Five Fringe Festivals to Visit this Summer

Exams out, summer in, and what better way to whet your cultural appetite than to visit some of the UK’s best arts and culture (fringe) festivals. Here is a list of the top five fringe festivals you need to experience this summer:

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Where? Edinburgh, Scotland

When? 5 – 29 August

The largest arts festival in the world returns this August for another, exciting three weeks of cultural entertainment in Scotland’s capital city. From big names in the world of the arts, to unknown performers looking to build their careers, the festival caters for everyone and includes theatre, comedy, dance, physical theatre, spoken word, musicals, circus and cabaret acts, as well as art and photography exhibitions. Last year saw 50,459 performances of 3,314 shows in 313 venues, making it the largest ever arts festival in the world! So with this fact in mind, whether you’re a culture vulture or not, you’d be crazy to miss this amazing event!

Buxton Fringe Festival

Where? Buxton, Derbyshire

When? 6 – 24 July

Buxton Fringe Festival is one of the UK’s largest open-access arts festivals, providing a showcase for performers and artists of all kinds. From drama and dance, to poetry and art, the festival is bursting with culture. Last year’s Fringe saw 600 performances from over 170 entrants, and this year’s is guaranteed to be bigger and better. Events on this year include: stand-up poetry by the Glummer Twins, The Burbage Art Group Art Exhibition, spoken word theatre N.O.N.C.E. by Steve Larkin, DNA by Dennis Kelly – REC Youth Theatre Company, and many, many more. Also situated close to the Peak District, there is all the more reason to visit Buxton this July and spend a week or two enjoying the festivities!

East London Fringe Festival

Where? Shoreditch, London

When? 9 July – 7 August

This summer marks the exciting launch of the East London Fringe Festival, where the rich artistry, cultural diversity and bohemian beauty of the area is set to be celebrated over five weekends-worth of music, visual art, and comedy. Confirmed partners include creative, underground collective, Urban Nerds street, art tour guides, Alternative London, as well as local comedy projects, Backyard Comedy Club and Comedy Club Theatre. Also providing hand-crafted, pop-up events, this festival aims to prove why Shoreditch is London’s most vibrant cultural destination. So watch this space, as it is set to take the UK’s cultural calendar by storm.

Camden Fringe Festival

Where? Camden Town, London

When? 1 – 28 August

The Camden Fringe Festival returns this August for another celebration of theatre, art, comedy and all-round fringe fun. First established in 2006 as an alternative to the Edinburgh Festival extravaganza, the festival offers performers the opportunity to try out new material and different ideas, in venues stretching from Highgate to Covent Garden. For the Fringe’s 11th run, 250 different productions will be on show at 25 venues, covering a range of performance arts, including musical theatre, poetry, cabaret and film screening.

Ludlow Fringe Festival

Where? Ludlow, Shropshire

When? 18 June – 3 July

The town of Ludlow comes to life this summer with its independent arts and culture Fringe Festival. Only just into its fifth year, it has already gained overwhelming success and is forging links with other fringe festivals worldwide. This year’s events include live, large-scale painting, puppet-making, creative writing workshops, Shakespeare challenges, an art trail and market, a poetry evening, as well as a musical adaptation of Saint-Exupéry’s classic The Little Prince, among many more. Full to the brim with activities, and many events being either free or under a fiver, it is definitely a fringe festival worth visiting this summer.