each year. With millions of people visiting the city to either watch the shows, take part or even host their own performances.

But when does Edinburgh Fringe start? The Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023 took place from the 4th August to the 28th August, lasting just over three weeks.

Where was the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Held?

This can seem rather confusing, as there are over 300 registered official Fringe venues. These cover a vast range of locations, from street corners to pubs and cafes, to larger and more traditional theatre like layouts.

There’s been some very unique venue locations for shows at the Fringe, including on the back of a motorbike, portable toilets and a taxi! Some venues specialise in different types of shows or genres, and the closer into the city centre the venue is, the higher demand they face.

It’s hard to go far in Edinburgh during the first three weeks of August without finding a Fringe venue with a performance happening - bear this in mind if you’re planning a visit!

What Kind of Acts Performed at the Festival?

With over 3000 shows happening during Edinburgh Fringe, it can be hard to figure out and plan who you want to see.

There is such a wide variety of acts, ranging from circus performers, opera singers, spoken word and children’s shows - there really is the perfect act for everyone.

You can see the full Edinburgh Fringe programme 2023, including category and genre filters on the official Edinburgh Fringe website.

Who Were the Best?

As we’ve stated that there’s over 3000 shows and 11 categories, ranging from unknown stars to famous UK comedians, deciding who tops the chart is very hard to decipher.

Every year, the British Comedy Guide analyses all the Edinburgh Fringe comedy shows, compiling which productions the critics preferred.

Topping the comedy chart of the Edinburgh Fringe 2022 Festival was Olga Koch, Paul Sinha, Colin Hault and Maisie Adam.

Announcing a last-minute show, Simon Amstell returned to the Ed Fringe 2023 for the first time in six years to perform a late-night show of new material. Co-Host of the fan-favourite podcast Off Menu, Ed Gamble’s set also received rave reviews and Frank Skinner returned to this year’s Fringe Festival with his highly anticipated new set. The well-loved Frankie Boyle and Sara Pascoe also performed incredible sets at the 2023 Festival!

All of these incredible entertainers all received an average of 4/5 stars for their shows, showing their true comedic power! They are all also available to book with us for your upcoming event – contact us to find out more information.

Which New Acts Stood Out?

Edinburgh Fringe comedy 2023 was simply fantastic and this year’s new acts are quickly gaining huge popularity after their incredible sets. Here are a few of our favourites – Ania Magliano’s critically acclaimed 2022 debut sold out set was a hard one to beat, but she received top scores from almost every publication for this year’s show!

TikTok star and regular on the BBC and Comedy Central, Daniel Foxx followed his successful supporting tour for Josh Widdicombe, Rosie Jones, Sofie Hagen and Judi Love with his show at this year’s Fringe.

Regular at Britain’s top comedy clubs, Elliot Steel has been praised for his delivery skills, which certainly showed during his sets.

Tour Support for Frankie Boyle and Eshaan Akbar, Alexandra Haddow’s 2023 Fringe set was nominated for Best New Show!

Edinburgh Comedy Awards’ Best Newcomer nominee, Josh Jones has consistently received raved reviews. He’s featured on many loved television shows and even was part of our 2022 Comedy Collective Showcase!

Finally, fresh from her smash-hit 2022 Fringe and Soho Theatre sell-out debut, Chloe Petts returned to The Fringe 2023 to an audience that left with sore cheeks from laughing so much!

What Joke Won the Edinburgh Fringe 2023?

The beloved TV channel Dave has been running the ‘Dave’s Joke of the Fringe’ contest since 2009, which allows the public to choose a winner from a shortlist provided by the on-the-ground experts.

Last year, Masai Graham won with “I tried to steal spaghetti from the shop, but the female guard saw me and I couldn’t get pasta.”

In 2019, Olaf Falafel took the top spot with “I keep randomly shouting out ‘Broccoli’ and ‘Cauliflower’ - I think I might have Florets.”

As this year’s festival has only just finished, the scores are still being counted for 2023’s best joke. But we’d love to hear your thoughts and predictions following this year’s exceptional line-up!

Where Can I Buy Tickets to the Next Edinburgh Fringe Festival?

Tickets for the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival can be purchased in person at the Fringe Office in Edinburgh, or on the Fringe website and range from absolutely nothing up to around £35.

Ticket prices vary depending on the shows you want to see, as the Free Fringe hosts shows that cost nothing, whilst the larger acts and stages will inevitably cost you more. This also dictates whether you need a ticket, as street performers generally don’t require one, but will operate a ‘pay what you want’ system where a hat goes around the audience at the end of the show for donations.

When Will they Become Available?

Tickets begin to go on sale from January onwards for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that year. As the date gets closer, more shows will be available to be booked, although not every show will have the option to purchase tickets early.

The full Edinburgh Fringe programme launches in early June!

Did any comedians at Edinburgh Fringe 2023 catch your eye? Are you in need of a comedian for an upcoming corporate event?

See more of our comedians here, or get in touch with our friendly and impartial team by giving us a call on 02076077070.