You're invited to join

Center Theatre Group

Summer 2026 - Edinburgh Trip

We invite you to join members of Center Theatre Group's senior leadership and your fellow theatre lovers for some of the world's best theatre! This trip is exclusive for members of Center Theatre Group’s Board of Directors and Visionary Supporters.

Every August, Edinburgh boasts thousands of incredible offerings. CTG's artistic staff will create an inspiring itinerary with a diverse and enticing slate of shows to ensure that your experience of Edinburgh's sister festivals is unforgettable.

The five-day Scottish adventure will feature eclectic and cutting-edge theatre at both the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – a mix of theatre, comedy, circus, music and cabaret, with exclusive experiences and conversations with international artistic visionaries.  

From handling your hotel reservation to arranging your personal itinerary and tickets, we will take care of all of the details, so that you can truly enjoy and experience one of the greatest celebrations of arts and culture in the world.

We can't wait to see you there! Trust us, this is a trip you don't want to miss!

Why travel with Center Theatre Group?

Visiting Edinburgh for the International Festival and the Fringe can be overwhelming to say the least. Center Theatre Group's artistic team and leadership has put together a journey for our closest supporters to ensure an unforgettable experience.  

CTG Senior leadership on the trip will include Snehal Desai, Brindell & Milton Gottlieb Artistic Director; Lindsay Allbaugh, CTG’s Associate Artistic Director; and we will be joined a couple other staff members to support the experience.

Our team will survey the group for Edinburgh, and build a slate of shows from the International Festival and the Fringe based on participants' collective interests as well as CTG artistic team recommendations. Some shows we'll see all together, and there will also be time for everyone to explore the festivals on their own and see shows that speak to them. We’ll also have scouts in Edinburgh ahead of time, with their ear to the ground on what the hottest, most talked about shows are.

With this exclusive CTG concierge service, not only will we curate in advance, our team will also curate live on the ground, adding tickets or modifying your personal itinerary to enhance and perfect your Fringe and Festival experience.

CTG Trip Leadership

Snehal will join the trip for the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe. He will have just completed his first three seasons as CTG's artistic leader. One of the reasons he attends festivals such as this is to find productions that might work well for one of CTG’s three theatres or find an interesting new artistic voice that may be ripe for a CTG commission or new project. Perhaps there will be something we find this year that feels like the right thing to bring to Los Angeles! 

Lindsay, who will join the trip for the London leg, has been with Center Theatre Group for 20 years and amongst her many duties she is partly responsible for scouting for new work as well new playwrights, directors, designers, and partner theatres and producers. Lindsay loves to talk about the work with anyone who is interested and how and why CTG programs certain shows.

What will you see?

Last trip, our group saw shows from Australia, Germany, Peru, the UK, from all over the United States, and more.  We shared many deep conversations and take-aways from the most intriguing and thoughtful pieces as well as shared many laughs over the late-night Burlesque and comedy shows we took our chances on.

Our itinerary included shows at the most respected venues of the Fringe, as well as offerings from the International Festival.  We then supplemented with additional shows that were the talk of the town or shows that group members lobbied for. The Fringe rewards experimentation and you might just discover a new genre of entertainment that sparks your interest. 

Questions? Keep reading! You can also reach out to Ricky at rcarter@ctgla.org.

Click here to see highlights from the 2024 trip.

Edinburgh:  Shows, Exclusive Experiences, & 5 nights at the Kimpton Hotel, Charlotte Square

August 14-19, 2026

Package Pricing: $6,999 per person for Double Occupancy*

Inclusions:

The five-day 2026 Edinburgh adventure will include:

  • Specially Curated Show Package: CTG leadership will create an itinerary featuring over 10 performances (2-3 performances per day) from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Edinburgh International Festival,  including a special visit to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. This year CTG's group's shows will include a performance by LA sister Institutions LA Phil and LA Master Chorale, who will be performing at the International Festival!

  • Exclusive Recommendations: While in Edinburgh, CTG staff will suggest show recommendations (they'll have their ears to the ground for you, identifying the buzziest shows), so you can seek out additional experiences and performances on your own.

  • Special Guests: Mix and mingle with the world's top innovators in theatre through talk-backs and special guest experiences. In just the last two trips, our guests have included Linda Crooks (CEO & Executive Producer of the Traverse Theatre), Joyce McMillan (theatre critic for the Scotsman), Richard Jordan (Olivier, TONY and EMMY Award-winning producer), and several current Fringe artists.

  • Housing: A 5-night stay in the renowned, centrally located, 4-star Kimpton Charlotte Square (limited hotel extensions may be available).

  • Special CTG Group Gatherings:

         • Daily breakfast and programming check in with the CTG team.

         • A "Welcome to Edinburgh" dinner to kick off the week's festivities.

         • An additional group meal with special guests.

         • Special outing for the group. Past outings have included exclusive whisky tastings, 5-course dinner with custom kilts, docent-led private tours of local galleries, and private tours of castles or other historic sites.

*Additional supplement applies for Single Occupancy

The Fine Print

  • Itinerary will be developed as show selections are made and guest speakers are confirmed. Once you register for the trip, you will receive regular updates and any changes to the itinerary.

  • Flights, local transportation, airport transfers, insurance, and gratuities are not included.

  • Lunches are not included and only select dinners are included. 

  • The rooms at the Kimpton Charlotte Square are Double or King Premium (subject to availability).

  • Should you wish to arrive before or stay after the group dates, please let us know. Group rates for extended stay will be honored subject to availability.

  • Single Supplement: The price of participation in the tour includes the cost of sharing a twin- or double-bedded room. The single supplement pf $1,500 is the additional cost incurred when one person stays in a room on his/her own. 

  • CTG requires 10 guests minimum to operate this experience. If the minimum number is not achieved by our initial booking deadline, May 29, all deposits will be fully refundable.

  • There is a lot of walking–the distance from our hotel to most venues ranges from 15-25 minutes.  Edinburgh has old streets and buildings and the venues are not all accessible. Many include stairs and do not have elevators or accessible seating. Please speak to us if you have any concerns regarding your accessibility needs.

Cancellation

All notices of cancellation must be received in writing. The following cancellation charges apply:

  • The 25% deposit is non-refundable, unless trip does not meet minimum participants by the deadline of May 1, 2026

  • For cancellations received between June 1, 2026 and July 10, 2026: you will be responsible for 50% of tour price

  • For cancellations received between July 11, 2026 and August 1, 2026:  you will be responsible for 75% of tour price

  • For cancellations received after August 1, 2026: you will be responsible for 100% of tour price

Arrival and Departures:

Plan to arrive in Edinburgh on August 14th, 2026 in time for a group dinner and evening show. The trip will conclude with the final show on the evening of August 18, 2026. Participants can either extend their stays or travel back to the US on August 19, 2026.

A valid passport with at least 6 months before the expiration date remaining from the date you plan to depart Scotland is required. US citizens are required to obtain a VISA now! You can get an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) here for iPhones and here for Androids for 10GBP per person, and it is good for 2 years. Warning: don't go to a third party for this, they can charge 10 times the actual cost for the visa. The quickest and easiest route is to go to the app.

Insurance

Travelers are recommended to insure against cancelling their tour.  Adequate medical expenses and travel insurance are essential. Center Theatre Group will not be responsible under any circumstances for expenses incurred under either of these headings.

Payment

  • 25% of total package price due upon registration as a deposit (due within 7 days of registration)

  • Remainder to be paid by May 31st, 2026