Edinburgh Festivals Guide: Fringe, Tattoo, Hogmanay and When to Go

August is the big month. The Fringe runs from 6 to 30 August 2027 and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo from 6 to 28 August, with the Film Festival from 12 to 18 August. If you want crowds, shows on every corner and the whole city on stage, go then and book early. If you’d like a quieter trip, the other festivals run from December to July.

Roam Edinburgh read 12 festival and when-to-visit guides, including the official Fringe and Edinburgh Festival City pages. Every date on this page is printed on the festival’s own page or on Edinburgh Festival City’s page, for the year shown. Where a festival hasn’t printed its 2027 dates, the table says so, and you’ll want to check its site before you book.

Then see what’s on. The events page lists festival shows and everything around them, and the map puts venues next to your hotel. For hotels, where to stay in Edinburgh covers the areas.

The calendar at a glance

The dates come from Edinburgh Festival City, which lists them for 2027. It also says Edinburgh has 11 major festivals across the year and that six take place in August, with more than 50,000 performances that month.

The Fringe

The Fringe is named by all 12 guides read.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe says its 80th edition runs from 6 to 30 August 2027. It’s open access, so there’s no selection and no single programme to follow, and you won’t see it all. The Fringe Society’s own first-timer tips say to download its free app, which lists every show, to take it easier than the people who see 11 or 12 shows a day, and to book early. Many shows join its 2for1 offer on the first Monday and Tuesday of the festival, and the Half Price Hut sells half-price tickets for same-day and next-morning shows from the first Wednesday. The hut is at the Fringe Box Office on Old Assembly Close, High Street, EH1 1QS.

The International Festival and the Book Festival

The International Festival is named by 9 guides and the Book Festival by 8.

The Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival both run in August, and the guides treat them as the curated end of the month. Edinburgh Festival City shows no 2027 dates for either yet, so you’ll need to check the International Festival’s site and the Book Festival’s before booking travel. The Film Festival’s own site shows 13 to 19 August for its 2026 edition, and Edinburgh Festival City gives 12 to 18 August for 2027.

The Military Tattoo

The Tattoo is named by 8 guides.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo runs from 6 to 28 August 2027 on the castle esplanade. The Tattoo isn’t the same as a visit to the castle itself, so check the castle’s opening times if you also want to go in, and book the Tattoo as early as you can.

Christmas

Christmas is named by 6 guides.

Edinburgh’s Christmas runs from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 in the city centre. Its page lists traditional markets and funfair rides, the Polar Ice Bar from 19 November to 2 January and La Clique Noël, a cabaret and circus show in Bristo Square, from 20 November to 3 January. Santa’s Stories runs from 20 November to 24 December.

Hogmanay

Hogmanay is named by 6 guides.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay runs for four days from 29 December 2026 to 1 January 2027. The organisers list four main events:

• The Torchlight Procession on 29 December, starting at 6.30pm.
• The Night Afore Party with The Fratellis on 30 December, starting at 6pm.
• The Street Party on 31 December, starting at 8pm.
• First Footin on 1 January, a free unticketed live music trail across city venues.

Hogmanay in the Gardens with Underworld is also on the programme for 31 December.

How to visit outside August

Eight of 12 guides tell you to book accommodation and tickets early, and three name quieter seasons.

Edinburgh Festival City suggests planning about six months ahead for summer. A visit outside August doesn’t mean no festival:

• April: the Science Festival, 3 to 18 April 2027.
• Late May and early June: the Children’s Festival, 29 May to 6 June 2027.
• July: Jazz and Blues, 16 to 25 July 2027, a month before the crowds.
• November to January: Christmas, then Hogmanay.

If you’d rather skip the festivals altogether, you’ll find Edinburgh weather by month for the driest and wettest months.