On a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland last summer I woke up to a headless suit in my bunkmates bed…

A bit startled and confused, I took a closer look and realized it was a costume that many street performers wear to create an illusion for their audience that they are in fact, a headless man in a suit.

Still a bit puzzled, but trying not to think not much else of it, I continued getting ready for the day, taking some time to make small talk with the others in my hostel room. Two other guys were from Australia, but had come to Edinburgh to showcase their acrobatics act this coming weekend. Hm, okay, that’s something you don’t hear everyday.

Long story short, I soon learned that the collection of performers that had all come to Edinburgh for this coming weekend were actually there to participate in the largest arts festival worldwide, better known as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

What is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

Since 1947, for three weeks each August, artists have been coming to Edinburgh to perform all kinds of acts. In 2014 alone there were over 3,193 shows from 51 countries in 299 venues. We just happened to visit the three days before the festival began, but luckily there were plenty of warm-up acts throughout the streets to give us just a small sample of what the festival would actually be like.

A unique aspect of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is there is no selection committee, opening up the doors for all types of performers to participate. This also allows for more experimental displays that may not be typically invited to more conservative art festivals. Within varying degrees of moderate to out-of-this-world, the typical categories of performance art include Cabaret, Children’s Shows, Comedy, Dance, Physical Theatre and Circus, Events, Exhibitions, Music, Musicals, Opera, Spoken Word and Theatre.

In addition to the official Programme of Events, there is also a wide range of street events and acts (probably including my headless former bunkmate), that are typically found on the Royal Mile, a main street in Edinburgh, and Mount Precinct. This is the largest street fair of its kind worldwide and in 2014, 933 groups participated.

For performers and audiences alike, the Fringe offers a variety of opportunities and experiences that are extremely unique. Performers have the ability to showcase their talents in front of big industry names, a feat that would be very difficult in other locations, such as Hollywood. They can watch other performers and gain an insight into the current happenings in their field and draw inspiration for their own act. Many famous comedians, for example Bill Bailey and Graham Norton got their big break at the Fringe.

For the audience, they have the chance to experience an overwhelming amount of creativity and entertainment. No matter what type of performing arts you are interested in, there is a show for you. Some events are free to enter while others you are required to book a ticket ahead of time. The tickets however, are relatively cheap, (a quick search came up with the tickets for £5 each), which lets you go to many different shows during your visit. The difficult part, however, is finding accommodation in the city, so if you think the Fringe could be a cool idea for you next month, I would recommend to look right away for a place to stay!

Here is a sneak peak of what you can expect to find at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe courtesy of the Fringe Society:

[the Fringe Society], [Wikipedia]

Featured image from Brian McNeil (Own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons