Cheap vs Expensive: How to enjoy the Edinburgh Fringe on any budget
Whether youโre on a shoestring budget or flush with cash, thereโs something for everyone at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Scotlandโs 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.
Itโs never been more expensive to perform or attend the Fringe. With this in mind, hereโs a handy guide for how to get the most out of the Fringe without breaking the bank.
If money is no object, weโve also included our opposite suggestions. For every cheap eat recommendation, thereโs 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 youโre 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 weโve found is a ยฃ28 (โฌ32) a night bed in a 10-bed dorm at the a&o Edinburgh City. Youโll likely spend the night among nine farting, snoring and shagging 20-somethings, but itโs the cheapest city-centre place around.
If youโre feeling a little more adventurous, you can also camp. While youโre 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 ยฃ20 (โฌ23) a night for a one-man tent. If youโre bringing your campervan and want an electrical hook-up, that rises to ยฃ47.50 (โฌ55).
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 itโll only take you about 38 minutes and there are tons of cheaper places to stay once youโre 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 theyโll let you sleep on their couch for free โ 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 โ found via Google as I am, I repeat, staying on a friendโs couch.
Edinburghโs charm is in its dark cobbled streets, flanked on either side by the imposingly tall grey stone Victorian architecture. Itโs 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 Edinburghโs famous castle.
For around ยฃ1,000 (โฌ1,165) a night, you can book a room in one of the Witcheryโs gothic wood-panelled suites, replete with four-poster bed, and โ if you book through their website โ a complimentary bottle of champagne on arrival. This is an adult-only hotel which will take you back to your giddy childhood โ provided youโre 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, Iโm 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 ยฃ12 (approx. โฌ14), 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 โ itโs included in its programming โ 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 โFree & Unticketedโ or โPay What You Canโ. 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 youโre sparing the pennies, if you did enjoy the show, spare a thought for the performer whoโs likely breaking the bank just to get a sprinkling of exposure at the festival.
Flush with cash? Just buy all the tickets to all the performances you fancy. Most shows top out at most at ยฃ20 (โฌ23), so a full-dayโs schedule of five shows will therefore likely set you back around ยฃ60 (roughly โฌ70).
If youโre 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 โVerdiโs Requiemโ by the Philharmonia Orchestra, itโll cost you an eye-watering ยฃ106.50 (โฌ124). More affordable seating is available though for as little as ยฃ22.50 (โฌ26).
Where to eat?
โMan shall not live by Fringe comedy shows aloneโ โ Jesus, probably.
As youโre running through Edinburghโs streets, desperate to catch the next show โ perhaps an adaptation of Shakespeareโs Hamlet told via sock-puppets or a musical about the Falklands War โ youโll occasionally need to sustain yourself with a bit of food.
To get the basics out of the way, you can always pop by a Sainsburyโs and pick up things for a packed lunch. You wonโt. Who has time for that? But at least weโve 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 stoneโs throw away from George Square Gardens โ one of the major locations for the Fringe โ and will make you a banging falafel wrap for around ยฃ5 (โฌ6). 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 youโd expect, from onion soup to beef tartare. It has a pretty reasonable lunch prix fixe menu at ยฃ10.90 (approx. โฌ13) for two courses and ยฃ12.90 (โฌ15) for three, and if youโre there for dinner, their delicious steak frites is still just ยฃ12.90.
And donโt forget to indulge in the uniquely Scottish delicacy โ 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 youโll find Timberyard and Condita. Both of these will give you an incredible experience with tasting menus that put local produce at the forefront.
If youโre staying at the Witchery hotel we recommended earlier, their lobster bisque has passed almost into local legend. Even if youโre not staying there, itโs worth traipsing up to the castle to give it a try.
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 countryโs southern capital has made its way up to Scotland too. If youโre not careful, order in a round of two beers and you may barely get change back from ยฃ15 (โฌ17).
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.
Youโll 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 โa proper pubโ with a traditional spirit, well poured Guinness and decent prices.
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 Hotelโs 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 Edinburghโs astonishing expanse. On a good night, youโll be able to see from the Castle to Arthurโs Seat as you sup on a sample of their Thai-influenced cocktail menu. I particularly enjoyed the Siam Smile.
Enjoy your Fringe!
Source: Euro News