A guide to Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024

Thousands of performers, and entertainment seekers, are gearing up for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 

Running for three weeks from 2–26 August, this year's programme is brimming with incredible shows, spanning everything from comedy to theatre and just about everything in between (there's even a musical based on the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial). 

With so much to see, here's our pick of the best shows to catch, plus where to stay and dine for a memorable trip to the Scottish capital this summer.

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What to see

Ten years on from its debut, a new production of Duncan Macmillan's "funny and beautiful" monologue "Every Brilliant Thing" is returning to the Fringe, said Andrzej Lukowski in Time Out. The "unmissable" show charts a seven-year-old boy's attempts to ease the suffering of his depressed mum by making her a list of everything in the world that's worth living for. 

Another "joyous, life-affirming" show is "My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?)", which recreates the amateur childhood productions of its "charismatic" writer, Rob Madge. Nominated for an Olivier award in 2023, the performance is coming to Scotland following its West End success. 

For a musical parody "packed with camp references, choreography from Arlene Phillips and a cracking cast" check out "I Wish You Well – The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Trial Musical'', said The Stage. Roger Dipper and Rick Pearson take on the "surreal" court case that saw retired optometrist Terry Sanderson sue the Goop founder for a collision on the slopes in Utah.

Hannah Gadsby is making a hotly anticipated return to the Fringe seven years after "making it big" in Edinburgh with the hugely influential "Nanette", said Dominic Maxwell in The Times. Covering everything from Taylor Swift to panic attacks, reports from early stagings of "Woof!" suggest a "less epochal but still zesty stand-up show". It's definitely one to watch.

The "effortlessly able" Ania Magliano turns her attention to her boyfriend's ex and her parents' divorce in "Forgive Me, Father" at Pleasance Courtyard. Nominated for an Edinburgh Comedy Award for last year's show about a bad haircut, she's one of only a handful of comics to "dress up big ideas in casual clothes so skilfully".

Where to dine

For the type of snacks that "I would run naked, bare feet on cobbled stones through a howling gale with lashing rain just to get my chops around", said William Sitwell in The Telegraph, pay a visit to Tipo. Located on Hanover Street in the city's New Town, expect "delicious" dishes rooted in Italian cuisine with plenty of homemade pasta and "exquisite OTT puds".

Or, for something a bit more laid-back, said Ellie Smith at Country and Town House, try Edinburgh's "hugely popular" Ting Thai Caravan for "interesting, hearty dishes at great prices".

Where to stay

Finding reasonably priced accommodation during the Fringe can be tricky, said Time Out. So it's worth looking into staying at one of the city's empty student halls or even finding somewhere "much more affordable to kip in Glasgow", which is only an hour away by train. 

Other options in the capital include 14 Hart Street – a "pretty Georgian bed and breakfast" located on a quiet residential street just five minutes walk from the York Place tram stop. The cosy residence feels like "staying with a good friend who has an eye for antiques", said Linda Macdonald in The Telegraph, and the "attentive hosts", James and Angela, are "helpful to a fault but never obtrusive".

Finally, those with a heftier budget could splash out on a stay at Gleneagles Townhouse. The "chic boutique hotel" has a "more than fabulous" restaurant and "epic" rooftop bar, said Steve King in Conde Nast Traveller. Located in the centre of Edinburgh on St Andrew Square, the swish hotel is an ideal base for exploring the city.