Edinburgh Festival Fringe

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, established in 1947, is a globally recognized and open-access performing arts festival that takes place annually in Edinburgh, Scotland, during the month of August. As the world's largest arts festival, it showcases thousands of performances across numerous venues, featuring a wide variety of live acts, including theatre, comedy, circus, cabaret, musicals, opera, music, dance, and more.

The Fringe began when eight theatre groups arrived uninvited during the official Edinburgh International Festival, eventually leading to the creation of the Fringe Society in 1958. The festival has since become a world-leading celebration of arts and culture, attracting global talent and serving as a stepping stone for numerous successful comedians and actors, such as Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, Mike Myers, Robin Williams, and Rowan Atkinson.

The Fringe is known for its unjuried nature, allowing anyone to participate with any type of performance, and is categorized into sections for theatre, comedy, dance, physical theatre, circus, cabaret, children's shows, musicals, opera, music, spoken word, exhibitions, and events. Comedy is the largest section, making up over one-third of the programme, and has the highest public profile due to the Edinburgh Comedy Awards.

The festival is supported by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, which publishes the programme, sells tickets, and offers year-round advice and support to performers. The Society's Fringe Central provides support for Fringe participants during their time at the festival.

The Fringe has a rich history of veteran performers, such as Arthur Smith, Paul Merton, Barry Cryer, and Richard Herring, who have performed at multiple festivals. The festival also boasts a diverse range of shows and attracts performers, visitors, creative producers, and the media from around the world, making it a unique and special event in the world of arts and culture.