Every August, the Scottish capital Edinburgh hosts the Fringe Festival, which dates back to 1947. It began as an alternative show of art groups that did not manage to get into the program of the official event - the International Festival of Arts.
Fringe means curb, edge. This is how the journalists described the alternative festival. Now it is an independent and very popular event, with its own organizing committee and program of performances. Traditionally, it starts 3 weeks before the International Arts Festival.
Another tradition has been sacredly observed all these years: there are no qualifying competitions - everyone is allowed to perform. The Finge Festival Society, founded in 1959, centralizes ticket sales and disseminates information about upcoming performances.
Spectators can see theatrical performances, performances by dance and choir groups, puppet shows, shadow theater, cabaret and oral performances. Performances take place in theaters, cafes, bars, churches, streets and squares, and even in citizens' apartments. It is a real treat for the cutting edge art lovers who come to Edinburgh from all over the world. Tickets for the performances can be purchased in Edinburgh, and since 2012, given the popularity of the festival, they have been sold in Glasgow as well.
You will need a visa to travel to Scotland. You can arrange it at the English consulate or with the help of travel agencies. When submitting the completed package of documents to the visa department, your personal presence will be required so that you can take your fingerprints and take pictures of the retina of the eye. You can familiarize yourself with the list of required documents on the embassy's website.
Almost every tenth Russian applying for a visa at the British consulate is refused. This can happen due to incorrectly executed documents, an unsuccessful answer to a tricky question of the questionnaire, etc., and he will not know the reason for the refusal. Given these difficulties, it may make sense to contact firms that specialize in the preparation of documents for obtaining visas.
To obtain a tourist visa, you will need a hotel booking certificate. Given the popularity of the festival, it is better to take care of accommodation in advance. A list of Edinburgh hotels can be found on the internet.
