Edinburgh in August is like nowhere else on Earth. For one extraordinary month, this elegant, cobblestoned city is transformed into a sprawling, open-access carnival of creativity. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival, and Oliver Hall believes that experiencing it should be a bucket-list essential for queer culture lovers everywhere.
But it’s not just the dizzying array of theatre, comedy, drag, cabaret, music, dance, and performance art that makes it special—it’s the city itself. Edinburgh is a masterpiece. A city of towering spires, dark Gothic flourishes, lush green crags, and ancient alleyways that tumble down towards the sea. And yet, it rarely gets name-checked alongside Europe’s famously photogenic cities. I’m here to say it deserves to be. Edinburgh is every bit as striking as Prague, and perhaps more so when it’s buzzing with artists and audiences from every corner of the globe.
Edinburgh also feels incredibly queer-friendly, especially during the festival. Even without a Pride parade in sight, rainbow flags adorned shopfronts and cafés. Gender-neutral bathrooms were easy to find. Venues wore their inclusivity on their sleeves. The festival seems to attract the kind of open-minded, kaleidoscopic crowd where queer artists and audiences feel right at home.
Budget-Friendly
Let’s be real: hotels in Edinburgh during August are expensive. Like, wild. But there’s a great-value option hiding in plain sight: Summer Stays at Edinburgh University. University halls are transformed into simple but comfortable accommodations for festivalgoers. You get a private room and hearty breakfast in a location close to the action, without paying sky-high hotel prices.
Must Visit
Between shows, head to Tolbooth Tavern on the Royal Mile. This pub has serious history—it started life as a tollbooth in 1591, became a prison, and has been serving pints since 1836. You can still see the original brickwork by the front door. Inside, it’s cosy and classic, the perfect place to try haggis, locally brewed beers, or a whisky flight! I spotted there are over 70 different whiskies on their menu.
Unmissable Shows
Now, onto the good stuff. I saw dozens of shows, but here are seven standouts that left a lasting impression:
An Adequate Abridgement of Boarding School Life As A Homo (UK)
Two charismatic leads take us through the complex experience of being gay at a boys’ boarding school. At times harrowing, but mostly hilarious, this is a rich, layered piece of theatre, with a thumping Britney soundtrack. The first play from young actor/writer Ned Blackburn suggests he is a star to be watched.
Fountain Lakes in Lockdown (AUS)
The Kath & Kim episode we all needed and never got is here! Art Simone, Maxi Shield, and co. revisit Fountain Lakes in 2020 when Melbourne was the most locked-down city in the world. Art & Co. have really thought to include everything you love about Kath & Kim, from Brett’s infidelity to Sharon’s Irish dancing, Kath & Kim’s post-show wine time, there’s ‘look at meh’, Prue & Trude and plenty of chooky necks, as we relive the craziness that was lockdown.
SLUGS (Canada)
Created by Canadian gay/trans duo Creepy Boys, this is a chaotic, anarchic art-punk response to a world with rising disparity and Western societies determined to flirt with fascism. What is the antidote to cure this endless doom? Nothing! This subversive shenanigan promotes scrolling through dog memes while the world burns, via a vortex of techno, puppets, full-frontal nudity, and anarchic joy. It was wild, unhinged, and full of queer resistance disguised as absurdism.
Leglock (UK)
A one-man MMA play sounds unlikely, but Leglock absolutely floored me. Performed by actor Taylor Uttley (The Archers) and written/directed by upcoming playwright Lowri Mathias, this is a physically intense, emotionally layered dive into working-class masculinity. James, a 16-year-old amateur fighter, has just won the biggest fight of his life, as Mathias’ storytelling focuses on a generation obsessed with their physique who have given up on tertiary education after seeing university’s minimal impact on their parents’ success. A bold and brutal gem.
Sugar (NZ)
The brilliant Kiwi production team of Bullet Heart Club (Daffodils) present a modern-day take on Pretty Woman that’s determined to have a happy ending. Tomáš Kantor stars in this solo queer cabaret that centres around a non-binary sex worker. Set in Melbourne and backed by a soundtrack of queer pop icons (Troye, Chappell, Gaga), Sugar is raw, joyful, and full of charm. Kantor is a star in the making, with warmth, wit and emotional precision that belies his age.
Sad Gay AIDS Play (UK)
Andrew Doherty skewers the tropes of tragic queer theatre in this darkly hilarious meta-parody. Pitching his show to Arts Council England, Doherty finds himself forced to exaggerate queer trauma for funding approval. What results is a farcical satire where the performer both critiques and embraces stereotype. It’s a whip-smart, fourth-wall-breaking romp that laughs in the face of gatekeeping.
Little Squirt (AUS)
Darby James’ musical cabaret about queer sperm donation might just melt your heart. It’s funny, sweet, and sneakily profound, as James takes us through his journey from curiosity to the unexpected yearning for children of his own. With sea shanties, witty asides, and genuine vulnerability, Little Squirt finds a way to make reproductive bureaucracy both moving and marvellous.
There is no other city in the world where you can see seven life-changing shows in a single week, climb a mountain before lunch, and eat haggis by candlelight in a 400-year-old pub. If you’ve never been to the Edinburgh Festival, let United Airlines fly you to this queer dream destination. Book your flights at United.com.
