What it's like to Perform at the Edinburgh Fringe

It's a marathon, not a race...

This is like the tagline of the Edinburgh Fringe!

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (yes, the words are in that order) is the highlight of my year, every year. It is enriching, experimental, inspiring. But it is also really hard work and I'm often tackling self-doubt, some injuries, tiredness and the flu. Everyone get the Fringe flu.

This year, I did a nice round number of 40 shows, debuting my new Kill Bill act.

The Best Things About the Festival

The city is filled with artists bringing an incredible level of talent, new ideas and fun new takes on classics. There are about 4,000 shows so you are simply spoiled for choice. You can see new faces, see what's happeneing in the arts and just have a great time seeing shows.

It's a great opportunity to meet loads of new people who you wouldn't otherwise. Artists can come from overseas to take the opportunity to perform at one of the most acclaimed arts festivals in the world. I often perform alingside dancers from the US and Australia. These long haul flights would be unaffordable for a normal international stint, but having back-to-back work over the monmth means it can actually be financially viable.

I've been going to the festival for three years and already I feel like it's just a lovely chance to see my friends who I otherwise would never see or meet!

Being able to do so many shows over the month helps you grow as a performer very quickly. My act will be so different from the first to the last time I perform it because I can keep refining it as I go. This has helped me so much as an individual artist and strengthened many skills.

The Worst Things

I've already mentioned the Fringe flu, but I find running from show to show very exhausting. The first few days are fine but the adrenaline will come back to bite you! There will be one particular day when it's raining and the bus was late and the crowds won't move out of the way and your bags/suitcase feel especially heavy and then it catches up to you.

This year, I made sure to give myself at least one day off per week and I did very few post-show drinks. My friends backstage were amazing this year and helped me through some issues throughout the festival. The community spirit is the best.

How does it work as a Burlesque Dancer?

There are lots of cabaret shows running over the festival and they work like variety shows. You bring an act to the festival, you perform that during a slot at the cabaret show, and you'll either be paid cash in hand or by invoice afterwards.

Sometimes they are consecutive and sometimes they'll be clashes. In 2025, I did two shows that started at the same time! I went on first in one show, was done about 10 minutes after the show started, would pack up and speed over to the next show, sneak past the audience, change at the venue and then go on as the final act. I would not recommend this! These two venues were a 5 minute walk from eachother, and even then it was stressful.

Top Tips for Doing the Edinburgh Fringe

Because of the nature of burlesque and cabaret, the shows will probably all be late night ones. This changes your body clock a lot (I was having dinner at 3am). Make sure you can have something quick when you get in. When you're that tired, it's a huge relief to have something easy to make that feels like a proper dinner (like microwave rice puches and chicken and veg trays) instead of toast.

Get a sleep mask and ear plugs! Imagine getting to bed at 4am and then your new neighbours wake you up at 9am! Or the curtains are thin and the sunlight comes streaming in. You'll feel the effects of that all day.

Don't go out every night. Actually, be a bit boring. Even though performance is a fun job, it is a job and you need to be prepared to go to work the next day. Don't give yourself excessive hangovers and sacrifice your sleep because you wouldn't do that for a 'normal' job.

But make sure you see your friends. They will be your support during the festival and will really lift your spirits!

2026 was a particularly hard year but I will absolutely be back for more.