The Edinburgh Fringe Festival Programme is out now

It’s a big day in most Edinburgers’ year when the programme for The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is launched each June. Just out a couple of days ago, this year’s looks bigger than usual and covers hundreds of pages of the world’s finest theatre, music and comedy, all for the taking come August.

For those not in the know, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is pretty much the main event in amongst August’s plethora of cultural festivals that take over the city. Starting with the Edinburgh International Festival, the ‘Fringe’, as it’s called locally, took off as a comedic reaction to the EIF and has grown steadily year upon year ever since. Now the Fringe is considered by many to be the single greatest festival of theatre, music and comedy on earth and has made Edinburgh the launch pad for many a comedian’s career, most recently Glasgow’s Kevin Shields.

If you’re in Edinburgh and keen to make the most of the Fringe, grab a free guide from the official Fringe Office or one of the many venues or ticket retailers, or go on to their website (www.edfringe.com) for an online version.

Be warned though, choosing what to see at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival can be daunting to the uninitiated, as the line-up truly is colossal, but don’t worry, we can help. Over the next couple of days we’ll post up an insider’s guide on how to make the most of your Edinburgh Festival - even if time and money are of a premium! However, before we do that, you should know that now is a definitely a good time to book Edinburgh accommodation, before the hoards of artists, performers, musicians and visitors snap it all up.