It’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival season, for all the lucky people on their way to Scotland right now. Don’t miss out on the new venues – get the low-down here.

As the Edinburgh Festival Fringe continues to grow and evolve, 14 additional venues are playing host to performing companies this year. Underbelly introduced Circus Hub, formed of two big tops, called The Lafayette and The Beauty, situated on the Meadows in the city’s southside.

The new circus venue provides a space for the most technically ambitious circus performances on a scale the Fringe has never seen before. The Circus Hub’s pop-up sister venue, the giant purple cow Udderbelly has moved to within a stone’s throw away, in George Square.

The hit show The Lady Boys of Bangkok moved to their new location at Fountainbridge, alongside the beautiful Union Canal.

Next door, the new Big Sexy Circus City complete an immersive circus landscape with shows taking place in marquees. Now under the management of Momentum Venues, St Stephen’s Church, a Grade-A Georgian listed building that is almost 200-years-old in the vibrant area of Stockbridge offers a magnificent space for performers and audiences.

St Stephen’s Church has been run in previous Fringes by a number of different groups, most famously by Aurora Nova. These days, Aurora Nova might not be running their own venue, but they remain a considerable presence at the Fringe. This year, they have eight shows spread over four venues, covering themes ranging from life in a war zone to a study of human relationships.

Space UK are debuting a new venue for 2015 called Space Triplex in The Prince Philip Building at 19 Hill Place. The state-of-the-art facility is spread over three floors, located next door to theSpace at Surgeons Hall and theSpace at Symposium Hall.

Hardeep Singh Kohli’s Communal Craft Beer and Curry Bar V Deep in Leith has also been turned into a performance space, as has The Laundrette, 342 Leith Walk hosting performances of Medea of the Laundromat after hours.  Heroes at Bob’s BlundaBus is another new location for 2015; the double-decker bar and venue is parked on South College Street throughout the Fringe, and goes on the road around town every Wednesday.

And for the first time in some years, The Ross Bandstand in West Princes Street Gardens are hosting a programme of open air music concerts in the heart of the city during the Fringe. Greenside will open a new venue in 2015, Greenside at Infirmary Street, on the back of their Nicolson Square venue which opened in 2014.

For those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, Crichton Collegiate Church in Midlothian – a stunning 15th century church – has once again been turned into a performance space hosting Plainsong at Crichton, a choir recreating a mediaeval vespers for the Feast of the Assumption in a one-off setting.

A Georgian building that is almost 200 years old in the vibrant area of Stockbridge will offer a magnificent space

The Village Pub Theatre in Leith is taking part in the festival for the first time, with its grassroots new-writing theatre programme. Gilded Balloon celebrate their 30th anniversary with a star studded one-night performance at the Edinburgh Playhouse. The Gilded Balloon 30th Anniversary Gala line-up includes Johnny Vegas, Ross Noble, The Boy with Tape on His Face, Alan Davies, Stephen K Amos and others.

On a budget?

There are 807 free shows taking place in this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with three organisations producing most of the free shows in the programme; PBH’s Free Fringe, the Laughing Horse Free Festival and La Favorita’s Freestival.

PBH’s free line-up includes Butt Kapinski, who invites the audience to co-star in a film noir fantasia. Harry Baker – The Sunshine Kid follows Harry’s journey to becoming the youngest ever World Poetry Slam Champion, with raw honesty and tongue-in-cheek humour.

Phill Jupitus is Porky the Poet in Apologist Now!, which sees Jupitus return with his poetic alter-ego.

The Laughing Horse Free Festival’s shows include Abigoliah’s GoPro Comedy Talk Show!, a devised talk show involving the audience, which is filmed and then uploaded to the internet to share.

Chris Martin: This Show has a Soundtrack sees the observationalist stand-up comedian perform to an original soundtrack.

Freestival also host a number of acts, including Canadian Rasta’s Oh It’s That Guy! Comedian Matt Henry. The Glummer Twins, on the other hand, put the 21st century to rights using rock, rhyme and poetry.

The Edinburgh Fringe runs until August 31. A full programme is available online.

www.edfringe.com

What they say

Denise Mulholland, performing arts professional

“I have been going to the Fringe every year, for as long as I can remember. I think I have missed it maybe once, in the last decade. I love it. It’s full of energy, inspiration, ingenuity, quite a lot of rubbish and the occasional gem that you remember for ever.

“This year’s programme looks good. I’ve booked for a couple of days so far, but I need to sit down and go through more carefully because I have another four days to fill. This time around I want to focus a bit more on workshops and spoken word as well as the usual drama and physical theatre.

“There seem to be a lot of new works from established writers (Philip Ridley and Jim Cartwright, for example) this year, which is very exciting. But number one on my list is the new piece by Simon McBurney and Complicité. They are one of my favourite companies of all time and I think he is an amazing director. The piece is called The Encounter and I have already booked.”

Steve Hili, actor and director

“I was there last year and I loved it. This will be my first time performing, however. I will be doing some comedy spots for a couple of promoters who have organised mixed bills.

“As usual, the programme is massive. And, of course there is a bit of everything. I don’t think it is possible to be disappointed by a festival with 1,000s of shows to choose from. The comedy programme is also vast and that is what interests me the most. I look for experimental comedy shows whenever I go to a Fringe festival, be it Edinburgh or anywhere else. And there seems to be loads of that.

I am particularly looking forward to finding a show that is held together with string and tape and is amazing. Last year I saw some gems, including a great show called HIV – A survivor’s Story. I am looking forward to finding something like that. But I am also looking forward to how creative the buzz of being there makes me feel.”

Clare Azzopardi, writer

“I will certainly be watching Juliette Binoche in Antigone, as well as Tim Crouch’s and David Greig’s, Enda Walsh’s new plays. I have always followed their works whenever I come to the Fringe – and this is my seventh time here.

“I am also looking forward to Sylvie Guillem’s last tour. There’s also the book festival to look forward to, particularly Marylin Robinson, Colm Toibin, Alisdair Gray, Maureen Freely and Edgar Keret.

“I would have liked to see Chris Riddell as Children’s Laureate. I admire his work a lot, but, unfortunately, I won’t be there in time. But I have by no means decided upon everything yet – I still need to get tickets for a number of other plays!”