31 Photos That Will Make You Want To Drop Everything And Go To The Edinburgh Festival

    Getting on a train right now.

    Hilary Mitchell
    by Hilary Mitchell

    BuzzFeed Staff, UK

    1. The Edinburgh Festival is an incredible mix of comedy, arts, theatre, music, and dance.

    2. It takes place every August...

    3. ... and it's undeniably awesome.

    4. Fun fact: "Edinburgh Festival" is actually an umbrella term for several different festivals.

    5. The International Festival was founded in 1947.

    6. It's the go-to festival for contemporary and classic theatre, opera, world music, and dance.

    7. Then there's the Edinburgh Book Festival...

    8. ...the Fringe...

    9. ... and Edinburgh Art Festival.

    10. Oh, and don't forget the Military Tattoo.

    11. Street performers deserve their own festival too.

    12. There are so many of them that you can't move without tripping over someone on a unicycle.

    13. In fact, you can't go anywhere at all without seeing weird and wonderful sights.

    14. Some of which are weirder than others.

    15. Plus you're constantly running into celebrities.

    16. If all the excitement makes you hungry, there's plenty of amazing street food.

    17. And you can enjoy it in glorious purpose-built garden spaces like this.

    18. In fact, all of the venues are flipping gorgeous.

    19. There's the Pleasance Courtyard...

    20. ...the Pleasance Dome...

    21. ...the Underbelly...

    22. ... the Udderbelly...

    23. ...Assembly...

    24. And the iconic Stand Comedy Club.

    25. Not to mention endless tucked-away nooks, crannies, tents, bars, closes, even living rooms.

    26. These venues are packed with world music...

    27. ...circus, dance, and physical theatre...

    28. ... and lots and lots of comedy.

    29. It's enough to make your head spin.

    30. And if all of that wasn't enough, it ends with one of the most spectacular fireworks concerts on Earth.

    31. In short: Don't you wish you were here?