Wheeeee, this is fun! The Edinburgh Fringe officially started on Friday (although previews had been running since Wednesday), and the crowds showed up right on time. It takes significantly longer to walk across town these days, with all the tourists and flyerers in your way (I need to stop walking like a New Yorker – it only leads to frustration). It’s relatively quiet over in our corner of New Town, but the Old Town is packed to the gills.
After our sprint through 10 preview shows in two days, we took a more relaxed approach to opening weekend. Saturday was pissing down rain, but that did not deter the flyerers (spellcheck keeps insisting that “flyerers” is not a word, but what else would you call all the people handing out flyers for shows?). Every time I looked down, my non-umbrella-holding hand had filled up again with a pulpy mass of show information.
For opening weekend, most shows go up to their full prices, but there are still deals to be found here and there. Though not as common as during the preview days, if you look closely you’ll notice that some of the flyerers still have some comp tickets to give away. Several of the box offices at the individual venues have early 2 for 1 ticket offers posted for certain shows, as well (discounts that you won’t be able to get buying tickets through the Fringe website or app). Also, some shows still have preview pricing during opening weekend.
What’s next? Monday and Tuesday (Aug 4 & 5) are 2-for-1 days, with many shows offering (you’ll never guess) two tickets for the price of one. These days are popular with the locals, and several shows sell out. Then on Wednesday, the Half Price Hut opens on the Mound, where we’ll be able to get great deals on same-day tickets for the rest of the festival.
Dying to know what we’ve seen at the Fringe so far? Check out our comedy, theater, and musical reviews. More added daily!