Viewing Edinburgh Fringe 2023

Fill Yer Boots because it’s the Edinburgh Fringe. Catch the train up north for the iconic 76th Edinburgh Fringe Festival. With a huge line-up, this year will see 72 countries will be represented, with 973 shows from Scotland and 469 from Edinburgh itself. With 3,013 shows, who will undertake over 52,000 performances during the month, the ledge nary Fringe is back and bigger than ever. This year’s theme is ‘Fill Yer Boots’ meaning, ‘to get as much of something valuable or desirable as you can’ – a message that captures the diversity of talent and shows the Fringe has to offer. Not all fun and games, the Fringe also tackles some of today’s most topical issues, from the NHS to mental health, gender and gender identity, neurodiversity, race and racial identity, politics, class and climate action.

With winding lanes, lots of hills, and so much choice, how and what should you go see? This year sees the launch of the new Fringe app – accessibility at your fingertips so you can cram as many shows in as you want. Keeping comedy and the arts for all, there are free shows and others you can pay what you think it’s worth. Although the festival is known for comedy, it also features theatre, music, children’s shows, cabaret, circus, dance and musicals – there is something for everyone. So Fill Yer Boots and scoot over to the Scottish capital.