Cheap vs Expensive: How to enjoy the Edinburgh Fringe on any budget

Scotland’s premier performing arts festival has changed significantly from its heady 90s era, when performers turned up to the city with only spare change and comedy routine in their pockets and set up camp for the month.

It’s never been more expensive to perform or attend the Fringe. With this in mind, here’s a handy guide for how to get the most out of the Fringe without breaking the bank.

If money is no object, we’ve also included our opposite suggestions. For every cheap eat recommendation, there’s also our tip for the best place to luxuriate in during your time in Edinburgh.

Where to stay?

This is the biggest expense for most. Performers who want to spend the entire month in Edinburgh will be keenly aware of the steep prices that accommodation reaches during the Fringe. Dingy flats occupied during the rest of the year by University of Edinburgh Students are suddenly priced as if they were louche bachelor pads in central Manhattan. AirBnBs are swept up for soaring fees and the hotels are chock-a-block with American tourists reclaiming their dubious heritages.

Fear not. There are cheaper ways to stay in Edinburgh during the dreaded month of August. If you’re not particularly fussy about sleeping partners, you can find a plethora of multi-bed dorm rooms in hostels across the city. The most affordable one we’ve found is a £28 (€32) a night bed in a 10-bed dorm at the a&o Edinburgh City. You’ll likely spend the night among nine farting, snoring and shagging 20-somethings, but it’s the cheapest city-centre place around.

If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, you can also camp. While you’re far from the glorious Highland walks that most campers come to Scotland for, Edinburgh is surrounded by campsites that provide affordable staying options for those less inclined towards warm showers. Meadowhead Caravan & Camping Park’s Mortonhall site is just a 40-minute bus ride from central Edinburgh and charges just £20 (€23) a night for a one-man tent. If you’re bringing your campervan and want an electrical hook-up, that rises to £47.50 (€55).

You can also consider staying outside of Edinburgh. The city of Dunfermline, on the other side of the coast from Edinburgh. From Dunfermline Station to Edinburgh Waverley it’ll only take you about 38 minutes and there are tons of cheaper places to stay once you’re outside the capital.

Finally, for the cheapest possible option, you can do what I do. Ask around all your friends who live in Edinburgh and see if they’ll let you sleep on their couch for free – editors concerned about travel budgets love this trick!

Flush with cash? There are myriad ways you can spend eye-watering sums to stay in Edinburgh. Here is our favourite – found via Google as I am, I repeat, staying on a friend’s couch.

Edinburgh’s charm is in its dark cobbled streets, flanked on either side by the imposingly tall grey stone Victorian architecture. It’s no wonder J.K. Rowling first started writing Harry Potter here. Every corner oozed a magical charm that is quintessentially British. Where better to cash in on those vibes than the Witchery by the Castle, a boutique nine-bed hotel up the hill of Edinburgh’s famous castle.

For around £1,000 (€1,165) a night, you can book a room in one of the Witchery’s gothic wood-panelled suites, replete with four-poster bed, and – if you book through their website – a complimentary bottle of champagne on arrival. This is an adult-only hotel which will take you back to your giddy childhood – provided you’re not afraid of a ghostly setting.

What to see?

Going up to the Fringe, you tend to pack your schedule up to the hilt with shows. This year, I’m being a bit more cautious with how long it takes to get around and programming in hour-long gaps between shows. With many of the shows charging around £12 (approx. €14), a full day with around five shows will rack up quickly.

Fret not. Within the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is another festival. The Free Fringe operates alongside the official Fringe – it’s included in its programming – and runs from 1-25 August. 370 shows are included in the Free Fringe this year, giving nearly 7,500 performances.

The shows are arranged as either “Free & Unticketed” or “Pay What You Can”. The first group means every performance is a first-come, first-serve style situation, while the second category can be booked in advance through the Fringe website.

All the Free Fringe shows are free at point of entry, but you will be guilted into giving some money as a tip on your way out. Even if you’re sparing the pennies, if you did enjoy the show, spare a thought for the performer who’s likely breaking the bank just to get a sprinkling of exposure at the festival.

ADVERTISEMENT

Flush with cash? Just buy all the tickets to all the performances you fancy. Most shows top out at most at £20 (€23), so a full-day’s schedule of five shows will therefore likely set you back around £60 (roughly €70).

If you’re absolutely desperate to spend your hard-earned money, then the shows at the adjacent Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) are a touch steeper. The EIF is the original professional arts festival that the Fringe arrived in 1957 as an avant-garde unprogrammed alternative to.

With shows including mainstream pop acts, operas, and classical orchestras, the EIF ticketed events are priced like standard events. For example, if you wanted the best seats in the house for a performance of ‘Verdi’s Requiem’ by the Philharmonia Orchestra, it’ll cost you an eye-watering £106.50 (€124). More affordable seating is available though for as little as £22.50 (€26).

Where to eat?

“Man shall not live by Fringe comedy shows alone” – Jesus, probably.

ADVERTISEMENT

As you’re running through Edinburgh’s streets, desperate to catch the next show – perhaps an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet told via sock-puppets or a musical about the Falklands War – you’ll occasionally need to sustain yourself with a bit of food.

To get the basics out of the way, you can always pop by a Sainsbury’s and pick up things for a packed lunch. You won’t. Who has time for that? But at least we’ve mentioned it. Also, for those unfamiliar with British highstreets, fast-food options such as UK bakery Greggs offer affordable quick eats such as their iconic sausage roll.

For something more unique to Edinburgh, Nile Valley Cafe is just a stone’s throw away from George Square Gardens – one of the major locations for the Fringe – and will make you a banging falafel wrap for around £5 (€6). Right next door is the Africano Wrap Place with a similar offer. Located in the heart of student-ville for the rest of the year, these two places are some of the most competitively priced quick lunch spots in the city.

Something a bit fancier without costing an arm and a leg is Chez Jules. This classic French restaurant has everything you’d expect, from onion soup to beef tartare. It has a pretty reasonable lunch prix fixe menu at £10.90 (approx. €13) for two courses and £12.90 (€15) for three, and if you’re there for dinner, their delicious steak frites is still just £12.90.

ADVERTISEMENT

And don’t forget to indulge in the uniquely Scottish delicacy – the deep fried Mars bar.

Flush with cash? Edinburgh has its fair share of Michelin-starred restaurants. Five restaurants in the city have earned a coveted star rating, with a further four achieving a Bib Gourmand.

Technically outside of Edinburgh, the neighbouring town of Leith by the seaside has three of these restaurants: Heron, Martin Wishart and The Kitchin. In Edinburgh proper you’ll find Timberyard and Condita. Both of these will give you an incredible experience with tasting menus that put local produce at the forefront.

If you’re staying at the Witchery hotel we recommended earlier, their lobster bisque has passed almost into local legend. Even if you’re not staying there, it’s worth traipsing up to the castle to give it a try.

ADVERTISEMENT

Where to drink?

By no means do you have to, but getting involved in the festivities of the Fringe for many includes ordering in a few cheeky pints.

The price gouging on alcohol found in the country’s southern capital has made its way up to Scotland too. If you’re not careful, order in a round of two beers and you may barely get change back from £15 (€17).

For a long time, one of the cheaper and more characterful haunts in the centre was metal bar the Black Bull. Sadly, that was shut down about six months ago. Hope remains for a cheap pint in central Edinburgh.

You’ll always find a reliably affordable drink at any Wetherspoons pub. The chain is synonymous with affordable drinking in renovated beautiful spaces, and Edinburgh is no exception with the Standing Order a particularly nice space. A hop and a skip down the road from some of our cheap eat recommendations is The Grapes. Unaffiliated with a chain, this is what Brits like to call “a proper pub” with a traditional spirit, well poured Guinness and decent prices.

ADVERTISEMENT

Flush with cash? There are plenty of upscale drinking holes across Edinburgh. If you want a beautiful Scotch, you can always shoulder up to a bartender in any of the fancy hotel bars in the centre, such as the Hilton Caledonian Hotel’s Caley Bar or Bar Prince at the Balmoral Hotel.

For a truly unique drinking experience, get yourself down to Chaophraya. The Thai restaurant is across the fourth floor of its building and boasts rooftop views across Edinburgh’s astonishing expanse. On a good night, you’ll be able to see from the Castle to Arthur’s Seat as you sup on a sample of their Thai-influenced cocktail menu. I particularly enjoyed the Siam Smile.

Enjoy your Fringe!