The Edinburgh Fringe Festival gets underway this week celebrating the arts festival's 75th year. With three weeks of shows from all walks of life, audiences can watch some inspiring theatre, comedy and dance shows until the 29th.
The festival is spread across Edinburgh, with more than 250 different venues taking part in hosting thousands of shows. The Gilded Balloon is one of the most loved homes of the festival.
Gilded Balloon operates venues across the city. It hosts more than 200 shows per day from the pick of local and international performers.
Read more: Edinburgh Fringe Assembly venues – locations, tickets and everything you need to know
Where are Gilded Balloon's venues?
Gilded Balloons host three unique venues, each with tonnes of performing space and scores of incredible performances lined up. Here are the venues:
- Gilded Balloon at the Museum. Tucked away at the back of the National Museum of Scotland is a small but perfectly formed Museum venue, with its own box office, bar and auditorium performance space. National Museum of Scotland, South Entrance, Lothian Street, EH1 1HB.
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Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose. With seven outstanding performance theatres, a box office, a large bar and event space, Patter Hoose quickly became a must-visit venue. This fabulously pink venue hub is situated across the road from the Museum on Chambers Street, just a stone’s throw away from Teviot and Bristo Square. Adam House, 3 Chambers St, Edinburgh EH1 1HT.
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Gilded Balloon Teviot. The gorgeous, castle-esque Teviot building is hard to miss. Not only does Teviot house nine performance spaces (Debating Hall, Dining Room, Nightclub, Wine Bar, Billiard Room, Balcony, Sportsmans, Wee Room and The Turret) but it also has a number of cafes, bars and the fabulous Gilded Garden. Teviot Row House, 13 Bristo Square, EH8 9AJ.
What events are Gilded Balloon hosting?
With hundreds and hundreds of performances happening across Gilded Balloon venues over three weeks of the Fringe, there will never be enough column inches to talk about all of them. So we have picked out some highlights for each venue that you should check out.
At Gilded Balloon Museum...
Attenborough and His Animals
What is it?: "The magic of David Attenborough's documentaries, live! A blue whale swims through the depths. Racer snakes pursue an iguana across the desert. Two hapless fools recreate wonderful scenes of the natural world."
When is it on?: August 4th-9th, 11th-16th, 18th-21th at 3:30pm
How much does it cost?: Tickets for adults cost £14
Boris Live at Five
What is it?: "For the fraction of the cost of a fixed penalty notice, pose your question to our fearless leader at this chat-show-cum-Question-Time-cum-work-event (wine/cheese/cake/wallpaper available at bar). Ask him anything you like!"
When is it on?: August 4th-28th at 5pm
How much does it cost?: Tickets from £10
Comedy Night at the Museum
What is it?: "Join the greatest comedians from across the globe as they blur the line between arte-fact and arte-fiction in a wholly improvised set, prompted by genuine artefacts housed in the National Museum of Scotland."
When is it on?: August 18th-28th at 9:30pm
How much does it cost?: Tickets cost from £11.50
At Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose...
Almost Adult
What is it?: "Hope's leaving her home town up north for the bright lights of London. It's going to be mind-blowing. With a hilariously naive protagonist, Anne-Tilley's Almost Adult combines clown-style physical comedy with touching vulnerability."
When is it on?: August 3rd-16th, 18th-28th at 1:40pm
How much does it cost?: Tickets for adults cost from £10
Aquapella
What is it?: "Bath's international award-winning a cappella group returns for their sixth year at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Now, celebrating 10 years as a group with some fresh faces in their line-up, they are keen to showcase the power of the human voice fuelled by a genuine passion for a cappella music."
When is it on?: August 17th-27th at 11:30am
How much does it cost?: Tickets cost £10-£12 depending on date
The Beatles Were a Boyband
What is it?: "An urgent and unapologetically feminine response to misogyny from Scottish women's theatre company F-Bomb. Bad vibes only."
When is it on?: August 6th-13th at 8pm
How much does it cost?: Tickets cost £13-£14 depending on date
At Gilded Balloon Teviot...
The Awkward Silence's Big Break
What is it?: "Award-winning comedy duo The Awkward Silence present their dynamic father and son prison musical. Resentment. Redemption. Songs. Diamonds. Escape? Lovely."
When is it on?: August 3rd-29th at 2:20pm
How much does it cost?: Tickets for adults cost £8-£12
Basil Brush's Family Fun Show
What is it?: "Britain's most loveable fox takes you on a journey of laughs, storytelling and song in a show for all the family, specially written for the live stage and packed with fun and excitement."
When is it on?: August 3rd-21st at 12:30am
How much does it cost?: Tickets cost £9-£13.50
Kevin Quantum: Dark Matter
What is it?: "Magician Kevin Quantum, trained by Penn & Teller, presents a fast-paced, jaw-dropping show, that guarantees to blow your mind. In a fraction of a second go from belly laughing to intense confusion and lose yourself in mystery."
When is it on?: August 3rd-29th at 3:30pm
How much does it cost?: Tickets cost £8-£15
To find more shows hosted by Gilded Balloon across the festival and to grab tickets, visit their website here.
Read more stories from the Fringe Festival here
Read next:
- An Edinburgh local’s guide to the Fringe and our top tips for festival season
- Edinburgh Fringe: 10 pubs worth visiting for a good pint during the festival
Hidden courtyard in Edinburgh named one of the 'best in UK' by the Times
Edinburgh's kid-friendly activities for families to enjoy during the Fringe
ScotRail confirm alcohol ban on trains will continue for 'foreseeable future'
