The 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe is just around the corner. And yes, Playbill will be at this year's Festival. Our editorial team will be covering a sizable chunk of the 3,700+ shows in that festival, we're a sponsor of the official Fringe app, and we're bringing a ship to town.
That's right, not only are we sending our team to write about the festival, we will also be docking the Fringeship on the coast of Edinburgh, where it will serve as a floating hotel for this year's festivities. The FringeShip will be docked August 8–15.
You may be thinking, "Edinburgh has a sea port?" Why yes indeed. It is three miles from the center of Edinburgh, but that port was what allowed the city to be a site of international trade. The neighborhood that surrounds that seaport is called Leith—it is also where Water of Leith, the river that runs through Edinburgh, terminates.
You may have heard the name Leith before. The Scottish band The Proclaimers had a song and album called "Sunshine on Leith." Sunshine on Leith was also the name of a musical that used the song of the Proclaimers to tell the story of two soldiers who return home to Leith after serving in Afghanistan. The musical was adapted into a 2013 romantic film.
Besides being the inspiration for an album and then a musical, Leith is also an up-and-coming neighborhood. Walking down here, as some Playbill staffers did one sunny day last year as part of a Leith walking tour (booked through the Edinburgh Fringe app), it was a relaxing change from the busy pace of the festival just three miles up the hill. You still had the cobblestone streets common throughout Edinburgh, but the architecture was more varied. There's the Scottish medieval style, but there's also Spanish and Dutch-style architecture—a sign to the diversity of people who came through the neighborhood.
That diversity continues to be reflected today. Within a short walk, you can encounter a delicious tapa restaurant (Tapa), a Thai and Indian restaurant (Mintleaf), an Italian pizzeria (Zizzi), a coffee shop where they roast their own beans (William & Johnson Coffee Co.), a pub where they serve arguably the best cullen skink in the city (Roseleaf Bar Cafe), and a local treasure of a bakery (Mimi's Bakehouse). Leith also has five Michelin star restaurants, so if you're staying aboard the FringeShip and want to duck out for a bite, there's plenty of options nearby.
Leith also boasts some special sightseeing opportunities. You can tour the Royal Yacht Britannia, the former yacht of the British monarchy, or have a tasting at the Lind and Lime Gin Distillery or the newly opened Port Of Leith Distillery (that also comes with a lovely rooftop bar).
And don't worry if you think it's too far from the center of Edinburgh. The Edinburgh tram will easily take you right up to Edinburgh's New Town neighborhood, and into the hustle and bustle of it all. And if you book lodging on the Playbill Fringeship, there will be a special shuttle bus service.
The Playbill Fringeship is currently accepting bookings for the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. If you have always wanted to go to the Edinburgh Fringe and did not know how because it seems too expensive, or you don't know how to choose shows, then we highly recommend letting our team at Playbill help you plan your Fringe trip.
