Thursday was a red-letter day for Festival enthusiasts - as, amidst much city-centre fanfare, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe unveiled its 2008 programme.  It's the moment we've all been waiting for: with less than two months to go until the annual extravaganza begins, the release of the printed programme offers our first true insight into what's on offer this year.

With all due deference to the International Festival - which opened up ticket sales way back in April - it's the much larger Fringe launch which really heralds the start of the Festival run-in.  The eye-watering statistics: they'll be hosting 2,088 shows at 244 venues, and - if only the festival ran for long enough - it would take you three solid, sleepless months to see them all.

What's on this year?

The sheer scale of the programme makes it futile to summarize, but a flick through the weighty tome throws up some eye-catching highlights.  Big names among the galaxy of stars in the comedy section include Joan Rivers, Clive James, and the ever-present Jimmy Carr.  Last year's if.comedy award winner Brendon Burns is back too, though his show's title is just too crude to reproduce here - if you're less prudish than we are, find it on page 35 of the programme.

The Fringe's theatre section is always bang up-to-date with current affairs, so it's no surprise to see it tackle Burma, Mugabe, and the credit crunch.  For those who prefer their history, plays take on the 1881 Eyemouth tragedy - when the Berwickshire fishing town saw 189 men drown within sight of its harbour - and an entire hour's performance dedicated to the year 1913. 

In visual arts, major exhibitions focus on impressionism and, at the modern-art Dean Gallery, the often-overlooked field of modernist photography.  Art fans will have still more to celebrate near the end of July, when the Edinburgh Art Festival launches its programme.

And of course, the Fringe wouldn't be the Fringe without a few bursts of madness.  So three cheers for: the sketch show on top of Arthur's Seat, the "interactive murder mystery with chocolate tasting" and that sure-fire deathless classic, Bouncy Castle Dracula.

Getting the programme

Full listings will be up on the Fringe website from Monday.  But for browsing, there's really no beating a printed copy.

In Edinburgh, good places to grab a programme include the tourist information centre at Waverley Steps, the Hub up by the Castle, and of course the Festival Fringe shop on the Royal Mile.  According to the Fringe website, you'll also find them in branches of Waterstone's, HMV and Fopp from 10 June.

Outside Edinburgh, check out the Fringe website for availability in Scotland, England, Wales, and the island of Ireland.  The Fringe has worked hard to extend its network this year, but you'll still need to make your way to a major city - and you'll also have to wait until 10 June.

Or to have the programme posted to you, sign up on the Fringe's website.  Unsurprisingly, considering it weighs in at a hefty 288 pages, they charge a postage fee.

Getting the tickets

The Fringe's box office opens on Monday.  We have a lot of information on the arcane world of Fringe ticketing, but at this stage it's pretty simple - call the box office on 0131 226 000, or get onto the Fringe's website.

First time at the Fringe?  Not sure what to book?  Don't panic... you've got plenty of time.  Read our editorial on why the box office launch won't be a stampede.

If you have been to the Fringe in previous years, be warned that the central box office's booking fees have changed.  Rather than a flat-rate £1.50, you'll now pay 80p per ticket, up to a maximum of £4.