The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the most exciting month in the comedy calendar.
But it’s also pretty overwhelming! We’ve put together five top tips to help
you get the most out of the festival.
1 – TAKE A PUNT
It’s so exciting that all the biggest names in comedy are in one place – take full advantage of seeing that face off the telly! But for every big name, consider taking a total punt on a show too. Not only will you discover something or someone completely new, but you’ll get to brag about seeing them before they were famous in a couple of years’ time. We know that in a world of trailers, Rotten Tomatoes and endless reviews that the temptation is to feel fully informed about something before dedicating an hour of your time to it, but therein you lose a tiny bit of spontaneous magic!
Take. A. Punt.
2 – BUCKET BUDGET
Not as grim as it sounds. It’s actually something rather lovely. Monkey Barrel endorses the Pay What You Want (PWYW) model. This involves 90% of tickets having an affordable presale price to reserve your seat, and leaves 10% of the tickets reserved for PWYW. This means we give punters the best chance of accessing shows no matter what their personal budget. Whether you have bought the presale ticket, or queued up for a PWYW seat, consider contributing to the artists’ bucket at the end. They will stand at the door as you exit their room, usually with both a bucket for cash and a
contactless card machine. At our venues, this money goes straight into the pockets of our wonderful performers, and it stays there. We don’t take a cut. Consider planning a bucket budget each day, knowing that you’re supporting the artists that make this festival what it is.
3 – TRY THE LOCAL BEER
Scotland’s brewery industry is booming at the moment. Seek out some locally brewed beers at the bars and pubs that you meander through. Our personal Barrel Bar favourites at the moment? Williams Brothers’ Che Guava is flying off our shelves, as is their Juicy Joker NEIPA. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Come and check out the bars for yourselves. The Untappd app is a great way to keep track and discover new beers in the area.
4 – SCREAM (praise) INTO THE ABYSS!
Seen a show you loved? Don’t keep it all to yourself! Tweet, share, story, shout about it to the world.It helps people find new shows, as well as genuinely supports the artist and helps to fill rooms. Most shows allow audience reviewing on the EdFringe website, so consider singing their praises on that too. The internet is full of enough poison as it is – rave about something brilliant instead!
5 – BALANCE PLANNING AND PUNTING
Everyone has a different approach to planning their Fringe. Some folks are spreadsheet aficionados with meticulously planned minute-by-minute schedules each day. Some people prefer to float about the city and see what comes their way. We recommend a little bit of both. Pre-booking tickets minimised disappointment for those shows that you know you really want to see, but allowing space in your timetable to just wander into a show keeps your Fringe feeling fresh and fun!