The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest performing arts festival in the world. It began in 1947 as a spontaneous addition to the first Edinburgh International Festival - a sort of polite protest by the more adventurous elements of the arts against what they saw as 'the establishment'. The Festival has grown from strength to strength since then and every year sees more performers performing more shows in more venues. It takes place over three and a half frenetic weeks in Edinburgh each August, traditionally closing on the bank holiday weekend. For more information on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe visit www.edfringe.com.