Better Access for our disabled audiences

Access Guide: The Festival has published a comprehensive Access Guide which provides full details about accessible performances and venue accessibility, and is available in a number of formats – PDF , plain text PDF, or plain text word document. A braille version is also available upon request: email access@eif.co.uk.

The Guide contains an overview of a wide range of accessible performances and this information can also be found online as follows:

• British Sign Language interpreted
• Audio Described
• Captioned
• Relaxed performances

Festival programme brochure: available in a variety of accessible formats - including PDF, plain text PDF, or plain text word document - and once again, a braille version is also available upon request: email access@eif.co.uk.

Venues: The Access Guide also contains access information about each of the festival venues and you can also find this venue access information online. The disabled access review website Euan's Guide also contains user reviews of many of the festival venues.

Access Pass: The Edinburgh International Festival has also created an Access Pass which is a free membership scheme for D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people. It is designed to improve your booking process with the festival and means they can tailor an experience suited to your specific access requirements. You can sign up to the Access Pass HERE. 

If you have any questions or feedback for the festival team, don't hesitate to email: access@eif.co.uk.

The Fringe vision and values include a series of development goals to guide the long-term success and sustainability of the festival, including efforts to make the Fringe more equitable.

Enhanced Performances: The Fringe has a selection of shows offering enhanced performances, updated throughout the festival as more performances go on sale. These performances may be audio-described, BSL interpreted, captioned, relaxed or offer touch tours. You can explore these shows through either a list or calendar view HERE.

The Fringe BSL on Request partnership with Deaf Action allows a deaf audience member to pick a performance and Deaf Action books the interpreter for it. Deaf Action will work with artists and venues to see if the request is viable, and if so set up practicalities such as lighting for the interpreter and reserved seating for the deaf audience member. Please note Deaf Action require at least seven days' notice in order to provide this service. If you would like to request BSL for a Fringe performance please email liz.jones@deafaction.org.

Bookings: The Fringe Box Office has staff in place specifically for access enquiries and ticket bookings. This service exists to assist anyone with an access requirement to make the most of what the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has to offer. To find out more about the access tickets service please email accessbookings@edfringe.com or phone +44 131 226 0002 or visit the Fringe Shop [180 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QS]. Bookings can also be made by WhatsApp [+44 7923 525799 text only] and BSL Relay service: Contact Scotland.

Sensory Resources: The Fringe can be an overwhelming place and so the Festival also offers free sensory tools for anyone who needs them during August. These can be ordered in advance for delivery before the Fringe or picked up from Fringe Box Office throughout August. If you would like more information on the sensory resources, please contact accessbookings@edfringe.com.

More Access information about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe can be found HERE. 

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is Scotland’s biggest, bestselling outdoor spectacle. The venue itself is situated in the most popular part of the city on Edinburgh Castle’s doorstep, high above the skyline.

For this reason, patrons with limited mobility, those with heart or respiratory problems and those that suffer from vertigo, may find access more challenging. However, the Tattoo does not want anyone to miss out, so if you are in any doubts whatsoever about the venue accessibility, we recommend that you contact the Tattoo Office to discuss your particular requirements.

Wheelchair spaces which include the admission of one essential companion are located at the front of Sections 1-4 and 12-17 and at the top of Section 10. Access to the wheelchair areas in Section 1–4 and 12–17 is via a ramp and access to the wheelchair area in Section 10 is by way of an elevator. Wheelchair spaces can be purchased by calling the Tattoo Office on +44 131 225 1188 or emailing tickets@edintattoo.co.uk

Accessible seating is available in the front row of Sections 12-17 and only 5 steps from ground level. Accessible seating can be purchased by calling the Tattoo Office on +44 (0)131 225 1188 or emailing tickets@edintattoo.co.uk.

More information on vehicle passes for 2025 will be released soon. If places in the convoy are offered, allowing access for a personal vehicle or taxi to drop off wheelchair and accessible ticket holders on the Castle Esplanade, prior to the show start, these will be available Monday to Friday only (except for the preview performance on Thursday 31 July and Friday 22 August 2025). Spaces will be limited and must be arranged with the Tattoo Office by calling +44 131 225 1188 or emailing tickets@edintattoo.co.uk.

Accessible toilets are available within the venue on ground level under the stands and beside wheelchair Section 10. A changing places facility is also available just inside the venue entrance, together with a modular changing place toilet supplied and installed by Innova Care Concepts, which includes specialist healthcare equipment such as an overhead hoist system.

Personal PA System: Available for all performances, anyone wishing to access a Personal PA System (Neckloop Induction Coil for use with hearing aids equipped with a 'T' switch) should contact the Tattoo Box Office for further details.  All equipment is subject to availability. Anyone requiring Personal Audio Description equipment and/or a Touch tour should contact the Tattoo Box Office for further details. This is available at select performances only, and all equipment is subject to availability.

Assistance dogs are permitted in the accessible seating area at the front of Sections 1-4 or 12-17 only, due to space restrictions and for safety. Please contact the Box Office on +44 131 225 1188 to discuss your requirements and book the correct seating.

For further information about the event, please see FAQs.

The Edinburgh Art Festival [EAF] strives to prioritise inclusivity, safety, and transparency when it comes to access. 

Access Information: All EAF-led event and exhibition website pages include specific details of facilities, such as seating, language interpretation, potential sensory challenges, and more. 

Audio Description: All EAF Programme Assistants are audio description trained. The following event will be audio-described - Hamish Halley: Artist Tour

British Sign Interpretation [BSL]: EAF is partnering with Edinburgh Deaf Festival to bring BSL tours and interpretation to the Festival - while a number of partner galleries are also presenting specific BSL tour dates. 

• Trans Masc Studies: Memory Is A Museum Artist Talk
• Bea Webster, Lewis Hetherington + CJ Mahony: We Will Be the New Storytellers Artist Talk
• who will be remembered here: In-Conversation
• Closing Conversation
• BSL Tour: John Bellany: A Life in Self-Portraiture
• BSL Tour: Summer at the Royal Botanic Gardens
• BSL Tour: Linder: Danger Came Smiling
• BSL Tour | Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years
• BSL Tour: Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography

Venue Information: Information about EAF25 venue facilities and offerings can be found on our Partner Galleries & Venues web page. Euan’s Guide provides detailed access information about local venues, sourced from visitors. To make the Festival enjoyable for everyone, you can find the below at the EAF Pavilion:

• Level access throughout.
• Accessible and gender neutral toilets. 
• A dedicated Quiet Space to rest and recuperate.
• A private room for prayer.
• Sensory kit, such as ear defenders, sunglasses, and stim toys.
• Access equipment, such as magnifying glasses, reading overlays, and communication cards.
• Medical masks, for COVID safety.
• Large print guides. Large print guides

Access Requests: All EAF ticket booking forms include an “Access Needs” question, to request specific seating or other accommodations, which EAF will strive to provide.

The Book Festival's new home at Edinburgh Futures Institute is in the heart of the Old Town, in the former Royal Infirmary Hospital building.

Captioning and BSL: A selection of events are scheduled with live captioning, AI captioning or a BSL interpreter. Look for the tag under each event in the brochure or browse the shows online below. All events which are livestreamed are captioned.

• BSL Interpreted
• Captioned
• Learning Disability Friendly

You can request a BSL interpreter for any event in the programme - email bsl@edbookfest.co.uk or phone 0345 373 5888 to request an interpreter. Given demands on their time, please do let us know as soon as you have booked tickets. If we are unable to fulfil a request we will refund or exchange your tickets.

Brochure Formats: Contact +44 131 718 5666 or mailinglist@edbookfest.co.uk and we will do our best to get you the brochure in the format - Braille, audio and large print - you need.

Audio Systems: Infrared and audio induction loop systems are available in our theatres at Edinburgh Futures Institute and McEwan Hall. Please ask at the Box Office to collect your headset.

Wheelchair access: The Book Festival’s site and venues are fully wheelchair accessible. We have wheelchairs and a moility scooter you can borrow. Please call our Box Office on 0345 373 5888 or email boxoffice@edbookfest.co.uk when you book your tickets if you require assistance. If you use a wheelchair or you need to sit in a specific area (aisle, for example) please let the Box Office know as soon as possible when you book, or at least two days before your event. 

Toilets: We have toilets for everyone, including gender neutral toilets, a wheelchair accessible toilet and a fully accessible Changing Places toilet, complete with a hoist and changing table (please provide your own sling).

Assistance dogs: Assistance dogs are welcome. Please let the Box Office know at least a day before your event so we can make sure you are seated somewhere suitable.

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower: Wearing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower discreetly indicates to our trained staff that you may need additional support or help as you navigate the Book Festival site and attend events. Lanyards are available at the entrance.

Full accessibility information for the Book Festival can be found HERE. A dedicated Access team can help with any specific needs for your visit and answer questions.: just email access@edbookfest.co.uk

The 78th Edinburgh International Film Festival has created a Guide listing all Audio Described (AD) and Hard of Hearing (HOH) Subtitled films at the Festival in 2025. A full plain text version of the overall programme, with AD and HOH listings is also available. 

Tickets are sold through the EdFringe Fringe Box Office, and they have staff in place specifically for access enquiries and ticket bookings. This service exists to assist anyone with an access requirement to make the most of what Edinburgh International Film Festival has to offer. The access tickets service is available to anyone who:

• Would like to book specific accessibility services, for example, a hearing loop, or seating in relation to the location of a BSL interpreter.
• Requires specific accessibility information for each venue.
• Requires extra assistance when at a venue, including avoiding waiting in queues and busy environments.
• Has specific seating requirements.
• Is a wheelchair user.
• Requires a complimentary personal assistant ticket to attend a performance.

To find out more about the access tickets service please email accessbookings@edfringe.com

There are a series of Changing Places in central Edinburgh during August. These are accessible toilets with an adult-sized changing bench and hoist, for people who are unable to use a standard accessible toilet.

• The Booking Office Pub, Waverley Bridge, EH1 1BQ, Monday to Thursday 07:00 – 00:00, Friday to Sunday 07:00 – 01:00.
• National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, EH1 1JF, 10:00 – 17:00.
• The Scottish Parliament, 1 Horse Wynd, EH99 1SP, Monday to Saturday, 10:00 – 17:00. Last entry 16:30.
• Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, ModernOne carpark, 75 Belford Rd, Edinburgh, EH4 3DR, 09:45 – 17:30.
• Edinburgh Waverley Station, Edinburgh, EH1 1BB, Monday to Saturday 04:00 – 23:45, Sunday 06:00 – 23:45.
• St James Quarter, St James Crescent, level one of the Galleria, Edinburgh, EH1 3AD, Monday to Saturday 09:00 – 20:00, Sunday 10:00 – 18:00. This facility can only be accessed with a key which can be collected from the Guest Services Desk located on level one of St James Quarter (a radar key will not work).
• Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9DF –  available just outside the Institute, complete with hoist and changing table (please bring your own sling), being a joint Fringe Society and Book Festival facility available from 2 - 25 August.
• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Castle Esplanade: this modular changing place toilet, supplied and installed by Innova Care Concepts, is only open during the Tattoo performances to Tattoo ticket holders

• Search for blue badge car parking spaces on an interactive map from the City of Edinburgh Council.
• Lothian buses aim to make travel easier for everyone, including passengers with hearing and visual impairment, hidden disabilities, and wheelchair users.

• City Art Centre: download the full access guide 
• Dynamic Earth: read full access information here and the sensory map here
• Edinburgh Zoo: read access information here and download the full access statement here
• National Museum of Scotland: read full access statement here and sensory map here
• Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh: read access information here and download full access guide here
• Summerhall: read full access information here
• Traverse Theatre: read full access guide here

Euan's Guide is an excellent resource, providing detailed information and advice for disabled people, their friends, families and carers on accessibility. The site features reviews of venues, hotels, restaurants and more and has a lot of user-generated content.

Artlink Access Service provides advice and assistance to help people with accessibility needs to attend and participate in arts events in Edinburgh. For more information contact Artlink on 0131 229 3555, Typetalk 18001 0131 229 3555 or email info@artlinkedinburgh.co.uk

Gig Buddies is a befriending project in Midlothian, which aims to link music fans who have a learning disability with volunteers who share a common interest.