The Comedy Festival Guide's globe markCOMEDYFESTIVAL GUIDE
Crowds with drinks in the Pleasance Courtyard at dusk during the 2026 Fringe, under umbrellas, string lights and the venue's
Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2027

6–30 August 2027

The festival, the comedians and Edinburgh around them: things to do, dinner before the show, the night after, the way back and a budget for the trip.

The festivalStay for Edinburgh
The underside of a theatre marquee studded with warm bulbs, no lettering 01 · The festival

What it is, when and where

Edinburgh's Fringe fills three weeks of every August with the performing arts. Its story goes back to 1947, when eight theatre groups turned up uninvited to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival, and the Fringe Society, which supports its performers and its audiences, was founded by artists.

Past festivals

  • 2026 · 25 days, closing 31 August 4,232 shows from 77 countries and 2,805,395 tickets issued, 8% more than 2025; a record peak day of over 164,000 tickets on Saturday 15 August. edfringe.com ↗
  • 2025 · 1–25 August 3,893 shows in 301 venues; an estimated 2,604,404 tickets issued. edfringe.com ↗

Where the shows are

The empty showroom: rows of chairs facing a small stage, the Monkey Barrel Comedy sign lit on a stone wall in warm light. 02 · The comedians

Your comedy, your Fringe

The Fringe is a festival of the performing arts, with comedy among its many shows. The 2027 dates are set; the shows are announced in the programme nearer the time, each with its description, age guidance, room and access information.

Comedians connected to it

Each name opens their page on Disciples of Comedy.

Chris ForbesElf LyonsFinlay ChristieGuy BranumJamie WolfKate DolanLara RicoteLarry DeanMario AdrionMark NelsonSam EleyShane TorresStuart Goldsmith

Edinburgh Comedy Awards

The Fringe's comedy awards, given since 1981; today they are Best Comedy Show, Best Newcomer and the Panel Prize. Each line holds that year's winners, and the year opens its page.

Pick your shows

Step 1

Find your kind of funny

Watch the performer's own clips and read the listing before you book: stand-up, a mixed bill, character comedy or something else.

Fringe tickets ↗
Step 2

Book the actual room

Note the date, start time, running time, the exact room and the full price at checkout. A venue's name alone won't plan your journey; the room will.

The programme ↗
Step 3

Leave room between laughs

Allow for getting out, walking, queuing and getting in. Don't book shows that overlap, and check the steps and seating at each room.

Access at the Fringe ↗
The Fringe app ↗Pleasance: getting in and access ↗Plan your visit ↗

Keep the booking confirmation for every show; the festival's and the venue's own listings have the last word on changes.

Edinburgh Castle lit at night, seen from Hanover Street at the corner of Princes Street 03 · The city

Stay for Edinburgh

The shows fill your evenings. Here is the city around them: a castle, a free national museum, a Sunday market, a park with an old volcano in it, a rooftop of illusions and one more comedy room.

Culture

Edinburgh Castle

Open from 9.30am every day. Tickets often sell out far in advance, above all over the summer, so book online before you go.

Plan your visit ↗
Culture

National Museum of Scotland

Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF

Thousands of objects across dozens of galleries. Free entry, with charges for some special exhibitions; open daily, 10:00 to 17:00.

Visit the museum ↗Map ↗
Foodie

Stockbridge Market

Saunders Street, Edinburgh EH3 6TQ

Every Sunday all year round, 10am to 4pm. Independent small traders with hot food, bread, cakes, meat, fish, art and crafts.

The market ↗Map ↗
Explorer

Holyrood Park and Arthur's Seat

Queen's Drive, Edinburgh

Rolling hills, cliffs and lochs in the heart of the city, with Arthur's Seat, an ancient volcanic site, looking out over Edinburgh. Road closures in the park are posted on its page.

Holyrood Park ↗Map ↗
Techie

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions

549 Castlehill, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 2ND

Floors of hands-on illusions on the Royal Mile, a Camera Obscura show and a rooftop terrace. Open every day; booking online ahead is recommended for guaranteed entry.

Tickets and times ↗Map ↗
Night owl

The Stand Comedy Club

5 York Place, Edinburgh EH1 3EB

A stand-up room with shows across Scotland and the North East, here in its Edinburgh home on York Place. One more show on a night off the festival.

What's on in Edinburgh ↗Map ↗

Checked 15 October 2026. Hours and prices change: each place's own page has the last word.

A late-night booth: one lamp on a table set with plates and glasses, striped benches, fairy lights in the hedge 04 · Around the show

Great spots, better timing

Pick the show first, then fit dinner and the night around its room and its end time. These are independent places in the city, not festival events.

A bite before the show

Civerinos, Forrest Road

49 Forrest Road, Edinburgh EH1 2QP

New Haven, New York and Detroit-style pizza, slices and a takeaway window, with casual table service. Walk-in only: no bookings.

Sunday – Thursday11:30 – 22:00
Friday & Saturday11:30 – 23:00

Ask about last orders: a late show can leave too little time for a meal here.

Menu and hours ↗Map ↗
Food and drinks

Brewhemia

1A Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE

A café, taproom and beer hall on Market Street: tank beer, 150 gins, cocktails and fresh Scottish food, with live music among its nights. Families are welcome for dining until 10pm.

Monday & Tuesdayuntil 23:00
Wednesday, Thursday & Sundayuntil midnight
Friday & Saturdayuntil 1am

These are the venue's hours: the kitchen and last entry are worth a check on the night.

Hours and the venue ↗Book a table ↗Map ↗
Keep the music going

The Jazz Bar

Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Live jazz, blues, funk and more, seven days a week. Some shows are free, some ticketed, some pay on the door.

After 20:3018 and over, with ID

Pick a show from its listings, then build it into your night.

What's on ↗Tickets and entry ↗Map ↗
A bar's hanging wine glasses and filament bulbs glowing over dark brick, lights just on After the show

Your show is over. What next?

Put in when your show ends and how long it takes you to get out and across town. The planner sets it against the published hours of the places above.

Edinburgh time. The minutes are yours to judge; the planner reads published opening hours, not tonight's tables, kitchens or queues.

A plain white coach passing in the dark, motion-blurred, no lettering Back to your bed

The last stop? Your bed

Save your hotel's address before you go out, and look up the way back for the time you expect to leave, above all after midnight.

Lothian NightBus

From midnight until 4.30am, NightBus services connect Edinburgh and the Lothians. A Lothian NightBus single is £3.50 for an adult (one journey).

NightBus routes and fares ↗

City Cabs

Edinburgh's City Cabs books around the clock: in its app, online, or by phone on 0131 228 1211.

Book a cab ↗

Checked 9 October 2026.

Empty hotel lounge bar at night, amber cove lighting, armchairs and a row of bar stools 05 · Plan the trip

Sleep near your kind of night

Set each hotel against the rooms you've booked: a cheaper room can cost you a longer trip home every night. Compare the full price for your dates, the cancellation terms, late check-in and the way back after your last show.

Hotel

Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre (Royal Mile)

33 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8FR

On East Market Street in the Old Town. Book on the hotel's own site for your dates.

Book on its own site ↗Map ↗
Hotel

Travelodge Edinburgh Central

33 St Mary's Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TA

Book on the hotel's own site for your dates. Driving? Its parking is £18 a day for guests (Blue Badge holders free).

Book on its own site ↗Map ↗
Getting in

Flying into Edinburgh?

The tram runs from Edinburgh Airport into the city. You need a ticket valid in the Airport Zone: an Adult Airport Single is £7.90 and an Adult Airport Open Return £9.50.

Tram tickets ↗Timetables and journeys ↗

No room rates or 2027 availability are given here: put the price you're quoted into the budget. Checked 9 October 2026.

Ornate brass cash register in amber light The budget

What will your trip cost?

Use the prices you actually find. The calculator adds up what you enter; it doesn't fetch prices or check availability.

Your trip

Stay and shows

Food and getting around

At home while you're away

The rest

Cup and saucer silhouetted against a misted window at dawn, red cloth below Ready to go

Your ready-to-go list

Your ticks stay on this device. Eat before a late show if you can't be sure of a kitchen after; carry ID for 18-and-over rooms.

Questions

When is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2027?

6–30 August 2027, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Where are the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's shows?

Fringe Box Office and Fringe Shop, 180 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QS.

Where can I eat before a Fringe show?

Civerinos on Forrest Road (49 Forrest Road) serves pizza and slices, walk-in only, until 22:00 Sunday to Thursday and 23:00 on Friday and Saturday. Brewhemia at 1A Market Street serves food and drinks, open until 23:00, midnight or 1am depending on the day. Check last orders on the night.

How do I get back to my hotel after a late Fringe show?

Lothian's NightBus runs from midnight until 4.30am; an adult single is £3.50. City Cabs books around the clock in its app, online or on 0131 228 1211.

How do I get from Edinburgh Airport to the city?

By tram, with a ticket valid in the Airport Zone: an Adult Airport Single is £7.90 and an Adult Airport Open Return £9.50.

Where should I stay for the Edinburgh Fringe?

Near the rooms you've booked, so the way back each night is short. Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre (Royal Mile) on East Market Street and Travelodge Edinburgh Central on St Mary's Street are two to compare: check the full price, cancellation terms and late check-in for your dates.

Sources