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Welcome to the Fringe

Welcome to the 2024 Free Fringe Festival!

The Free Festival is back in Edinburgh this year, from August 1st to 25th - and it's our 20th Anniversary year!

And to celebrate our big birthday, we have a bumper packed programme for you. Check out all of the shows we have for you and get yourself ready for a fabulous Fringe through August!

And remember - all our shows are either Free & Unticketed or Pay What You Want entry making the Fringe easy to access for audiences when spare money is a problem for many at this time.

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Let's Celebrate In 2024!

The Free Festival is back with a bang for 2024, with a new and huge programme of art, entertainment and laughter coming to you from venues around Edinburgh.

And it is a very special year for us in 2024, as it' our 20th Anniversary year at the Fringe!

Laughing Horse Free Festival is one of the biggest comedy producers at the Fringe - and don't forget we also have cabaret, theatre, music, children's shows and more.

In 2024 we have nearly 7,500 performances of 370 shows across our venues, raging from the very best in new talent through to big name shows. Just what a Fringe should be!

Would you like Free Fest shows in YOUR venue?

If you have a venue in central Edinburgh, and would like to host Fringe shows we are always looking for extra venues for future years - click here to find out more about all of the benefits of hosting shows.

Latest News & Reviews

Article about Twonkey's Basket Weaving in Peru

13 Scottish Acts to see at the Fringe (Skinny)

 Click Here For Article

Article about Sam See: And I Can't Feel At Home In This World Anymore

Edinburgh Fringe 2024 – Top Picks: Comedy

 Click Here For Article

Article about Sam See: And I Can't Feel At Home In This World Anymore

SAM SEE: AND I CAN'T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE - Q&A

 Click Here For Article

Article about Angela Bra: Social Calendar Girl

Social Calendar Girl Nominated for Best Comedy Show at the 2024 Buxton Fringe

 Click Here For Article

Article about Michelle Ahern: We've Had A Good Run

“If Not Us, Who? If Not Now, When?” — Michelle Ahern and Iain Anderson Talk ‘Traumedy’

 Click Here For Article

Fringe venue update and Alex Petty speaks to Theatre Review abut this years Free Festival

 Click Here For Article

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Best in Free: Best of the Fringe

With award winners and nominees, over many years we've had critically acclaimed Fringes, alongside a bucket-load of four and five-star reviewed shows.

This means our shows are free and also some of the best of the Fringe - while we allow performers and audiences experience the freedom to experience the Fringe, with a chance to experiment and enjoy, just without the huge costs.

'Free & Unticketed' and 'Pay What you Can' shows - how show entry works

Our shows are either 'Free & Unticketed' or 'Pay What You Can' depending on how the performers have chosen to run their shows. This is how it works:

Free & Unticketed: Entry to a show is first-come, first served at the venue - just turn up and then donate to the show in the collection at the end.

Pay What You Can: For these shows you can book a ticket to guarantee entry and choose your price from the Fringe Box Office, up to 30 mins before a show. After that all remaining space is free at the venue on a first-come, first-served bases. Donations for walk-ins at the end of the show.

As always 100% of the ticket price or donations for each shows goes directly to the performer, which helps them benefit as much as possible from what audiences can give to them, after a tough couple of years for performers and show producers.

Free Fringe Festival shows in Edinburgh
We have nearly 7,500 Performances of 370 Shows in August 2024

And now we are pulling out all the stops for our big 20th Anniverary year! We look forward to making it this year even more special than usual!

Running the Free Festival costs a lot of Money

Some of this money is recouped through sponsorship & advertising. If you would like to contribute and help keep these venues free for performers and audiences click here