Edinburgh is a fantastic city for tourists. There are so many things to do here for people of all ages. During the month of August, however, the number of tourists increases dramatically because this is when everybody comes to enjoy the Edinburgh Festival.
The Edinburgh Festival is an amazing time to visit the city. For around four weeks, the city hosts an enormous arts and culture festival. Artists and performers come from all over the world to showcase their talents. There are shows for children, young people, and adults. There are shows for people of all tastes: dance shows, music concerts, photography and art exhibitions, stand-up comedy, sketch shows, plays and more.
Whatever you like you are bound to find something to see, and at whatever time of day that you want: the first shows start at 9 a.m., and the last finish at around 2 a.m. Some shows at the festival can be a little expensive but many are very cheap, and lots are completely free.
For those who cannot decide what to see, there are plenty of shows on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh’s main street for tourists. There are always comedians, singers, actors and musicians offering free shows to entertain the (very large) crowds and, again, it’s free of charge.
The Edinburgh Festival attracts many tourists from all over the world, and you can meet many fascinating people in Edinburgh in August. It also attracts many performers from the UK and abroad.
For many people, the Edinburgh Festival can be the start of their career as professional actors and comedians. For example, actors Rowan Atkinson (most well-known for playing Mr Bean) and Hugh Laurie (now famous for his role as cranky, television character Dr House) both began their careers at the Edinburgh Festival.
As you can probably imagine, Edinburgh is very busy during the festival and sometimes it can feel like there are too many people. Fortunately, Scotland is not very big and you can leave Edinburgh and, after just an hour or so on the bus or train, you arrive at the calm and peaceful countryside. It is the perfect place to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the festival.
Edinburgh is a fantastic and fun city to visit all year round but, if you ever have the opportunity to visit, the city is at its best in August.
Are there similar big festivals in your country?
