Where to Stay in Edinburgh for a Theatre Break
Planning an Edinburgh theatre break? Choosing where to stay can make a big difference to your visit. You might want a hotel within walking distance of your theatre, somewhere convenient for Edinburgh Waverley, or a central base that makes it easy to combine your musical with sightseeing and dinner.
The good news is that Edinburgh is relatively compact. You don’t necessarily need to stay directly beside the theatre to enjoy an easy night out.
In this guide, we’ll look at the best areas to stay for Edinburgh Playhouse and Festival Theatre, as well as options for train travel, airport connections and longer Edinburgh breaks
Where Should You Stay for an Edinburgh Theatre Break?
There’s no single area that’s right for everyone. The best place to stay depends on which theatre you’re visiting and what else you’re planning to do while you’re in Edinburgh.
🎭 Best for Edinburgh Playhouse
New Town & East End – Stay around the eastern side of the New Town if you want easy access to Edinburgh Playhouse, St James Quarter and plenty of restaurants.
🏰 Best for Festival Theatre
Old Town – A great option for Festival Theatre as well as the Royal Mile, National Museum of Scotland and many of Edinburgh’s historic attractions.
🚆 Best for Train Travel
Waverley & Central Edinburgh – Particularly convenient for a one-night theatre break if you’re arriving and leaving by train.
✈️ Best for Airport Connections
Haymarket & West End – A useful option if easy tram connections to Edinburgh Airport are important to you.
⭐ Best All-Round Choice
Central Edinburgh – If you’re staying for more than one night, a central location gives you plenty of flexibility for theatres, sightseeing, restaurants and exploring the city.
Staying Near Edinburgh Playhouse
If Edinburgh Playhouse is the main reason for your visit, staying around the New Town or eastern side of the city centre can be particularly convenient. The Playhouse is at the top of Leith Walk, close to Picardy Place and St James Quarter.
Staying nearby means you could potentially walk back to your accommodation after an evening performance rather than worrying about public transport or finding a taxi. You’ll also be well placed for restaurants, shopping and exploring the New Town.
This area can work especially well for a one-night theatre break, when convenience is likely to matter more. For everything you need to plan your visit to the venue:
Edinburgh Playhouse – What’s On & Visitor Guide
And if you’re planning dinner before your show:
Restaurants Near Edinburgh Playhouse
Do You Need to Stay Right Beside Edinburgh Playhouse?
Not necessarily. Edinburgh Playhouse is centrally located, so you can stay elsewhere in the city centre and still reach the theatre relatively easily.
If you’re staying for several nights, think about your whole Edinburgh visit rather than choosing a hotel solely because it’s closest to the Playhouse. However, if you’re only staying for one night, being able to walk between your hotel, restaurant and theatre can make the evening much easier.
Staying Near Festival Theatre Edinburgh
If your performance is at Festival Theatre, the Old Town can make an excellent base. Festival Theatre is on Nicolson Street, close to South Bridge, the University of Edinburgh and many of the city’s best-known historic areas.
Staying around the Old Town puts you close to attractions including the Royal Mile and National Museum of Scotland. This means you can spend the day exploring, return to your accommodation if needed and then head out for dinner and your performance without travelling backwards and forwards across Edinburgh.
For venue information:
Festival Theatre Edinburgh – What’s On & Visitor Guide
And for dinner:
Restaurants Near Festival Theatre Edinburgh
Is the Old Town Good for a Theatre Weekend?
Very much so if sightseeing is an important part of your trip. The Old Town puts many attractions within easy reach, making it particularly suitable if your musical is only one part of a wider Edinburgh weekend.
However, remember that this is historic Edinburgh. Some areas have hills, steps and cobbled streets, so the shortest walking distance isn’t always the easiest route for everyone.
Is the Old Town Good for a Theatre Weekend?
Very much so if sightseeing is an important part of your trip. The Old Town puts many attractions within easy reach, making it particularly suitable if your musical is only one part of a wider Edinburgh weekend.
However, remember that this is historic Edinburgh. Some areas have hills, steps and cobbled streets, so the shortest walking distance isn’t always the easiest route for everyone.
Staying Near Edinburgh Waverley
If you’re travelling into Edinburgh by train, staying close to Edinburgh Waverley can make a lot of sense. This is particularly true for a short theatre break. Imagine:
Train → Hotel → Explore Edinburgh → Dinner → Musical → Hotel → Train home
You don’t have to carry your luggage very far, and you’re already in central Edinburgh when you begin exploring. Waverley’s location between the Old Town and New Town also means you aren’t tied to one particular side of the city.
It can therefore be a good compromise if transport convenience is more important than staying directly beside your theatre.We’ve created a separate guide specifically for visitors arriving by train:
Staying in Haymarket & the West End
Haymarket and the West End are worth considering if you’re flying into Edinburgh or arriving at Haymarket Station. The area has convenient public transport connections into central Edinburgh and is served by the tram route to Edinburgh Airport.
You won’t necessarily be within a few minutes’ walk of your theatre, but that’s not always a problem. If you’re spending several days in Edinburgh, you may prefer a location that works well for the whole trip rather than simply being as close as possible to one evening’s performance.
Haymarket can also be useful if you want straightforward transport back towards the airport at the end of your stay.Flying in?
Flying Into Edinburgh for a Theatre Break: Edinburgh Airport Guide
Old Town or New Town – Which Is Better for a Theatre Break?
This is probably one of the most useful comparisons for first-time visitors. And the answer depends on the kind of Edinburgh trip you want.
Choose the Old Town if…
You want historic Edinburgh on your doorstep. The Royal Mile, historic streets and many major attractions are nearby. It’s also particularly convenient if you’re attending Festival Theatre.
Choose the New Town if…
You want easy access to shopping, restaurants and the eastern side of central Edinburgh. It’s particularly convenient for Edinburgh Playhouse.
What if You’re Staying for Several Nights?
Don’t worry too much about choosing the “perfect” side. Central Edinburgh is compact enough that you can explore both areas during your stay. Choose the accommodation and location that work best for your overall trip.
Should You Stay Close to Your Theatre?
Being close to the theatre is convenient, but it shouldn’t necessarily be your only consideration. Ask yourself:
- How many nights are you staying?
- Which theatre are you visiting?
- Are you arriving by train or plane?
- What else do you want to see?
- Will you be eating out before the show?
- Do you want to walk back after the performance?
- Is anyone in your group likely to find hills or longer walks difficult?
For a one-night theatre break, we’d place more importance on convenience. For a three-night Edinburgh city break, we’d think much more about the whole trip. Your musical might take up one evening. Your hotel needs to work for everything else too.
One Night or a Weekend?
For one night, keep things easy. Ideally, you want:
Arrival → Hotel → Edinburgh → Dinner → Theatre → Hotel → Home
A central location close to your theatre or arrival point can reduce the amount of travelling you need to do. This is particularly useful after an evening performance when you may simply want to walk back to your accommodation.
An Edinburgh Theatre Weekend
If you’re staying for two or three nights, you have much more flexibility. Your trip might look like:
Day One
Arrive → explore → dinner → musical
Day Two
Sightseeing → lunch → attraction → dinner/drinks
Day Three
Breakfast → final wander → travel home
Now your hotel isn’t simply somewhere to sleep after the show. It’s your base for an Edinburgh city break. In that situation, location, transport connections and access to the places you want to visit may matter more than being directly beside the theatre.
Choosing Accommodation for Your Budget
Edinburgh has accommodation across a wide range of price points. Rather than simply looking for the cheapest room, consider what you’re getting for the location.
Keeping the Cost Down
Staying slightly further from the busiest parts of central Edinburgh can sometimes give you more options. Just check the journey back after your performance before booking. Saving money on the room may be less appealing if you then need taxis throughout your stay.
A Comfortable City Break
For many visitors, centrally located mid-range accommodation provides a good balance. You can potentially walk to restaurants, attractions and your theatre while still having a comfortable base for the rest of your trip.
Making the Theatre Break Special
Perhaps the musical is part of a birthday, anniversary or special weekend away. In that case, your accommodation can become part of the experience. You might prefer a more luxurious hotel, somewhere with a great breakfast or simply a room in a location you’ve always wanted to stay.
This is one area we’ll expand as we develop our Edinburgh hotel recommendations.
Can You Find Edinburgh Theatre & Hotel Deals?
Sometimes. Hotel prices in Edinburgh can vary considerably depending on the time of year, day of the week and what’s happening in the city. It’s therefore worth checking for accommodation and short-break offers rather than automatically booking the first available room.
As our Edinburgh deals section develops, we’ll bring together offers that could help you save money or add something extra to your theatre break.
Edinburgh Deals & Theatre Night Out Offers
You can also use our main visitor hub to plan the rest of your trip:
Planning Your Hotel Around How You Arrive
How you’re travelling to Edinburgh can help narrow down where to stay.
Arriving by Train?
Staying around Waverley or central Edinburgh can be particularly convenient.
Arriving at Edinburgh Waverley: A Theatre Visitor’s Guide
Flying Into Edinburgh?
Consider how easily you can travel between your accommodation and the airport. Haymarket, the West End and locations along the tram route may be worth considering.
Flying Into Edinburgh for a Theatre Break
Driving?
Check whether your accommodation offers parking or whether you’ll need to use a nearby public car park. Don’t assume a central Edinburgh hotel automatically includes parking.
Not Sure How You’ll Get Around?
We’ve created a separate guide to help you plan the journeys around your stay.
FAQ
Choosing where to stay can be one of the biggest decisions when planning a theatre trip. These answers should help you narrow down which part of Edinburgh will work best for your visit.
Start Planning Your Edinburgh Theatre Break
Choosing where to stay is much easier once you think about the whole trip, rather than the hotel alone. Consider how you’re arriving, which theatre you’re visiting, where you’d like to eat and what else you want to see while you’re in Edinburgh. Then choose accommodation that makes all of those plans easier. From there, you can start putting together the rest of your visit.
Getting Around Edinburgh: A Theatre Visitor’s Guide
Plan Your Perfect Edinburgh Visit
Edinburgh Deals & Theatre Night Out Offers