Edinburgh Festival Fringe: How to access discount tickets for over 1,000 of the best shows at Scotland’s magnificent festival
“There really is something for everyone from young to old,” he said. “If you cannot find something interesting in our programme then you really are not interested in live performance – and even if you’re not, you’d probably find something to enjoy!”
There are over 1,000 shows on offer, including household names of comedy like Ed Byrne, world-renowned dancers, children’s entertainment, music, puppetry or interactive theatre, and brand new acts, plays and shows never seen before.
What is EdFest.com?
EdFest.com is a ticketing platform that offers shows from a selection of the best venues at the Festival Fringe and access to some incredible discounts – ideal whether you’re travelling from afar or are a local planning on taking a day trip to the Capital to catch a show or two.
William explains how it began. “EdFest came out of Covid when a group of us started working together to mutually support each other,” he said.
“It’s an online version of what we've been doing at Box Offices for years, we have now moved some exclusive tickets offers on to EdFest.com, because we want to make it accessible and affordable to as many people as possible.”
The venues involved are: Assembly; Gilded Balloon; Just the Tonic; Paradise Green, Pleasance; theSpaceUK; Underbelly and ZOO. From central Edinburgh, you’ll be within 100metres of a venue as geographically they cover most of the city – from George Square to George Street.
Coming together as a collective gives visitors and theatre-goers a one-stop shop to browse the shows on offer and book tickets – but each venue is still curating its own shows and, as William says, they each have their own personality and style.
Gilded Balloon, for example, champions up-and-coming artists with show's like their flagship So You Think You Are Funny? competition and Underbelly showcases Circus with their dedicated Circus Hub.
What’s on?
With over 1,000 shows on offer it’s a tough task to pick out some highlights. All will be listed on the EdFest site but we asked a couple of directors to tell us which shows particularly excited them.
William said he was looking forward to JM Coetzee’s ‘The Life & Times of Michael K‘ being presented by the Baxter Theatre from Cape Town with Handspring Puppet Company – made famous for their work on War Horse. Kyiv City Ballet was another that he thought stood out, given world events, and Frank Skinner was sure to be a popular choice.
Anthony Alderson, director of the Pleasance Theatre Trust, has been involved with Edinburgh Fringe for 38 years. He said EdFest was a way to promote the our joint programmes as a whole, and collaborate on ticket sales for the benefit of artists and the public.
“We all curate our own programmes and they are all very different but they complement each other,” he commented.
He says the size of the Pleasance programme lends itself to delivering some really exciting events – Dark Noon for example, a play by seven South African actors that tells the story of the founding of modern-day North America and its violent and bloody history. Unlike the cowboy movies that romanticised these brutal times, this looks behind the cowboy swagger delving into the slave trade and ultimately turns the focus on Apartheid.
Comedy of Operas will hit a lighter note and The Comedy Reserve, showcases comedy newcomers, in a show that previously included Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent in Ted Lasso), Doc Brown, Catherine Bohart and Holly Walsh.
“There is also a real strength in musical theatre this year,” says Anthony. The programme is an eclectic mix of comedy, music, and hard-hitting, thought-provoking plays tackling subject such as child grooming, gender identity, and mental health.
“Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a beacon, a showcase for people to perform on equal terms and you get to see some well-known people and brand-new performers and performances.”
Other highlights across the venues include La Clique at Underbelly, Connor Burns at Just the Tonic, The Slightly Annoying Elephant at Gilded Balloon, Vida Slayman at theSpaceUK and Andronicus Synecdoche at ZOO.
Does it cost to access EdFest?
It’s free to become and member for 2023. Offers will be available only to members. You can check the site regularly for new offers as well as receiving updates via email.
How will it help visitors?
EdFest.com can save you time and money by having listings and tickets for all these venues in one place.
What are the discounts?
Some cut-price tickets will include seats for a fiver or 2-for-1 deals! Full price advance tickets are already on sale but there are now daily offers, discounts of up to 30%, 2-4-1 deals and flash sales.
How do I join?
Simply head to the site and sign up for free.