Free festival

The Beltane Fire Society - best known for the Beltane Fire Festival on Calton Hill - bring their unique brand of neo-pagan street theatre, pulsating drums, and fire displays to the Royal Mile to mark Samhuinn from 9pm-11pm, which literally means "the end of Summer". The free spectacle is followed by the Samhuinn after party at the Bongo Club (11pm-3am).

A free, unticketed event, the Torchlight Procession opens the annual Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations by creating a "river of fire" through city streets.

When I went to see this free stand-up show I was instantly struck by a vague sense of recognition about the German comedian in front of me.

Lesley Evans uses her experience of medical role-play (an actor employed to help doctor’s deal with terminal patients and practice their communication skills) to take an eager audience down the path of her life which, like most people's, is filled with idiosyncratic characters and amusing stories of embarrassing moments…mostly involving old farts who still get frisky.

There is always a moment of trepidation before attending a free show in Edinburgh during August.

I must start this review by declaring a conflict of interests: I decided to review Nick Gibb because I was already a fan of his cult webcomic Dead Philosophers in Heaven.

The first impression you get when you walk into Tara Flynn's musical comedy act, Big Noise, is the sheer warmth and affability of this small Irish woman (who is, as she puts it, in her "middle

The free Mardi Gras, part of the Edinburgh Jazz Festival, launches Edinburgh's Festival season with customary brio. The multiple stages and marching bands bring a splash of colour and the sounds of New Orleans styled jazz to the streets.

The Leith Festival is a community event for young and old with comedy, music, art, dance and more.

In the run-up to Scotland's national day St Andrew's Day, Edinburgh sees four-days of family events centred on St Andrew Square Gardens (update: cancelled due to snow), climaxing with a St Andrew's Day Ceilidh on 30th (update: cancelled due to snow) and St Andrew's Day Debate at the Scottish Parliament.

The Portobello Ceilidh Band lead a free, family, foot-stomping ceilidh in St Andrew Square to mark St Andrew's Day.

Following the death of Edwin Morgan last week, The Edinburgh International Book Festival has confirmed that a special event will be held on Monday 30th August to celebrate the life of Scotland&rsqu

The final allocation of tickets for the Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert go on sale on Sunday 29 August at 10.00am, available only in person from the counter of Hub Tickets at The Hub on Edinburgh's Castlehill. Tickets to the concert in the gardens cost £11.

It's a quirky micro-festival in a home in Pilrig, in North central Edinburgh. A fringe of a Fringe event. Not even in the Edinburgh Fringe Society's Guide.

Lack of money should be no obstacle to partaking of the cultural feeding frenzy in Edinburgh in August. Each year there is an array of events and free shows on the Fringe or at other Edinburgh Festivals.

Launched in August 2007, the Forest Fringe has already established itself as a shining example of what the Edinburgh Fringe in August should be about. In fact, the Forest Fringe is so fringe it's not even in the Edinburgh Fringe Society's programme.

 The desperate divas are back in town. Following last year’s successful “Cabaret Whore!” Sarah-Louise Young returns with four alter egos who sketch out their lives in so

The Cavalcade sees performers from all the Edinburgh Festivals roll through the city in an annual procession at the beginning of August. The Calvacade itself takes place from 2pm to 3pm, although there are informal performances by Fringe and community groups, before and after the Calvacade (noon to 4pm) in Holyrood park between Holyrood Palace and Meadowbank.

Ecofusion is a new event taking place at Holyrood Park aimed at getting more people, particularly from minority groups, to experience Scotland's outdoors.

I was walking down Frederick Street the other day on my way home to write up some Fringe reviews for EdinburghGuide when I was politely accosted by a couple of performers outside Fingers Piano Bar. It was 3.10pm. I was informed that their show Hoopla Impro was about to start. The good news was that their show is free and secondly that the bar was open.  Well, perhaps my reviews can wait an hour.