It's Festival Time

We arrived in Edinburgh exactly four weeks ago, on August 3^rd. After a short trip to the Netherlands, we officially moved into our new flat on August 10^th, and began settling in, and exploring the city. We quickly learned that Edinburgh in August is incredibly unique.

During the month of August, about ten festivals take place in the city of Edinburgh, with the most notorious being the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe, and the Edinburgh Book Festival. This year festival season ran from August 3^rd until August 27^th, with the city more than doubling in size as hordes of visitors came to participate in the festivities. The largest of these festivals is the Edinburgh Fringe. The history of the Fringe is pretty interesting, and you can read more about it here: https://www.edfringe.com/learn/about.

We quickly learned about festival season, as we ventured in to the heart of the city the day after arriving. Asides from all the venues with a wide array of shows taking place, there are food stands all over selling a variety of tasty cuisine, lots of alcohol being sold and consumed, market stalls selling all kinds of trinkets, art, and other miscellaneous items, and street performers on every corner. The kids were keenly interested in the street performers, and wanted to stop every time we saw one. We saw some amazing musicians, skilled jugglers, other-worldly contortionists, and plenty of bagpipers in kilts. We learned quickly that many of the street performers weren’t afraid of inappropriate and racy humor. We ushered the children quickly away from a few performers before they began asking too many questions. We also quickly learned that street performers love to have fun with their audience, and they especially loved to make fun of Americans, and America. Our president was not only the butt of frequent jokes on the street, but also the focus of a handful of shows, and even the subject of some street graffiti we came across.

While just walking the streets of Edinburgh in August is entertaining enough, we decided we needed to take advantage of all the shows going on, and make it to a few. We went with the children to see Cat in the Hat put on by the National Theatre. The show was fantastic, and enjoyed not only by the kids, but also by Brittany and myself. We loved watching the show, but also watching our children’s faces as they reacted to all the excitement taking place on the stage. The show was well done, and a treat for all of us.

I decided to venture out one evening, and enjoy a more adult themed show, and to experience Edinburgh and The Fringe in the evening. I went to the show titled Thrones: A Musical Parody. The show started at 10:30pm, which is way past my bedtime! I ventured out early though, and grabbed a beer at one of the food stands set up on the street. I ended up visiting with a family from London who come to Edinburgh every year for The Fringe, and also talked with a man from Yorkshire. It was fun meeting some festival goers, drinking a good local beer, and watching the night-time crowds.

The auditorium for the show was packed. Apparently Thrones is one of the shows that sells out almost every night. The show was incredible, and ranks at the top for me in regards to most hilarious shows I have ever seen (it’s tied with Book of Mormon!). I was rolling laughing throughout the entire show, and at times was shocked at how crude the humor was. Apparently crude and edgy humor is par for the course at the Edinburgh Fringe, especially with the late night shows.

One of the perks of moving to Scotland was escaping American politics for the year, but just like we found the street performers constantly making barbs about America, and our political dysfunction, I was surprised to find that Donald Trump was one of the characters in the musical, along with the Game of Thrones characters. Not surprisingly, Donald Trump wasn’t portrayed in a flattering manner, much to the amusement and joy of all those gathered.

Asides from the Edinburgh Fringe, the most well-known event during this season is the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. We were encouraged by a friend to purchase tickets for this event in the spring, and we are thankful we did so. A military tattoo is typically a military performance of music, or a display of armed forces in general. The Edinburgh Tattoo features military and civilian groups from all over the world, and features Scottish pipers and drummers. We were able to see military groups from Hungary, Mexico, Oman, Belgium, the United States, and of course from Scotland and Great Britain. The show takes place on the esplanade of the Edinburgh Castle, and ends with a fireworks show. We were unsure if the children would appreciate the show, but much to our delight they were hooked from the first act. The kids were especially fond of the bands from Mexico, the Swiss Army Drum Corp, and of course, the massed pipes and drums that opened and closed the show. Before attending I heard the tattoo described as a “bucket-list” type of show, and while it wasn’t previously on my bucket-list (or even something I was aware of), I am incredibly thankful we had the opportunity to witness this incredible performance celebrating military precision, cultural heritage, international peace, and human connection. The show was amazing, and if you find yourself in Edinburgh in August, this should definitely be on your “don’t miss” list!

The locals around Edinburgh seem to sigh a deep sigh of satisfaction, contentment, and relief once the festival season comes to a close. The locals we have spoken to appear to be immensely proud of their city being such a sought after destination for so many around the world, and the festival season is certainly a boom to the local economy. However, the crowds and constant commotion can be tiring, and if seems everyone is ready for some calm after the chaos of August.

Edinburgh won’t stay quiet for long though, as there is a big Oktoberfest celebration the end of October, popular winter and holiday markets throughout December, and the celebration of Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year, the end of the year. Edinburgh is a happening city, and we plan to take advantage of all it has to offer!