2 Best Performing Arts Venues in Edinburgh, Edinburgh and the Lothians

Background Illustration for Performing Arts

Think Edinburgh's arts scene consists of just the elegiac wail of a bagpipe and the twang of a fiddle? Think again. Edinburgh is one of the world's great performing-arts cities. The jewels in the crown are the famed Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival, which attract the best in music, dance, theater, circus, stand-up comedy, poetry, painting, and sculpture from all over the globe in August. The Scotsman and Herald, Scotland's leading daily newspapers, carry listings and reviews in their arts pages every day, with special editions during the festival. Tickets are generally sold in advance; in some cases they're also available from certain designated travel agents or at the door, although concerts by national orchestras often sell out long before the day of the performance.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Old Town Fodor's Choice

During the world's largest arts festival in August, most of the city center becomes one huge performance area, with fire eaters, sword swallowers, unicyclists, jugglers, string quartets, jazz groups, stand-up comedians, and magicians all thronging into High Street and Princes Street. Every available performance space—church halls, community centers, parks, sports fields, nightclubs, and more—is used for every kind of event, with something for all tastes. There are even family-friendly shows. Many events are free; others start at a few pounds and rise to £15 and more. There's so much happening in the three weeks of the festival that it's possible to arrange your own entertainment program from early morning to after midnight. Be aware that hotels get booked up months in advance during the Fringe and bargains are virtually impossible to come by, so plan your trip as far in advance as possible.

Usher Hall

Old Town Fodor's Choice

Edinburgh's grandest concert venue, Usher Hall hosts a wide range of national and international performers, from Paul Weller and Paloma Faith to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.