Hello Edinburgh. I will be at fringe for the first time this summer coming and I am coming from the USA alone. I know one producer who will be there but he is a new acquaintance. I’ll be in Edinburgh for 8 or 9 days and I would like to see as many shows as possible do some networking.

As I have never been to fringe before (and not entirely sure what to expect), I’d love some advice/tips on the festival and also Edinburgh in general. I intend to bring my own one person show there next summer but it is in development and not written at this point. That being said, I want to see as many venues as possible so I know where I should place my show once I understand the layout I’ll need etc. I looked on the fringe website this week and there’s just sooooo many shows that I have no idea where to start and what to see. I’ve done other us festivals like Sundance and SXSW, but fringe seems totally different. At Sundance for example, there is a lot of different industry parties/networking done. Most are invite only but Is it similar at fringe? I googled “most anticipated fringe shows of 2024” but there were almost no articles on that yet. So here are my questions and even if you have an answer to one or any I’d appreciate it!

1. What are the main theatres I should definitely see shows at?

2. Are there any boards (Reddit or not) that I could check out and connect with other performers and their crew for more info? If not, any websites?

3. How does one sift through the amount of shows to figure out what they should see?

4. I’d like to network. How does one suggest doing this? Are there official (or unofficial) parties that are popular each year. I’m not too concerned with how to get in, I’d just like to know where and what they are. Bars that are hubs?

5. Does one suggest any day trips from Edinburgh around Scotland? Or tips about the city in general?

6. Any other tips?!

Thank you!!