Military Tattoo & Fringe Festival

Edinburgh's Fringe Festival is the world's largest arts festival. It takes place every August (next year's will be August 7 - 31) and showcases over 3,000 performers at over 2,000 shows in several hundred venues on and around the Royal Mile. Entertainment encompasses a wide variety of arts, including theater, music, comedy and dance. Tickets for the festival are a must, and accommodations sell out quickly so visitors want to reserve early.

The Military Tattoo, which also takes place in August around the same time as the Fringe Festival (next year's takes place August 7 - 29), pays tribute to the Scottish bard, Robert The Bruce. Hundreds of performers from over 40 countries make up this band performance with the Royal Mile as its stage and Edinburgh Castle as its backdrop. Tickets for this are also required and in high demand and booking begins (and is suggested) December 1 for the following August.