Self-Guided Audio Tour

Behind the Scenes at Edinburgh Festival Fringe: A Where Now Tour

On this walking tour, you’ll discover how an act of artistic rebellion started as a handful of shows performed in church halls and grew into a sprawling celebration of comedy, theatre, and creative expression that takes over the city each August.

Theatre fans, comedy lovers and first-time Fringe visitors, discover the origins of the Edinburgh Fringe festival with our entertaining self-guided audio tour. All you need are headphones and a sense of humour and we will bring art and history to life.

Learn about the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Edinburgh’s cultural landscape was forever changed when a small group of performers crashed the city’s prestigious International Festival in 1947. On this walking tour, you’ll discover how this act of artistic rebellion started as a handful of shows performed in church halls and grew into a sprawling celebration of comedy, theatre, and creative expression that takes over the city each August.

The tour starts at the old heart of the city’s high society and one of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s legendary venues, the Assembly Rooms. As you walk through the Old Town, I’ll tell you about the festival’s evolution, and how student theatre companies, alternative comedians, and innovative venue operators shaped the Fringe’s anarchic spirit.

You’ll also discover how political and cultural shifts influenced the festival, from post-war idealism to Thatcher-era alternative comedy and the rise of the ‘Free Fringe’ movement. The tour ends in the Grassmarket, where you can reflect on how a tiny theatrical rebellion has grown into the world’s largest arts festival.

As we finish, you’ll understand how a series of fringe events became the main attraction, and why Edinburgh in August continues to be the world’s greatest showcase for theatrical innovation, comedic talent, and creative risk-taking.

There are also some jokes. Good ones. You’ll enjoy it.

What’s included in this 60-minute tour?

• See the Assembly Rooms, where stars like Alan Rickman and Rik Mayall made their Fringe debuts, and where the percussion phenomenon STOMP! first captivated audiences

• Find out how shows like Beyond the Fringe and The League of Gentlemen became international sensations after humble Fringe beginnings

• Walk the Royal Mile, the bustling heart of the modern Fringe festival where thousands of performers compete for attention each August

• Explore Pleasance Courtyard, the historic university venue that became a career-making Fringe institution

• Discover how Cambridge Footlights alumni like Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson helped establish the Perrier Award as comedy’s most prestigious prize

• Learn about the birth of alternative comedy in the 1980s and how it transformed the Fringe from an eclectic arts festival into a comedy powerhouse

• See the underground warren of Underbelly Cowgate, where Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag premiered before becoming a global sensation

Our audio tours are carefully researched, recorded and produced by our team of tour guides. We love bringing history to life through interesting tales, lesser known facts and comedy.

We are committed to bringing you high-quality and enjoyable experiences. Still not sure? Listen to a preview below:

Browse all our audio tours here. Or take a look at our guided walking tours in London or Glasgow here.