Thousands of performers, including dancers, comedians, musicians, actors, singers, acrobats and many others, have started arriving in Edinburgh for the annual Edinburgh Festival, where, until 29th August, they will strut their stuff for a vast, hungry and highly discerning audience. But which performances are the ones worth seeing? Where can you find the best deals on shows? And where should you stay for your visit? In this week’s Best Sites Digest, we round-up the best sites for finding your way around.

EDINBURGH FRINGE
www.edfringe.com

Possibly the most famous arm of the Edinburgh Festival season is the Edinburgh Fringe, when young and aspiring producers, directors, playwrights, comics and actors get to strut their stuff in front of a discerning crowd. Take a chance on some untapped talent and book early for tickets (all ranging from roughly £5-£10). The more you see, the more likely you are to stumble upon a gem.

EDINBURGH COMEDY FESTIVAL


Check this site out daily to find exclusive new ticket offers for some of the funniest and most intriguing shows on the fringe. The site picks the best shows on the programme and makes a limited number of tickets available at discounted prices and announced on the morning of the show. Sign up for the mailing list or follow Edinburgh Comedy Festival on Facebook to get news of new offers first.

THE EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO
www.edintattoo.co.uk

Book here to buy your tickets to The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a highlight of the Edinburgh Festival, set on the floodlit esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. The programme features contributions from the Massed Bands of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, Highland Dancing, the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and the music of the world-famous Massed Pipes and Drums. On the last day of the Tattoo, a magnificent fireworks display takes place.

FAKE FRINGE
fakefringe.com

Offering an unusual way to explore the Edinburgh Fringe catalogue, Fake Fringe invites visitors to select the one fake show out of sets of real shows, listed by genre. Select the fake show, write your own fake show or browse the charts, which include the best and worst fake shows and most and least convincing fake shows. Fake Fringe includes the venue address and links to the official fringe site, so you can easily track down shows that sound interesting.

FESTIVAL APARTMENTS
www.festivalapartments.com

If you’re planning a trip to Edinburgh either as part of a show or as a tourist and wish to find accommodation, it’s worth checking out Festival Apartments, where self-catering accommodation for two up to 40 people is available. A more cost-effective way to enjoy the city, while living like a local, be sure to look at the Last Minute section, where apartments can be found at short notice for a weekend trip or longer.

THE FREE EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL


Set up in response to the escalating costs of The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Free Edinburgh Fringe guide is aimed at performers and audiences priced out of the festival. Organised by Alex Petty of Laughing Horse Comedy, The Free Festival works with volunteers and other venues, promoters and performers to make sure that there are no charges for audiences to watch shows and no charges for performers to hire the performance space.

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
www.eif.co.uk

Running between 12th August and 4th September, this year’s Edinburgh International Festival will look at the diverse culture of Asia and its impact on the west in a series of programmes featuring the best eastern classical music, theatre, opera dance and visual art. Highlights include Shakespeare’s The Tempest transported to 5th century Korea by the Mokwha Repertory Company, The Peony Pavillion, performed by the National Ballet of China and an exhibition of works by Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto.

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL GUIDE
edinburghfestival.list.co.uk

Every festival, listing and review relating to Edinburgh Festivals can be found on this comprehensive online guide, where visitors can find out everything they need to know relating to what’s on, when and whether it’s worth seeing. In addition to covering Edinburgh Festival, the site also covers Edinburgh’s many other festivals, including the Beltane Fire Festival and the International Film Festival.

3rd August 2011