A Fringe run is a month of early get-ins, late shows and very little sleep. Here is our practical guide to booking, getting to your venue, resting well and living with your show in an Edinburgh home.
Fringe 2027 accommodation: when to book and what to tell us
The Fringe runs from 6 to 30 August 2027, and it is the festival's 80th year. Accommodation is the part of a Fringe run that most companies wish they had sorted sooner. Many homes are booked months ahead, and the best-placed ones for the full run go first. The earlier you know your venue and your slot, the more choice you have.
You do not need everything confirmed to start a conversation. When you get in touch, tell us what you know and what is still open:
- Your dates: the full run, part of it, or previews and get-in days before you open.
- Your venue, or the area it is likely to be in.
- Your show time: a morning children's show and a late-night comedy slot need very different homes.
- Who is staying: performers, crew, a director or producer, and anyone joining for a few days only.
- Beds and rooms: who needs their own room, and who is happy to share.
- Kit: costumes to wash, props or flight cases to store, instruments.
We reply within one working day (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm) with the homes that fit, the prices and how far each one is from your venue. If something is not a good match, we will say so rather than make it fit.
Your venue may not be confirmed yet
If you are still waiting on a venue, tell us the likely areas. Fringe venues are spread across the city, from the Old Town and the Southside to Leith and the West End, but many cluster in the centre. A home with good bus links can work for several possible venues while you wait.
Browse all our homes or our Edinburgh homes first if you like, and send us the ones that catch your eye.
Planning a company stay for the whole Fringe run or part of it
The whole run
Staying in one home for the full run is the calmest way to do the Fringe. You unpack once, learn the route to your venue, find your local shop and settle into a routine. Many of our homes welcome whole-run stays. If you are on for most of August, this is what we usually suggest.
Part of the run
Shorter runs are common, especially for first-time shows and for companies sharing a slot. Tell us exactly which nights you need. If you are on for a week or two, it is still worth asking early, as homes that are free for part of August can be harder to find than you might expect.
Splitting a home as a company
A shared home is usually far better value, and better for morale, than everyone finding their own room. A few things make it work:
- Agree the beds before you book. Who shares, who needs a room of their own, and who arrives when.
- Plan for people coming and going. Crew may arrive first for the get-in. A director may leave after opening week. Tell us, and we will make sure everyone knows how to get in.
- Pick one person to be our contact. It keeps messages simple, and nobody misses anything.
- Set the house rhythms early. A company with a 10am show and one member doing a late spot elsewhere will need some give and take.
Homes range from one to five bedrooms. For bigger companies, we can suggest two homes close together rather than squeezing everyone into one. If your company is booking through an organisation that needs particular paperwork, our page on company accommodation explains how we work with organisations.
Getting to your Fringe venue on foot, by bus and late at night
During the Fringe, Edinburgh's centre is crowded from late morning until well past midnight. The Royal Mile and the streets around the big venue hubs are slow to walk through, and buses and taxis are busy. Plan your journey to the venue as carefully as your get-in.
Walking
For most performers, the best home is one you can walk from. A twenty-minute walk is easy on a quiet morning. Allow longer during the festival, especially if you are carrying props, flyers or an instrument. Walk the route once before opening night, at the time you will actually travel.
Buses and trams
Edinburgh's buses cover the whole city, and you can pay by contactless as you board. The tram runs between the airport, the city centre, Leith and Newhaven; buy a ticket or tap your card at the stop before you get on. Services are busy in August, and some diversions are common around the festival. If you are relying on a late bus home, check the route and the last times before you commit to a home.
Taxis
Taxis are in high demand after the late shows finish. Queues at midnight can be long. If you will be coming home late every night, a home within walking distance of your venue is worth more than a nicer one further out.
Areas that often work well
- Old Town and Southside: right among the venues, busy and noisy, very convenient.
- Newington and Marchmont: a walk across the Meadows to many venues, and calmer at night.
- Tollcross and the West End: central and handy for venues on that side of town.
- Leith: further out but on the tram, with its own life and quieter streets.
For audience members coming for a few days rather than performing, our stay with us hub lists every kind of stay we look after.
Sleeping well during a Fringe run
Performers tell us the same thing every year. The show is the easy part. Getting enough sleep is the hard part. A Fringe run is long, and tiredness builds up week by week.
What helps
- Dark bedrooms. Edinburgh is light very early in August. Ask for blackout blinds if you are finishing late and need to sleep in. It is the thing performers most often tell us matters.
- A quiet bedroom. In many tenements, the back bedrooms face a green and are much calmer than the front, which can face a busy street.
- Earplugs and an eye mask. Pack both, even with blinds. The city is noisy in August.
- A routine. Try to sleep and eat at roughly the same times each day, even on days off.
- Real meals. A kitchen of your own makes it easier to eat properly rather than living on street food.
Late nights on a shared stair
Many of our homes are in tenement buildings, with a shared stone stair and neighbours who live there all year. They are getting up for work while you are coming home from the show. Sound carries on a stone stair, so please come in quietly, keep conversations inside the flat, and close the main door gently. If you will be back late every night, tell us when you book. We will suggest homes where that works best. Our page for neighbours explains how we look after the buildings our homes are in.
If something in the home is keeping you awake, message us. Our team is on from 9am to midnight during the festival, and there is an emergency line around the clock.
Costumes, props and flyers: living with your show for a month
A Fringe show moves into the home with you. Costumes need washing, props need somewhere to live, and flyers multiply. A little planning keeps the home liveable for the whole run.
Costumes and laundry
Our homes have a washing machine, and some have a dryer too. If you are washing costumes daily, tell us, and we will point you to homes that suit. Drying space in older flats can be tight, so a clothes airer is worth asking about. Please do not dry clothes directly on radiators or heaters. Check care labels before washing anything delicate or hired.
Props and cases
- Tell us how much you are bringing, roughly, before you book.
- Keep cases and props inside the home, not in the shared stair or the hallway of the building. A clear common stair matters for fire safety.
- Protect floors and walls when moving anything heavy or sharp.
- Do not use paint, glue or make-up near the soft furnishings, and ask us before doing anything messy.
Flyers and posters
Store flyer boxes inside, and please do not leave them in the stair or put posters up on the building. The neighbours will thank you.
Leaving at the end of the run
The final weekend is busy for everyone. Pack up the props the day before you leave if you can, and check every cupboard for costumes. Let us know if you are leaving anything behind by mistake, and we will help where we can. More about how our team works is on our about page.
What to pack for Edinburgh in August
Edinburgh in August can be warm and bright one day and wet and windy the next. Performers who walk to their venue every day feel every change. Pack for all of it.
- A waterproof jacket with a hood. Umbrellas struggle in the wind and in crowds.
- Comfortable, waterproof shoes. You will walk a lot, often on wet stone and cobbles.
- Layers. Evenings can be cool, even after a warm day, and venues range from hot to chilly.
- A good bag that keeps flyers, scripts and kit dry.
- A water bottle and some snacks for long days between shows.
- A phone power bank. Maps, tickets and social media drain batteries quickly.
- Earplugs and an eye mask for sleep.
- Any medication, with enough for the whole run.
Looking after yourself
A month is a long time to perform. Take your days off seriously, get outside the centre now and then, and give your voice and body a rest. A walk up Arthur's Seat, an afternoon on the Meadows or a trip to Portobello beach can reset a tired week. North Berwick is about half an hour by train if you want a day by the sea, and our homes in North Berwick are there if you want to stay on after the festival.
If you would like to know how other guests found our homes, read our reviews.
Fringe accommodation costs: the Visitor Levy, licences and avoiding scams
The Visitor Levy on Fringe stays
Stays in the City of Edinburgh include the Visitor Levy: 5% on the cost of the accommodation for the first five nights of each stay. On a full-run stay, nights after the fifth are not charged, so the levy is a small part of the total. Our Visitor Levy page explains how it is worked out.
Licensed homes only
Every short let in Scotland needs a short-term let licence, including during the festival. Every home we let is licensed, and the licence number is on the listing. Our licensing page explains what that means for you.
Avoiding Fringe accommodation scams
Busy months attract accommodation scams, and August is the busiest month of all. Fake listings, copied photos and requests for deposits by bank transfer are the usual signs. Protect your company:
- Book through a known platform or company.
- Check that the listing shows a short-term let licence number.
- Never pay a deposit by bank transfer to a personal account.
- Be wary of prices that look far below everything else for the same dates.
- Get the address, beds and check-in details in writing before you pay.
Splitting the cost
Prices depend on the home, the dates and how much of August you need. When we send you homes, we include the prices so the company can compare and split the cost fairly. If anything is unclear, ask us and a real person will reply.
Message us on WhatsApp on +44 7898 116933, or get in touch. We reply 9am to midnight, and the emergency line is there 24/7.