Showing @ locations across Edinburgh, 5-29 August

Despite the odd extreme rain cloud here and there, the summer is well and truly here; and we all know what summer in Edinburgh means – the Fringe!

As the biggest arts festival in the world, the Fringe is this year even bigger than ever, with more performances and shows than previous years. The programmes – which are available at various arty locations across the city – are crammed full of no less than 2,542 events with a whole new section dedicated to Cabaret, which has seen rising popularity in recent years. This joins the other popular genres of comedy, theatre, dance and physical theatre, events, exhibitions, children’s shows, music, musicals and opera.

There are a million reasons to love the Fringe, but we at The Wee Review particularly keep our beady eyes out for freebies. As the number of events increases, so too does the number of free events, now at an all time high of no less than a whopping 607. But the Fringe isn’t only about arts and culture at potentially bargain prices. The Edinburgh Festivals Impact Study recently revealed the huge financial benefit brought to the city by the Fringe, last year generating over £141 million.

The countdown begins with the Fringe starting on 5th August, so make sure you get hold of tickets for the big names and your returning favourites before they all fly out of the box office.