All in the Timing
The majority of people think that the perfect opportunity to catch stand up comedy in Edinburgh is during the Fringe every year. I'm in the minority who disagree with this statement. Make the most of the fringe if you get the chance, but remember it's not the whole story.
Often the warm up performers somewhere else would be more amusing.
Occasionally you're able to grab cheap comedy tickets in the Edinburgh Fringe as there are plenty of 2-for-1 offers happening. What this actually involves is that if you get a 2-for-1 deal, it sets you back the identical price to attend a show as it does at any other time of the year, due to the fact that during the Festival all of the ticket prices double. I'll take open-mic night in my neighborhood standup place any day.
One prime reason which folk provide for attending the Fringe is that we get to see the most famed stand ups, and can see the next big things in standup make their names. My own experience begs to differ. The most famous stand-ups' shows always sell out prior to the time when you've actually been told they're performing, so you are less likely to watch them perform in relation to the rest of the year. And the argument that you'll have the opportunity to witness the rising stars being discovered: well, I suppose it is conceivable, but you're more likely to see someone who gives you 20 minutes of quite funny material, and forty mins of filler. However, they got a fantastic write-up since the reviewer merely had long enough to stay for the start of the show.
Which are the explanations which folk give to back up their belief that the perfect chance to see comedy in Edinburgh is during the Festival? One reason is the quantity of performances that are on.
Instead of the normal few stand-up shows, there are loads throughout the Festival. However my argument is that quantity doesn't necessarily imply quality. Over time I have seen loads of stand up comedy events in the Festival, and many of these have been terrible.
I have walked out of a number of shows after being there for as much as 25 minutes without even feeling the temptation to grin, let alone roar with laughter. Just because a comedy gig is in the Festival does not mean it is likely to be funny. I see loads of standup gigs in all seasons, and in my experience there are much less really dreadful performances on outside of the Festival.