After 6pm

The feel of the whole Festival shifts subtly at around 6pm, when the evening crowd comes out to play and the comedy programme springs properly to life.

Evening

The bar at the Spiegel Garden, George Square

The big outdoor bars at the Pleasance Courtyard, Udderbelly and Spiegel Garden really get going around now - or if the weather's not so good, try the Gilded Balloon or Pleasance Dome. But steer clear of the very centre of town, to avoid the crowds heading for the Tattoo, which starts most nights at 9pm.

Towards the start of the Festival period, the evenings see most concerts from the Jazz and Blues Festival. Later in the month, evenings see the headline events from the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), with all four of Edinburgh's major theatres putting on a meaty nightly show. Still with the EIF, there's usually a major classical concert at the Usher Hall, and in 2008 there's a programme of early music at 5:45pm at Greyfriars Kirk. It's essential to book all these events in advance.

If you've nothing specific planned, one of the best ways to wind down the day can be found at the Book Festival - where the antique wood-and-mirrored Spiegeltent opens its doors to all comers from 9pm. There's a free programme of live music (subsidized, of course, by sales at the bar), and you're welcome whether or not you've any interest in the written word.

Night

The greater part of the Festival shuts down by midnight - but for a substantial chunk of the Fringe crowd, the party's anything but over. In the wee small hours, the biggest venues are all turned over to comedy-heavy, late-night variety shows. Well-known options include Late and Live at the Gilded Balloon, Establishment Live at the C Venue, and the refreshingly directly-named Free Beer Show at the Cow Barn, near the Udderbelly.

The bars are heaving too until late into the night, with some even sporting a video link to a show going on nearby. If you have the energy and the stomach for it, there's no need to turn in until the morning. And, with most of the Festival's comedians off-duty until the following night - you might just be surprised who you find on the adjacent bar-stool.