Last summer, I went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and took my entire team with me! A few months later, my associate producer Morgan Cavendish came to me and said she wanted to produce her friend’s show. 

So I encouraged her to take it to the Fringe! And that I would invest in the show and in her. (Click here to read my article on the top shows to see this summer.)

Enter . . . Operation: Destroy Beff Jezos, a musical-comedy-meets-interactive-video-game, equipped with a choose-your-own adventure format. (Click here to get a glimpse of her day-to-day life in Edinburgh.)

And when she came back to the States, she was buzzing! She had a lot of takeaways, so I asked her if she would share some of them here with you, and she said YES. So, enjoy reading her takeaways . . .

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is not for the faint of heart. You will be exhausted. You will question if you have it in you to make it to the end of your run. You may also find yourself craving ANY sort of green vegetable in Scotland (where are the salads!?).

It is also exciting, rewarding, and incredibly inspiring to be in a town full of thousands of artists and theatermakers, where at every turn you can stumble into a show at all hours of the day.

I’ve been to the festival three times, but 2025 was the first year I produced a show there, Operation: Destroy Beff Jezos.

If you’re considering bringing a show or just want to know what it’s like to haul your art across the ocean, keep reading!

With close to 3,000 shows at the Fringe, you have to be one step ahead at all times to really optimize your time and make a splash. Below are the big lessons I learned — and tips if you’re eyeing 2026.

1. Get in Early

Fringe is not for the procrastinators. Venues start filling up before the calendar even flips. We were way behind and ended up with an 11pm slot, a five-day run, and had to shave our 75-minute show down to 60. Don’t be us. If you even think you want to go, email venues as early as possible. Many venues told me they were booking as early as October – so if you start your process around November/December, you should be in good shape. 

2. Pick the Right Venue

All venues are not created equal. If you can, aim for one of the big hubs like Pleasance or Underbelly. They’ve got huge courtyards and constant foot traffic, which is gold for visibility. Also, certain venues lean toward certain types of work (clowning, circus, experimental). Do your research and find a home that matches your show. This is also true for venue size. Be realistic about how many seats you think you can sell each night – but also don’t undersell yourself. You want to be able to grow over the festival, which happens from word of mouth! 

3. Posters. Big Posters.

This is your billboard. If you’ve got a marketing budget, funnel it here. We were only there one week, but people knew our show because we invested in having giant posters around the city. The poster slots sell out fast, so when they open, jump.

4. Embrace the Fringe of It All

This is not Broadway — and that’s the beauty of it. Your set and props don’t have to be perfect; they just have to be effective. Costumes, lighting, and a few silly props can do the trick. We lugged a giant Matrix-themed room divider across the Atlantic, and let me tell you… never again. If it fits in a suitcase, it’s Fringe-approved.

I know not everyone will agree with me, but I think keeping your show to 45–60 minutes is ideal — especially if it’s a premiere. Fringe-goers cram their days with as many shows as possible, and 75 or 90 minutes can feel like a big commitment when they’re speed-dating theater.

5. Get Creative With Attention

The Royal Mile is basically one giant marketing parade. Lean into it. Our cast in Matrix-y outfits turned heads instantly. The sci-fi light-up glasses we handed out? People still talk about them. Having something memorable — a look, a trinket, a vibe — makes your show stand out. I actually first discovered House of Life in 2024 because I kept seeing their people with glitter all over their faces. That’s how Fringe works. Get their attention. When you have their attention, deliver a quality piece that makes them keep talking about you. 

Bonus Tip: Be Nice to Your Venue!

We brought little bottles of whiskey as a thank-you to our Venue and Production Managers — and let me tell you, it went a long way. They told us we were the first show in three weeks to give them anything at all. A small gesture goes miles, especially when you need them on your side during the mad dash of load-in and load-out. Our venue was super accommodating and helpful – even told us not to worry about the time as we were the last show of the day – and I fully credit the whiskey. 🙂 

Want to get started?

Follow the steps through the fringe website: https://www.edfringe.com/take-part/artists/organise-a-show/

They really do walk you through it all! There is a lot of information to sift through, but if I can do it, you can too! 

Fringe will push you to your limits, but it will also remind you why you love theater in the first place. It’s messy, scrappy, exhilarating, and alive. 

And if you’re thinking about going in 2026: start planning yesterday.

This article was written by Morgan Cavendish. Morgan is an Associate Producer to Ken Davenport (A Beautiful Noise, Harmony, JOY) and the lead producer of Operation: Destroy Beff Jezos. She has a BFA in Musical Theater from Illinois Wesleyan University and is passionate about developing imaginative, innovative theater that connects with audiences in fresh ways.