Basket: £0.00
Basket: £0.00
Oh look! Here comes the mildest man imaginable. Paulette stumbles into a room full of strangers and doesn't know whether to panic or mingle... so he does both, for 60 minutes. A perfect evening for anyone who wants to scream at a polite person. 2025 Pick of the Fringe (Mervyn Stutter). Winner: 2025 Fringie Award (Philadelphia Fringe). 'Utterly ridiculous... brilliantly performed...laugh-out-loud delirium' ****½ (DCTheaterArts.org). 'For this hour, just say yes to the madness' **** (TheComicsComic.com).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dexter
Perfect for fans of The Play That Goes Wrong and Noises Off. ***** (Skinny). Returning to the Fringe for the sixth time due to phenomenal demand, this Oscar Wilde twist is guaranteed to have you in stitches. When a traditional production of Oscar Wilde’s classic play gets underway, everything seems to be going perfectly to plan... until the lead actor fails to arrive on cue. 'Guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of even the greatest of improv-phobic curmudgeons' **** (Scotsman).
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
Best Magic Show, HELLO! Magazine 2022 and 2024. The only act ever to win the Edfest Bouquet five times! A dynamic blend of mentalism and magic. 'You blew my mind' (Gerard Butler). 14 Royal Family performances including a Royal Command Performance for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 'Beyond a shadow of a doubt masterful magic' (Metro). 'Beyond belief' (Herald). 'The closest thing to mind reading we will ever get' **** (List).
Assembly Rooms
Drawing Room
Official Fringe sell-out 2024 and 2025. It's the year 1954. Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Eartha Kitt are at the dizzy heights of their careers. With swinging jazz, powerful soul and cheeky kitsch, these women broke new ground for all who followed. Award-winning singer/actor Melissa Western and her musicians pay tribute to this magnificent era in music and inspiring trio of pioneering singers. 50s style abounds. 'Western is a force of nature... Great storyteller, feisty, highly enjoyable' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Absolutely brilliant... Her aptitude for music is vast and versatile' ***** (ThreeWeeks). 'Oozes with charisma' ***** (Edinburgh-Reviews.co.uk).
Assembly Rooms
Bijou
Winner of the Best Music Award at Adelaide Fringe and featuring music and lore from Joplin, Winehouse, Cobain, Morrison, and Hendrix, this must-see live rockumentary will get you praying to the rock gods for more. Saluting the members of the 27 Club are some of Australia's top rock icons and musicians. Come as you are to this 'electrifying and magnetic' (GlamAdelaide.com.au) celebration of the legends who will forever be 27 and their legacy left behind. 'I have never been more entertained' ***** (InDaily.com.au). 'Nothing short of mesmerising' ***** (Radio Adelaide).
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
Sold out for its entire run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025. Winner of the Spirit of the Fringe Award. A poetic musical inspired by Japanese classical literature. The male performers wear only two shoulder pads as their costume – playful, never sexual. What begins as laughter at wriggling bottoms soon releases the audience's imagination, revealing countless costumes and worlds. By the final scene, many are moved to tears. Overflowing with the joy and power of theatre, it explores life and death, parting, and human connection through humour, songs and Kabuki-inspired physical expression.
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Button
Sold out on Broadway! Sold out at the Sydney Opera House! Seen by over 2 million people worldwide! BMX, basketball, breakdancing, beatboxing, acrobatics, drumming and more, 360 ALLSTARS connects the street with the elite to deliver a supercharged urban circus. Boasting a stellar cast of World Champion and World Record-holding artists and athletes, the international smash hit returns to Edinburgh as part of its 2026 World Tour! 'Blindingly talented' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Destined to be a sell-out' ***** (TV Bomb). 'The most thrilling stage show ever' ***** (WeekendNotes.co.uk)
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
An inspiring and moving celebration of Katherina Radeva's 40 years as a woman, a migrant and an artist. Claiming space on a dance floor, she dances with joyous abundance and presents stories of her past, present and future. From the little girl dancing at her parents' student parties, to the teenage rhythm gymnast who was body-shamed, to the creative who refuses to be categorised we see a choreography of all the joys and sorrows of 40 years. Radeva is an irresistible performer whose authenticity and generosity shines in this life-affirming piece from award-winning Two Destination Language. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
We all make mistakes, but rarely do they change the course of history. After sell-out seasons in 2023, 2024 and 2025, the smash-hit historical storytelling show by comedian and historian Paul Coulter returns with a new show about five people and how their mistakes (big and small!) changed the world. Penguin Random House published the best-selling book 10 Mistakes That Changed History based on the show in 2025. If you love history, don't let your mistake be missing out on this show! One of British Comedy Guide's best-reviewed shows. ***** (TheatreWeekly.com). ***** (BroadwayWorld.com). ***** (TheEdinburghReporter.co.uk).
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
Australia's best tribute act, The 60 Four, make their Edinburgh debut with the ultimate 70s party. Dazzlingly popular on cruise ships around the world, this crowd-favourite show is a high-octane celebration of the decade that defined cool. From disco floor-fillers to rock anthems that ruled the airwaves, 70s Jukebox delivers wall-to-wall hits by The Bee Gees, ABBA, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart, The Beatles, Leo Sayer and more. Powered by powerhouse vocals, slick choreography and full Las Vegas energy, it's a sing-along, dance-floor-ready celebration. Get ready for the party of the decade – reborn.
Assembly Rooms
Bijou
'Who's On First meets Waiting for Godot' (New York Times) in this ferociously witty play on, about and spilling over with language. Rusty and Max have been friends for most of their lives and they've been arguing almost the entire time. Today, they're scheming up something big. Fringe First winner Brian Dykstra's signature style crackles in this uproarious backyard comedy where two not-so-average average Americans spar in a relentlessly fanatical pursuit of what is said, what is intended, and what is. 'It goes great places!' (Variety). Directed by Fringe First winner Margarett Perry.
Assembly Rooms
Front Room
On a failing spacecraft, two female astronauts fight to save Earth. This heart-racing, multi award-winning sci-fi thriller explores survival, climate change, human resilience and the silencing of female voices in STEM. As time runs out and tensions rise, this intense, captivating, heartfelt show asks: who will save our home? Winner: Best Drama, WHAT THE FRINGE?! Winner: 2025 Fringe Theatre Award. Winner: Best Theatre, Auckland Fringe. Winner: Pannz Tour Ready Award. Winner: SYNZ Tour Ready Award. 'Like nothing we've seen before' ***** (WestEndBestFriend.co.uk). ***** (AYoungishPerspective.co.uk). ***** (LondonTheatre.co.uk). **** (TheatreWeekly.com).
Assembly George Square
The Box
Abandoman is back – and this year, it's a party. Blending hip-hop with euphoric dance music, Rob Broderick's award-winning improvised comedy show turns your suggestions into original bangers, live and unrepeatable every single night. Razor-sharp wit, genuine warmth and unstoppable audience interaction make this one of Edinburgh Fringe's most joyful, unpredictable nights out. 'Clever, quick-witted and audacious' **** (Scotsman). 'Raucous, expansive, and relentlessly hilarious' **** (Times).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Dancer
Join comedian Benjamin Alborough as he attempts to improve Monopoly in this chaotic, high-energy game show. Audience members compete against each other and the host, with the audience physically becoming the game board. The show combines role-playing, physical challenges and psychological intimidation to make something that, if not the best board game in the world, is at least short. ***** (EdFringeReview.com). ***** (ThreeWeeks). ***** (NorthWestEnd.co.uk). 'Riotously entertaining' **** (Chortle.co.uk). Sell-out show in 2024. Benjamin Alborough is a Malcolm Hardee Award nominee for Comic Originality 2025 and a nominee for Best Variety Show Leicester Comedy Festival 2026.
Assembly George Square Studios
Underground
Wanna be a comedy reviewer? Think you have what it takes to sit in a dark room watching something on your own without falling asleep? Then come join Caliban Munroe, 'the single most influential critic of our times' (The Caliban Munroe Podcast), and best-selling author of industry bible The Critic's Way, as he hosts his award-winning once-in-an-afternoon seminar on how to live your dream and crush everyone else's. NB there will be no press tickets available for this show. Previous Praise for Adam Riches: ***** (Times). ***** (Telegraph). ***** (Independent). ***** (Scotsman). ***** (Chortle.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Cow Cafe
'An absolute riot!' ***** (TheatreWeekly.com). Brace yourself folks – this is not your nana's magic show. Back and naughtier than ever for their fifth filthy year at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Adults Only Magic Show is an unapologetically wild ride of raunchy comedy, jaw-dropping illusions and a generous helping of skin. Join Sam, Justin and the outrageous Magnus 'Danger' Magnus as they blow the top off traditional magic with an X-rated twist. There's no bunny in the hat here – unless he's wearing leather and begging for it.
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Three
An all-ages, high-flying collision of circus, theatre and space adventure. 1964: the world’s superpowers are caught in the space race. Enter an unlikely contender... Zambia. Visionary Edward Mukuka Nkoloso aimed to send Africa’s first astronauts into the cosmos. His crew? A young girl, two cats and a missionary. His rocket? Aluminium, ambition and audacity. Wake The Beast and Circus Zambia bring this extraordinary story to life with breathtaking acrobatics, theatrical spectacle and irresistible heart. A true tale of courage, hope and willpower that can take you to the moon... or make you believe you could.
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
Award-winning comedian Aidan Greene is Ireland's foremost stammering comedian (he's also the only one). For years he's been told not to let his stutter define him. Well... too late. Join the bad boy of stammering for a razor-sharp, big-hearted show about embracing what makes you different and having serious craic along the way. 'Destined for stardom' (RTE). 'A joy to behold' (PasteMagazine.com). 'A show which is as heartfelt as hilarious' **** (TheWeeReview.com).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dexter
I grew up playing classical piano, but failed my conservatory audition at 18. After some time focusing on MDMA, I started stand-up comedy. During the pandemic I came back to the piano and now I've combined them. It's my favourite piece, Chopin's Nocturne in Eb Major, presented with jokes by a bald, Australian dickhead with a beard. Best Comedy, Adelaide Fringe Weekly. 'Sidesplittingly funny' (Guardian). 'Will leave you laughing for days on end' ***** (Advertiser, Adelaide). 'This should not work, but it does' ***** (List). ***** (ThreeWeeks). **** (Scotsman).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Four
What if we kissed? Right now? Xx xXx Xx xxX X X x x (*kissing*). Wow. That was wonderful. Until we meet again. As seen / heard on Channel 4 / HBO Max / BBC Radio 4. 'Deeply affecting and incredibly funny' ***** (TheWeeReview.com). 'A one-woman multiverse of gleeful possibility' ****½ (The Reviews Hub). 'Fabulously funny, absurd and intelligent' **** (Everything-Theatre.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
Brand new show. A show so entertaining you can scarcely believe it. Written and performed (both!) by a man in crisis, desperate to find meaning in life. What is stand-up comedy for? Buy a ticket and find out, let me amuse you like you’ve never been amused before; I doubt you’ll ever need amusing again. 'The best thing I saw last year' (Stewart Lee). 'Wow! F**k! Wow!' ***** (Scotsman). 'Totally compelling' **** (Guardian). 'Forensically funny' **** (Times). Chortle Best Show Award Winner 2022. Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee 2022.
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Laugh
Louis Pearl has been thrilling audiences worldwide for over 30 years with the art, magic, science and fun of bubbles. An Edinburgh Fringe favourite, he has sold out for the last 14 years. Louis explores the breathtaking dynamics of bubbles, combining comedy and artistry with audience participation and enough spellbinding bubble tricks to keep everyone mesmerised. From square bubbles to rocket bubbles, the Amazing Bubble Man conjures shrieks of laughter and gasps of amazement from all ages.
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
A hilarious one-woman musical based on an unapologetic dating advice book that writer-performer Grace O'Keefe's own mother wrote. Publishers said it would set feminism back 20 years. 40 years later, let's find out! The theatrical equivalent of a little girl struggling in her mother's heels, this musical explores relationships, romance and the performance of womanhood. Featuring original music by Grace O'Keefe (Summoning Sondheim; Sense and Sensibility; Best Newcomer at Musical Comedy Awards), the show will leave audiences with a deeper appreciation of their mothers and a chaotic new approach to dating and life.
Underbelly George Square
Buttercup
1931. Virginia Woolf delivers a withering critique of patriarchy and reveals with a timeless honesty, her powerful yet troubled mind. She dips deep into her own stream of consciousness from The Waves, Orlando and To the Lighthouse and her polemic essay, A Room of One's Own. Woolf's clarity on women when 'writing one's mind', champions writers from our past to inspire the voices of our future. Directed by Fringe First winner Margarett Perry, Lucy Stevens returns to the drawing room after her sold out five-star run Off-Broadway.
Assembly Rooms
Drawing Room
The world's most celebrated apple returns for an intimate on-stage conversation. From her vaudeville debut at age five to her breakthrough role in Disney's Snow White, Dame Smith will take you on a journey through her storied life and career, all told with her trademark candour and wit. Warm, funny, uplifting, absurd and 'a show you'll remember for many years to come' (GlamAdelaide.com.au). 'One of the funniest shows I've seen for years' (Alan Davies). Winner: Best Variety Award, Adelaide Fringe 2025.
Underbelly George Square
The Wee Coo
A woman walks into a café. She orders a coffee. The barista doesn't understand her request. The woman loses her sh*t. Chaos reigns. This off-beat collaboration between award-winning playwright Vivienne Franzmann, and choreographer and psychotherapist Frauke Requardt, brings together 22 very different eyewitness accounts of one everyday altercation to show how our nervous systems are stuck in the Stone Age. Performed by two dancers, an actor and a drummer (and one bear), Anatomy of Survival is a show for all the nervous systems in the auditorium. Come and feel the rise and fall of yours.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
Everyone's favourite Cork in the North returns with what promises to be his biggest and most hilarious show to date. Join him for tales of pet ownership, constant inability to read a room and his unrelenting frustration with the world around him. Everything is fine, until it's not! Over 60 million views online and star of The 2 Johnnies' Late Night Lock In (RTE), The Blame Game (BBC) and Comedy Central Live. 'Well paced, well written, delivers plenty of laughs' (Mirror). 'Charming, hilarious and accessible with some really powerful thinking underneath it all' (Skinny).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Friesian
This is my coming-out show. I actually came out mid-performance, in front of a crowd... including my Nan. Let's just say there was a joke involving a woman, a KFC and the phrase finger-lickin' good. Afterwards, I asked my cousin: Do you think there's any chance Nan thought I was just talking about the original recipe? 'Crowds will be flocking to see her in the future for sure' **** (TD9Radio.online). As seen on Colin From Accounts and The F Ward.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Clover
Cinderella's gone – the lucky brat's living it up while her stunning stepsisters are left wondering why they don't get their happily ever after. Witness their magical, musical misadventure as they discover what it truly means to be "ugly". Packed with lush, original music, dazzling costumes, outlandish characters and comedic madness, Apparently Ugly is a gleefully deranged fairy tale for kids, adults and anyone who's ever felt not-quite-perfect. Written by Nicky Douglas. Produced by ERA Theatrical Productions.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Ermintrude
Arcana is a poetic, music-led journey about finding your voice and the courage to truly listen to yourself. We follow Arcana, an apprentice court composer trapped in a world of fear and obligation, as her search for “music for all” becomes a deeper quest for identity and freedom. Blending Western classical music with African musical traditions, the show weaves live violin, rich soundscapes, movement, and multilingual storytelling into an immersive, visually striking experience. A bold, cross-cultural performance, Arcana invites audiences into a space of reflection, wonder, and shared humanity. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Assembly Roxy
Central
Assembly's Gala celebrates the opening of our 2026 programme of over 230 shows. This spectacular show highlights some of our biggest and best productions – a must-see for anyone that wants to get a flavour of what's to come at the world's largest arts festival. Book early – always a sell out!
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
Hair is everything. Until it's not. This one-hour, one-woman, one-night stand of a show is about Amy. Everyone wants to be Amy. Until her hair falls out in all the wrong places. What follows is a knotty mess of swimming caps, cat shit and four-finger foreheads. Things buried threaten to rear their ugly bald head. She can't stop thinking about the door. Her bedroom door. And the man hiding behind it. Now Amy attempts to take back her body, one fake eyebrow at a time. This show uses drag and comedy to explore sexuality, alopecia and assault.
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
Edinburgh, are you ready? Warriors, are you ready? The cult hit from New York and Chicago, BATSU! returns to the Fringe after a wildly successful, sold out 2025 run. This high-energy spectacle pits fearless comedians against each other as they compete to avoid hilarious, jaw-dropping punishments. Inspired by Japanese-style game shows, expect the unexpected in this late-night Fringe hit. With visits from Sake Ninjas to shocking twists like paintball guns, electric shocks and even a giant chicken – don’t miss the chaos, the laughter and the unforgettable madness that is BATSU! – the wildest show at the Fringe!
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Dancer
Edinburgh, are you ready? Warriors, are you ready? The cult hit from New York and Chicago, BATSU! returns to the Fringe after a wildly successful, sold out 2025 run. This high-energy spectacle pits fearless comedians against each other as they compete to avoid hilarious, jaw-dropping punishments. Inspired by Japanese-style game shows, expect the unexpected in this late-night Fringe hit. With visits from Sake Ninjas to shocking twists like paintball guns, electric shocks and even a giant chicken – don’t miss the chaos, the laughter and the unforgettable madness that is BATSU! – the wildest show at the Fringe!
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
Shayna, a wealthy five-time divorcee, and Beverley, a mother of twelve boys, escape to the beach. With big wigs and itty-bitty bikinis, the pair settle into their deckchairs, chain-smoking through idle chit chat. As the days stretch into years, birds fall from the sky, their skin melts and yet they remain, with their heads in the sand – this is paradise after all. BIRDS is a sweat-soaked delirium of camp Australian comedy. Waiting for Godot meets Kath & Kim. Come for the tan, stay for the end of days, BYO beach towel xoxo
Assembly George Square
The Box
A new play about motherhood, postpartum psychosis and stand-up comedy! A new mother, Cass, tackles her mental health crisis, with dark humour, bright wit, brutal honesty and dreams of becoming a comic. A “slightly true story", starring BAFTA winner Kimberley Nixon (Channel 4's Fresh Meat). 'Five stars! A brave, blisteringly honest piece of theatre that leaves you laughing, devastated and profoundly changed' (TheEditWales.com). 'It touched our heartstrings' (Katy Thomas, Mothers Matter charity). 'Genuinely funny throughout' (Lee Walters, Ffilm Cymru Wales). 'A brilliant piece of writing and performance. A really smart piece of work' (Dan Porter, Porter's Theatre).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Three
Fringe fave Baby Wants Candy is back! Total Edinburgh Fringe sell-out eight years running. One of the world's most popular comedy ensembles. You shout out the title, Baby Wants Candy make up the musical. Some favourite recent titles: Sweeney Toddler, Tinder in the Animal Kingdom and who could forget the instant classic HotUncles.com... the Musical? Buy early – show sells out! 'An entertainment phenomenon. I have one word for them: Go!' ***** (Scotsman). ***** (Time Out). ***** (ThreeWeeks). 'Critics Choice. Truly amazing!' (New York Times).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio One
Erain (Jarraibiderik Gabe) is a young company formed by two highly skilled dancers who have recently developed this creation. The piece proposes a suggestive dialogue between bodies and objects, opening a space where materials, play, and transformation become compositional tools. Through a careful balance of physical rigour and imaginative imagery, the work invites multiple readings while maintaining a strong sensory clarity. Helena Wilhelmsson (Trembling Frequencies), a Swedish dancer long based in the Basque Country, presents her first choreographic work: a solo that unfolds within a deeply emotional landscape.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
Bear suits, bereavement and big scary feelings... Oh my. When a grief-stricken widow struggles to cope with her husband's death, she finds comfort by donning a bear costume. Thus, BearGirl is born: an unfeeling, thick-skinned beast who doesn't care what happens to her next. But when the voice of her lost love starts to haunt her, she's reminded of a past mistake that she desperately wants to outrun. Can BearGirl ever truly disappear? Or will reality turn predator into prey? A new play about making peace with the beast within, written after The Bear by Anton Chekhov (1888).
Assembly Roxy
Roxyboxy
'Edinburgh's superstar magician' (Guardian) returns. Internationally acclaimed magician Ben's shows are a unique kind of alchemy... Funny, dark and baffling, Hart is a new species of conjuror. Watch him read minds, manipulate reality and blow your mind. Dare you get lost? 'The one magic show you need to see this fringe' (ArtsReview.com.au). 'Hart's performance is astonishing... It is utterly seamless' (Big Issue). 'Ben Hart is a master' (Dynamo). 'Seductive, beautiful, funny, haunting and original... There's no-one else we'd rather watch' (Penn & Teller).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
Join kabarett provocateur Bernie Dieter as her gin-soaked haus band soundtracks a debauched night of breathtaking circus, gender-bending aerial and fire-breathing sideshow at its most rebellious and hilarious best. Club Kabarett is more than just a show; 'it's an exuberant, juicy, guns-blazing performance that makes other cabarets look stale and tame' (ArtsHub.com.au). A triumphant middle finger held up against the mundane, this wickedly funny show is a life-affirming lightning bolt of pure, unadulterated joy! 'F#?king phenomenal' ***** (TheAge.com.au). 'Gloriously decadent and outrageously indecent' ***** (WhatsOnStage.com). 'Deliciously debaucherous, salacious Spiegeltent spectacular' ***** (Time Out).
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Beauty
The longest running Burlesque at Fringe (and Scotland) returns with a 'New School' of international emerging artists. Fastest rising stars on the scene. Scintillating striptease, audacious parody tributes, works in progress and a plethora of fresh interpretations of the artform. Best of Burlesque is the five-star rated, and Pick of the Fringe, that's wowed over 75,000 fans since it's inception. Often imitated, never duplicated. With over 25 years experience in the industry, it's producer, Majestic Mark, is widely known for helping develop the careers of over 2000 artists worldwide. Warning: may cause excitement!
Assembly Rooms
Bijou
The best mixed-bill comedy night in Edinburgh, featuring your favourite comedians from around the Fringe. A perfect way to experience the festival! Previous guests include: Adam Hills, David O'Doherty, Jason Byrne, Lou Sanders, Ahir Shah, Rhys Nicholson, Desiree Burch, Darren Harriott, Joanne McNally, Phil Wang, Joe Lycett, Vir Das and many more. Full line-ups at assemblyfestival.com
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
Bite-size tasters of the best comedy, cabaret, family entertainment and circus – all for you to enjoy in the heart of the Festival in George Square Studios. With line-ups changing daily, we have something for everyone, so let us bring you the best of the fest! See www.assemblyfestival.com for line-ups. 'An all-round crowd pleaser' ***** (ThreeWeeks).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Three
The best place in town to catch rising comedy stars & your Fringe favourites. A different show every night, featuring new faces and festival stalwarts! The perfect start (or end) to your festival evening. Acts will be announced on assemblyfestival.com and at @AssemblyFest.
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Two
Biff travels back to the Fringe following sell-out 2025 premiere season, international tour and London run! The iconic villain of Back to the Future takes centre stage in this comedic reimagination of Marty and Doc's time-traveling escapades, turning the celebrated trilogy on its head from the perspective of Biff, the bully audiences love to hate. For superfans and newcomers alike. 'Excellent, original parody' ***** (Edinburgh-Reviews.co.uk). 'You'll want to go back in time so you can see this one again and again' (Starburst Magazine). 'So sensational it might have been routed through a flux capacitor!' ***** (GetYourCoatsOn.com).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
Acclaimed Canadian Second City comedy duo, Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus, directed by genius collaborator Kat Sandler, bring their signature mix of storytelling and improvisation to Big Stuff – a hilarious and heartfelt exploration of the stuff we leave behind. This fast-paced two-hander unpacks the emotional and absurd aspects of loss – from basement clutter to memories that linger. With quick wit and sharp chemistry, Baram and Snieckus turn life's big questions into big laughs. 'One of those pieces of theatre you'll carry with you for the rest of your life' (Globe and Mail).
Assembly Roxy
Roxyboxy
Bilal Zafar (LastMinute.com Best Newcomer Award nominee and multi award-winner) is back with a brand new, multimedia, interactive and very fun show! Rubicon will feature some games with prizes to be won, some amazing stories and an overall life-changing experience TBF. Will you be crossing the Rubicon? Spoiler alert: yes you will! Bilal has been on BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4 and many other things you might find impressive.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Jersey
Fringe favourites the Black Blues Brothers return with their electrifying, family-friendly show. Having wowed over 65,000 Fringe spectators, they are back at McEwan Hall, ready to amaze audiences once again. Set in a smoky train station and driven by an unforgettable rock’n’roll soundtrack, expect jaw-dropping acrobatics, towering human pyramids and gravity-defying stunts. Featuring iconic music by Glenn Miller, Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, this is the ultimate experience for all ages. After five smash-hit Fringe seasons and appearances at the Royal Variety Show and the Moulin Rouge, this feel-good phenomenon is truly unmissable.
Underbelly Bristo Square
McEwan Hall
A play disguised as a magic show where history and illusion intertwine. Enslaved in America, Henry 'Box' Brown conjures his life and reenacts his daring 1849 escape when he shipped himself to freedom inside a wooden crate. Each illusion mirrors a chapter of his journey: love, loss, confinement, faith and defiance. Gospel-infused soundscapes and stagecraft transform the theatre into a site of both sanctuary and reckoning. As boxes appear, vanish and break apart, Henry's story becomes more than spectacle – it becomes testimony, inviting audiences to witness liberation not as legend but as lived and embodied resistance.
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Button
A wordless, high-energy performance, diving into the hilarious chaos between humans and machines. Before you even know what you want, the robot already knows. The crossword is solved before you've filled in a single square. Your shoes are tied, your hair is combed, your teeth brushed, the laundry folded, all done for you... It's time to switch him off! But where is the stop button? With physical comedy, live drawing and music, a captivating tale about a man and his robot unfolds, turning into a gripping power struggle between human and machine.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Ermintrude
Two puppeteers cast giant shadows to conjure a hilarious occult mystery. Teenage sceptic Vi is forced to live with her grandmother, who claims to be the 200-year-old mystic and spiritual guru Madam Blavatsky. When Vi's friends begin to disappear, she reluctantly teams up with Granny to uncover a conspiracy of séances, unhinged cultists and suspiciously interested government agents. A visually striking dark comedy. Based on a possibly true story. Learn real magic. Summon demons. Impress your friends. Sceptics welcome. Spirits optional. From the award-winning Japanese company behind Shunga Alert and Space Hippo. ***** (ThreeWeeks).
Underbelly Cowgate
Big Belly
A plurality of bodies beyond their visible social markers. Despite their diverse backgrounds artists unite believing that even different individualities empower each other when they act as one. In times of social segregation, we deal with a crossing of the mental boundaries and not just the physical ones. Border Bodies desires to acknowledge the portrait of humanity: collective, clustered, seeking interactions and associations. In the midst of the silence of distancing, we rediscover and invent ways of being together. On stage, hierarchies between social roles are tested, questioned and reorganized. The show is part of São Paulo Showcase.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
Boys Don’t Dance is a poignant dance theatre show by acclaimed disabled artist Marc Brew, reflecting on his lifelong journey defying societal expectations to embrace his love for dance. Combining movement with BMX and wheels, storytelling, lighting and an uplifting 80s soundtrack – alongside visual projections and animation, creating an immersive experience for audiences. Boys Don’t Dance celebrates individuality and the liberating power of dance, encouraging audiences to embrace their unique passions and find strength in their differences. Commissioned by Imaginate and Aberdeen Performing Arts, supported by OneRen. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
One of the UK's most hilarious and best-loved poets is here to take us through the hows, whys and whats of reading, writing and enjoying poetry every day. With his characteristic wit and charm, Bilston accompanies us through the jungle of imagination to the source of inspiration, takes us under the bonnet of a sonnet and over the fear of literary devices. He gives us a whirlwind tour through the history of verse – and shows us why human poetry will always triumph over any attempts by AI.
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
Former burlesque superstar Entendre Entendre invites audiences to the launch of her memoir, SMUT, a recounting her many, MANY lovers. The wild, weird, and unfortunately true, tales found within are delivered through song, striptease, filthy poetry, scandalous storytelling, and audience interaction. Entendre lets it all hang out – sometimes more than she intends. 'Extraordinary... funny, very rude, genuinely moving and memorably powerful all at once' **** (Scotsman). 'Poignant and profound' **** (EdinburgischeDramaturgie.wordpress.com). Created and performed by Bryn Woz. Directed by Rachel Resnik.
Assembly Roxy
Snug Bar
After two sell-out Fringe runs, Burning Down the Horse is back! This immersive comedy epic drops you into the heart of the most iconic wooden animal in history – the Trojan Horse. Become part of this 'infectiously funny' (FringeReview.co.uk) tale as you contend with heroic egos, class clashes and sword supply issues. There's only one rule: Odysseus' word is law. And for the love of gods – no naked flames! Join us for an 'entertaining slice of lunchtime laughs' (Scotsman) and experience what really went on inside the belly of the beast.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Friesian
Seven acrobats and thirty metres of rope… By a Thread returns after a sold-out 2025 season! Long spools of white rope run through industrial pulleys and wrap around bodies. The show weaves virtuosic acrobatics through moments of confusion, hilarity, romance, playfulness, fear and friendship, uncovering the threads of connection present in all relationships. Australian circus at its best, By a Thread is an exploration of trust and risk six meters above the ground. ‘Easily one of the best pieces of physical theatre on display’ (One4Review.co.uk). ‘One of the most tender moments you’ll see in a circus’ (Scotsman).
Assembly Rooms
Music Hall
COMA is an immersive audio experience in complete darkness. You’re lying on a bunk bed inside a shipping container. Headphones on, lights out. 360-degree sound invites you to take part in a collective experiment: slip into a shared dream on the edge of consciousness. The most surrender-driven of the DARKFIELD shows, and the one that asks you to let go completely. Please remember when you leave to take your body with you.
Assembly George Square
Darkfield COMA
No one knows who the killer is, not even the cast! Following multiple five-star sell-out runs, CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation returns for another rip-roaring crime comedy made up entirely on the spot. Leicester Comedy 2023: Best Improv Show Award. Colchester Fringe Comedy Award 2024. Who? What? How? The choice is yours in this fully improvised, witty and absurd murder mystery where the audience creates the crime. 'Quick thinking and fast paced. A spectacular must-see' ***** (Bunbury Magazine). 'Hysterical murder mystery and a tight witty improv show' **** (FringeBiscuit.co.uk).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Ermintrude
It's the return of multi award-winning cinematic drag chaos in stunning CinemaScope vision! Minimum wage cinema employee turned multi award-winning tragic fool, Cabbage the Clown's debut hour marries genres in polygamous holy matrimony in their 'Gen-Z, loudly queer and thoroughly hilarious' (BingeFringe.com) debut. With over 8 million views online for their genre-busting brand of multimedia drag-clowning, Cabbage presents the return of their critically-acclaimed Fringe hit. So talk through the trailers, sit back and enjoy this Bechdel Test-passing, BBFC-unapproved hit. ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). ***** (The Student). ***** (BingeFringe.com). ***** (EdFringeReview).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Button
Presented on even-numbered days (excluding Aug 12), your audience with Elizabeth Taylor resumes! Kayla Boye as Elizabeth, reflects on her tempestuous passion with Richard Burton which nearly killed them both, but which also transformed her to play perhaps her greatest role... AIDS activist and humanitarian. Directed by Michael Weber, presented by Olivier winner, Fringe legend (and twice Taylor's nephew by marriage to Burton) Guy Masterson. 'Brilliant! A must-watch for any Elizabeth Taylor fan!' (EdFringeReview.com). 'Captivating! A brilliantly polished production!' (ThreeWeeks). 'A shattering, exquisite performance that should not be missed' (ChicagoTheatreReview.com).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Two
An audience with Miss Taylor! Kayla Boye (Shake It Away) returns as the Hollywood legend, revealing her innermost feelings about life, love, triumphs and tragedies, until she meets Richard Burton on the set of ‘Cleopatra’, when her life, along with several others’, is turned upside down! Directed by Michael Weber and presented by Olivier winner, Fringe legend (twice Taylor's nephew by marriage to Burton!) Guy Masterson. 'Brilliant! A must-watch for any Elizabeth Taylor fan!' (EdFringeReview.com). 'Captivating! A brilliantly polished production!' (ThreeWeeks). 'A shattering, exquisite performance that should not be missed' (ChicagoTheatreReview.com).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Two
"What a character" – Ancient Australian proverb. Idiom, used to describe either the best or worst person you know. Example: "Wow, that Casey Filips… what a character" Following his critically acclaimed debut show Virtuoso, multi award-winning Australian comic Casey Filips brings us a brand-new character hour that’s 'a hands-down winner' **** (List). WINNER: Best of Comedy Award (Weekly), Adelaide Fringe 2026. WINNER: Take a Chance on Adelaide Award 2024. NOMINEE: Best Comedy, Melbourne Fringe 2024. Mervyn Stutter’s Pick of the Fringe 2024 and 2025.
Assembly George Square
The Box
Bringing together the National Youth Dance Companies of Scotland and Wales for a night of bold choreography, the programme celebrates the power of dance, blending distinct cultural influences with cutting-edge contemporary dance. In a dynamic double-bill of new commissions expect vibrant ensemble movement, intimate duets and striking costumes, as emerging performers push their technique, artistry and imagination to new heights. This collaboration is a celebration of connection, with infectious energy, fierce precision and moments of breathtaking tenderness. These rising stars offer a glimpse of what dance in the UK can become.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
Chris Grace (Superstore, Dropout) brings an all-new hour of standup comedy to the Fringe asking the most important questions: Can you get along with someone that you only mostly agree with? Can nuance survive in an age of extremes? Does using AI make someone evil? And most importantly, what kind of food should be served at a gay sauna? 88% is Chris's attempt to reconcile his heart and the real world in his unique style that the Boston Globe called "an artful blend of the personal and the universal".
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Five
Chris Martin lied to us. He said it was all yellow. But that isn’t true! Will has rewritten Coldplay's breakout hit song Yellow eight times, to more accurately represent the entire visible spectrum of light. Now he's become embroiled in a conspiracy of missing impersonators and something ominous is coming for him. In this debut comedy hour, Will Spence (A Night of Drama, Poltergeist Theatre) takes you on a hyperactive trip into the rainbow, using PowerPoint and a karaoke track. Suitable for Coldplay lovers, Coldplay haters and everyone ambivalently in-between. 'Beguiling silliness' (WhatsOnStage.com).
Underbelly Cowgate
Iron Belly
One mic, infinite possibilities! America's Got Talent runner-up Chris creates jaw-dropping freestyle rap from your suggestions. Fast, fearless and astonishingly funny – this is live comedy at its most exhilarating from the first comedian to ever have a Las Vegas residency with Cirque Du Soleil. No script, no safety net, entirely in the moment. 'The Fringe holy grail... mind-bendingly flawless' ***** (EdFestMag.com). 'Very funny, uniquely appealing... nobody on a Vegas stage does what he does' (Las Vegas Review-Journal) 'Spectacular and hilarious' (BroadwayWorld.com). 'A virtuoso... a hip-hop machine' (Guardian).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Friesian
Wolf. A gasp-inducing acrobatic thrill ride. Clad in designer Libby McDonnell's form-hugging costumes and set to DJ Ori Lichtik's relentless primal rhythms, the cast of ten extraordinary Circa artists grasp, tear, climb, leap and balance with fierce abandon. For Director Yaron Lifschitz, the wolf is a symbol of our untameable selves: liberating, anarchic and savage. The wolves evolve from disruptive forces of chaos into a ferocious pack whose intense choreographies overflow with raw energy and astounding physicality. Wolf is circus with fangs. Join the pack.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Lafayette
'A must-see at this year's Fringe!' **** (Entertainment-Now.co.uk). Roll up! Roll up! Prepare to enter a world of whimsy, wonder and amazement where your imagination will soar like never before, in this completely reimagined family circus spectacular that families across the globe are raving about! With countless five-star reviews, international awards and sell-out seasons worldwide; this isn't just another kids show – it is a full-blown, high-energy, imagination-fuelled spectacular that will leave jaws on the floor and smiles stretching ear to ear!
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
Thomas loves his job and working from home. All the while talking to his best friend – a cactus called Clive. He's not going mad at all. When a new boss takes over, work becomes stressful, life starts to unravel and he grows even more reliant on his spiky friend. A funny and moving exploration of isolation and technology in modern life. A new play by Olivier Award-winner Michael Wynne reunites two time Olivier nominee Paul Keating with visionary director Lucy Bailey. The OffWestEnd Awards 2026 Nomination – Best Performance, Paul Keating.
Assembly Rooms
Drawing Room
We’re bringing this incredible show back – and this time to the Assembly Ballroom! With soaring music and a deeply moving story, the musical tells of the spirited locals of Gander and the stranded passengers who unexpectedly came together in the wake of September 11th, 2001. From tragedy emerged extraordinary kindness, humanity and community, forging friendships that would last a lifetime. Last year’s run sold out within days, so book your tickets early for this unforgettable musical.
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
Smashing swear-free stand-up! Splendidly silly sketches! Superb cabaret extravaganzas! Every day brings a fresh line-up, new reasons to giggle and the chance to see exactly why, in August 2025, we won the Edinburgh Comedy Awards' panel prize for embodying the true 'spirit of the Fringe'. Join our Victoria Wood Award-winning selves, back for our 21st year, with shows that are 'really funny' ***** (Fest), 'fabulous' ***** (Three Weeks) and 'just right' **** (Telegraph)! 'A highlight for children in recent years... with the fun, rowdy feel of a real comedy club' (Guardian).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
Dance Base’s two in-house companies PRIME (for over 60s) and Lothian Youth Dance Company (for 14-21 year-olds) come together to explore the pressures we all face. This double bill will feature new pieces created over the past year by PRIME’s Artistic Director Kally Lloyd-Jones, as well as guest choreographers Malcolm Sutherland, Tough Boys Collective and Rosie Mackley.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
*Ring ring* Who is it? It's drag comedian, delusional icon and all-round cheeky northern piglet Crudi Dench! She's taping the pilot episode for her new TV show Someone Help Her! and needs the assistance of surprise celebrity guests in the audience (you) to help those phoning in. Chaos ensues in this long-awaited debut hour from the star and writer of award-winning, sell-out Fringe shows Drag Queens vs Zombies and Drag Queens vs Vampires. Expect stand-up, audience interaction and a fabulous telephone. 'Riotously funny and surprisingly poignant' ***** (SussexOnlineNews.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Iron Belly
A clinic waiting room. Two Somali teens. One awkward meet-cute. Najma has been in treatment for years. Zakariya’s just starting out. She sketches. He writes poems. Neither of them is ready to talk. Until they meet each other. As their sessions continue, so do the chats. And the jokes. And the secrets. Crush is a tender, funny and honest story about identity, connection and the messy path to healing. Longlisted for the Tony Craze Award 2025.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Clover
The DIVAS are back... bigger, better and beltier! The five-star production is back for 2026 with a cast of professional singers and live band to celebrate some of the greatest DIVAS of all time from music, movies and musical theatre. From Carole King to Cher, Raye to Reba McEntire, and Sabrina Carpenter to Shirley Bassey, there will be something for everyone in this high-energy, fast-paced show. Winner of Best Theatre Production (TheatreScotland.co.uk, 2022 and 2023). 'A professionally executed show and a great way for a music-lover of any age to spend an hour' (Broadway.com).
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
An experimental aerial pole dance explosion performed by NYC collective VERTICAL DREAMSCAPE, featuring US Pole Art Champion Donna Carnow and interdisciplinary artist Gina Alm. Their hour-long montage of dream worlds is a sensual and cinematic, dark yet dazzling vision of a journey when the sun goes down – from the luminous tones of Dusk, the darkest underbelly of Night, into the messy brilliance of Dawn. This durational work pushes the performers' bodies to the limit, producing a powerful, visceral and transcendent product that feels vibrant, textured, unpredictable and of an alien world. 'A genuine work of Art' *****(BroadwayBaby.com).
Assembly Roxy
Central
Out of the Box is a multi award-winning family show delighting audiences across the UK; an hour of joyful chaos, jaw-dropping skill and irresistible fun. Named Best Family Show at Brighton Fringe, Darryl J Carrington transforms everyday objects into extraordinary adventures. A toothbrush stars in a balancing act, a string sparks a heist and a tea party lands on someone's head! With over 20 years of circus and clowning experience, Darryl's silent comedy blends world-class juggling, inventive physical theatre and heart-warming audience interaction. His humour transcends age and language.
Underbelly George Square
The Wee Coo
Darryl J Carrington is a physical comedian and mostly non-verbal clown who loves messing around with objects, timing and visual gags. His last show, Out of the Box, won multiple awards with critics calling it utterly absorbing, charming and great fun. People loved how he connected with audiences using nothing but inventive physical comedy. Tennish starts as a tennis show but quickly goes off-court as Darryl discovers what he can do with tennis props – turning rackets, balls and towels into instruments, obstacles and punchlines. It's playful, chaotic, visual and all about ambition, performance, and failure.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Clover
An evening of low-voltage song and chatter from the increasingly dishevelled Lidl Bruno Mars. In addition to his comedy and not being Chris O’Dowd, David co-hosts the What Did You Do Yesterday? podcast. He is sometimes on television.
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
A Fringe premiere! Dear Evan Hansen is a deeply moving, contemporary musical about anxiety, connection and the search for belonging. Featuring unforgettable songs and emotional storytelling, it follows a teenager whose small lie spirals into something life-changing. Honest, heart-wrenching and hopeful, the show reminds us that even the most isolated voices deserve to be heard. Audiences laugh, cry and leave changed. Captivate Theatre is a local, vibrant, community-driven theatre company known for producing high-quality, engaging performances.
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
You are the Head of Public Relations at MirrorMinds.ai, a company preparing for the launch of their newest product that allows anyone to create fake videos that look perfectly real. As sole audience member and active participant in this immersive theatrical experience, you will video chat with co-workers, investigate the materials in your office and argue for your own perspective on the appropriate use of AI. It's up to you to make this launch a success... or not. Part puzzle room, part quiet horror story.
Underbelly Cowgate
Top Belly
A comic exploration of grief, inspired by a break-up and over 40 interviews gathered via a social media call-out. In the wake of a relationship, a woman tries to contain the overflow of her thoughts…She ends up stuck in a ladder, fighting against komodo dragons, house leaks, holes and jam jars that only seem to multiply. Deluge puts a magic realist spin on dealing with and overcoming grief. Blurring imagination with real stories by invoking a surreal, tender and humorous dreamscape. ‘Intense physicality and irresistible charm’ **** (BritishTheatreGuide.info). ‘Incredibly beautifully written’ **** (TheSpyInTheStalls.com). ****½ (AYoungishPerspective.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Big Belly
Diary of A Mad Man is a darkly comic one-man drama tracing the psychological collapse of a corporate worker whose status craving mutates into obsession. Adapted from Nikolai Gogol and relocated to contemporary Ireland, the play immerses us inside a mind where professional failure breeds paranoia, rage and terrifying logic. Consumed by race, hierarchy and fixation on his CEO’s daughter, his inner voice grows seductive, persuasive and lethal. As reality fractures, the audience becomes trapped inside his reasoning, forced to confront how ambition corrodes identity and madness feels disturbingly justified, dark, funny and deeply unsettling.
Assembly Roxy
Roxyboxy
A Brain, An Athlete, A Basket Case, A Princess and a Criminal all walk into detention one 1985 Saturday morning. You know the story. Or so you thought... Forty years later, the forgotten sixth student hosts a reunion and we're all invited. Part homage, part identity crisis, this sharp, witty, nostalgic love letter to John Hughes' iconic 1980s film is dedicated to anyone who ever wished life felt more like the movies. WhatsOnStage Award nominated Fringe favourites Fake Escape present Don't You Forget About Me as part of their Decade of Fringe season.
Assembly Roxy
Downstairs
The biggest, brightest comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe all in one huge show, staged in the famous Udderbelly. A one-stop shop for your comedy fix right in the beating heart of the festival. Every show sold out since 2017! Previous performers have included Jason Byrne, Nina Conti, Phil Wang, Fern Brady, Ivo Graham, David O'Doherty, Sam Campbell, Joanne McNally, Larry Dean, Amy Gledhill, Ian Smith, Flo & Joan, Olga Koch and Ahir Shah. Every weekend – Friday and Saturday nights. Nightly line-ups available at UnderbellyEdinburgh.co.uk.
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
Eli just became the first ever New Zealander to move to London, after applying for the "youth" visa on the last possible week he was eligible. He's ready to be a star and the only things in his way are his age and the impending apocalypse. From his brief ballet career to the lofty heights of performing at Dining In The Dark, Eli is ready to share it all to win you over... including the horrific story of his first visit to a gay sauna. **** (Chortle.co.uk). **** (Everything-Theatre.co.uk).
Assembly George Square
The Crate
I told my manager I wanted to write a show about dead dogs, and she said 'oh god' but that's not really my problem, it's her job to market it. This show isn't sad, you will leave feeling good. I promise. Thinking about asking my vet for a refund on the euthanasia just to see what happens. 'Holland is an act in absolute mastery of her craft' ****(Scotsman). 'A whirlwind of comedy, chaos, and charm' **** (ThreeWeeks).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Four
Believing themselves to be revolutionary leaders, two overconfident artists attempt to liberate the masses through the power of theatre. Ethan & Gigi are here to upstage fascist pigs and break legs (literally). The revolution will not be televised, it will be live! Alt-comedian legend Chris Gethard says: 'These kids are funny, brave, some of the hardest workers I've ever met and also might be legitimately unwell in a mental sense. Either way, huge fan. Restores my faith and makes me believe in the connective power of comedy.'
Underbelly Cowgate
Big Belly
'Everything a science show should be, and more!' ***** (SeesawMag.com.au). 'Brings science to life!' **** (List). 'A top pick for kids who love science!' **** (EdinburghFestivalsForKids.com). The maddest of mad scientists, Magnus Danger Magnus, is back! Chaotic mayhem abounds in this stunningly stylish STEM show with 10 times the spectacle and 20,000 times the voltage of the science classes at school! Whether you're a science fanatic or just looking for a wildly fun family day out; this high-octane show delivers educational entertainment at its absolute best!
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
FLIGHT is an immersive audio experience in complete darkness, inside a shipping container with an interior exactly resembling a full-scale plane cabin. Exploring the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics, the experience unfolds across two parallel realities and two possible outcomes to the same journey. FLIGHT explores the unsettling idea that more than one version of the present may exist simultaneously: there are many worlds in which this plane lands safely.
Assembly George Square
Darkfield FLIGHT
The Fuccbois are the world’s biggest boyband. They’ve sold more tickets and broken more hearts than anyone, but now it’s time to say goodbye to their frosted tips forever; they’re done. From award-winning writer Bridie Connell, FUCCBOIS: LIVE IN CONCERT is a massive comedy-boyband-extravaganza. It’s an irreverent satire of toxic dating culture, but most importantly: the music is banging. 'Perhaps the most fun you’ll ever have in a theatre’ ****½ (TheStateoftheArts.co.uk). 'Hilarious from the opening minute… comedic brilliance!’ ***** (GlamAdelaide.com.au). ‘This show made me laugh like no other… pure genius!’ ***** (Advertiser, Adelaide).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Two
Award-winning drag thing Fanny Bleach brings you The Nearly Naked Show, a Mighty Boosh and Leigh Bowery mash-up, full of guts and glitter. This fantastical freak show is a reclamation of the naked body in all its gory glory. Join cabaret, drag, performance art and comedy star Fanny on a journey through the universe of her mind in all its creepiest corners and crevices, but please try to keep your hands inside the ride. 'A parade of chaos, craft and c*ntery' (Narc 'Face Acting Heaven' Narc).
Assembly Roxy
Downstairs
Written and performed by Fempath (Mari Moriarty), this kaleidoscopic cabaret features original music and lyrics from trans icons and their adversaries. The show explores queer history, bathroom politics, deepthroating, tarot, Alzheimer's disease, sexual assault, PTSD, immigration, fascism, addiction, disability and Kim Petras. So whether you’re a fan of piano, witches or phallic fruit, come join the party! From saints to slags, trans folk are never just one thing and neither is this cabaret!
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dexter
Co-commissioned by Sadler's Wells. A brand-new Flamenco comedy show where comedy and physical theatre blend beautifully with the world of Flamenco, offering audiences from around the globe a whole new way of enjoying this universal art form. An energetic, inventive, funny, and downright wild take on Flamenco, full of visual gags, world-class dance and live music where traditional styles meets modern genres like rock, pop, hip hop and house. From Sadler's Wells and Yllana, the team who brought you the ***** Edinburgh Fringe hit A Comedy of Operas, comes a Flamenco show like you've never experienced before.
Assembly Rooms
Music Hall
Eva’s falling through time. We join her as she struggles to piece together her reality following the crash that changed everything. Fractured is a story about memory, shame and grief. It’s about the little bad things that inexorably lead to the big bad thing. It’s about the magnetism of the past to anyone refusing to face it. Don’t miss the trippy, pacy Edinburgh Fringe debut play from Bill Cashmore Award-winning writer Shona Graham (Lyric Hammersmith, Old Vic Theatremakers, London Library).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Dancer
Step into the joyful and absurd world of Francisco de Nata. A giraffe. In a G-string. With a job to do. In this silent clown show featuring audience interaction, puppetry and yes, a very special Portuguese custard tart, Francisco invites you on a playful journey where nonsense, vulnerability and wonder take centre stage. Tasked with painting a ceiling, his world soon unravels into beautiful chaos, but as the clock ticks and the paint dries, a tender and ridiculous story unfolds about this giraffe's love for his Avó (grandma). Will it come together before time runs out?
Underbelly Bristo Square
Clover
Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and modern, normal person mines for LOLs in her sophomore solo show. A brave and landmark briefing on the most hilarious topics of all: ageing, Vinted and AI. Never heard of her? She's the absolute and total and main star of these things: Jurassic World: Dominion, Wonka, One Day (Netflix), Mash Report (BBC Two), Smoggie Queens (BBC Three), Deep Cover (Amazon), Lazy Susan (BBC Three). Still never heard of her? Shortest half of sketch-duo Lazy Susan: 'Outrageous and irreverent' **** (Guardian). 'Bright and bountiful, barely wastes a word' (Times).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dexter
Catch a glimpse of the next big thing at Dance Base’s Fringe Fragments. An industry pitching platform open to audiences, Fringe Fragments spotlights dance makers from Scotland and around the world as they share 15-minute excerpts of tour-ready performances
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
Frisky and her incredible band return after their five-star smash-hit Frisky’s Reshuffle. Missed it last year? You missed Heavy-Metal Madonna, Opera WAP, DrumnBass Candle in the Wind. Come play Remix Roulette with us. Any song. Any style. You decide. 'Bold, brilliant, and utterly unmissable' (LondonTheatreDoc.com). 'Eccentric, hilarious, and outrageously entertaining' (SuzzisSpotlight.com). 'Genre-bending, audience-driven and laugh-out-loud funny' (TheReviewsHub.com).
Assembly Rooms
Bijou
GULP! is an absurd physical comedy where an ordinary morning spirals into a full lifetime love story between Henry and his breakfast. He wants an entire life with his new wife, but she’ll be overripe by dinner. Whimsically imaginative, GULP! is a boy-meets-banana clown show that audiences are calling 'wildly inventive', 'surrealist' and 'unexpectedly heartfelt'.
Assembly Roxy
Snug Bar
After surviving hospital stays, a sick cat, and a nerve-wracking stint on Dancing with the Stars, Gearóid Farrelly returns with No Pressure. In this candid and hilarious hour, he unpacks the chaos of modern life with his trademark wit. He reflects on life's absurdities, the struggle of self-care, and the freedom of embracing imperfection. Hailed as 'a solid and consistent hour of great stand-up' (ThreeWeeks), 'an incredible performer' (BroadwayBaby.com), he's also been called 'bloody hilarious' by Sarah Millican and 'my absolute favourite' by Joanne McNally. Don't miss this sharp, life-affirming night.
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Five
Geoff Norcott (Would I Lie to You?, News Quiz, Have I Got News For You) is ending his biggest UK Tour yet at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August. He'll take on life, politics and being a bloke in his trademark playfully provocative style. Only this time he's willing to admit what a judgy person he's become in middle age. This might not be the show for you if you wear dressing gowns after 9am or play music out of your phones on public transport. **** (Times).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Ermintrude
Georgia Polly-Taylor: Very Hot. Very Messy. takes you on a grungy gondola trip through the kaleidoscopic sewers of celebrity. We find wannabe socialite model, Hot Mess, at her first ever MET Gala – poses are struck, bowels are loose and dreams are crushed faster than you can say nepotism. Part absurd clown, part catwalk diva: Georgia Polly-Taylor's remarkably eccentric character celebrates the often disastrous reality of being human. 'Audiences bellow with laughter... tears streaming down their faces' ***** (Everything-Theatre.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Laugh
Theatre adult celebrates the theatre kid in all of us, from first auditions to final bows, as performer and comedian Gianmarco Soresi, takes you on a hilarious journey through the highs and pitfalls of a life on stage. Enjoy stand-up, crowd work and even a showtune or two.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Cowbarn
Les Foutoukours return to Edinburgh with Glob, a circus adventure like no other! Without a single word, two lovable characters tumble, glide and soar through the unknown. Join them as they discover a world that is tender, magical and wonderfully absurd. They’ll make you laugh, gasp and cheer – all while tugging at your heart. For anyone who needs the world to slow down just a little, Glob is a wordless journey where emotion speaks louder than words. Perfect for all ages, it will delight and enchant audiences, young and old. Don’t miss this unforgettable ride!
Underbelly Bristo Square
McEwan Hall
Australian comedy's number one autistic glamourpuss is back in Edinburgh with a banging hour of trademark Jarvis oddball stand-up. She's getting dragged backwards through a hedge and onto stage to perform some brand-new carefully crafted, deceivingly dark and genuinely funny stand-up comedy about the cruelty of reality TV, the cultural distrust being perpetrated by fairy floss flavoured vapes and the collapse of the social contract. There's something, if not for everyone, then for a large spectrum of freaks. One of Rolling Stone's 12 Must-See Comedy Shows at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025.
Underbelly George Square
The Wee Coo
Grace has a massive head. Physically. Not egotistically. Grace dares to tackle a controversial topic – is it an insult to tell a woman she looks like her Dad? From her toddler niece getting a boyfriend before her to embracing millennial women’s religion (going woo woo) to her Dad’s memory slipping and Grace’s big face being the only one he recognises. This warm and laugh-out-loud show is about parents, identity, and finding joy in the things you can’t escape. 'Guaranteed floor-to-ceiling laughs' (BeyondTheJoke.co.uk). 'Her writing is razor sharp' (One4Review.co.uk). Support for Joanne McNally.
Assembly George Square
The Box
Gutter is London's sell-out underground comedy night, making its Fringe premiere. Hosted by a vicious bouffon troupe – 'a little bit nasty' (Philippe Gaulier) – who crawl out of a bin to run the show. A world of clowning, drag and alternative cabaret, with a rotating line-up of stand-out and emerging performers. Each night draws the audience in, then insidiously turns on them. Chortle Award nominated for Best Alternative and Clowning. Created by Tom Greaves (Fudgey: Best Reviewed Shows 2024, Comedy.co.uk). Late-night comedy that refuses to behave.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Friesian
Probably shouldn't have given everything away in the title. Like most people I've been trying to figure out how the worst dickheads have taken over everything. So I've read three books (one was a graphic novel) and listened to five audiobooks (AT NORMAL SPEED) to try and figure out WHAT THE F*CK IS GOING ON? Credits to impress my mum: New Zealand Today (Netflix), Taskmaster NZ, Guy Montgomery's GuyMont Spelling Bee. ***** (ThreeWeeks). **** (Chortle). **** (Skinny).
Assembly Roxy
Upstairs
The five-star, sell-out, musical-comedy cabaret Guys Sing Dolls is back at the Fringe! Four professional male vocalists (and Neil, the pianist from Pilton...) attempt to perform some of the most iconic diva anthems of all time from music, movies and musical theatre. Guys Sing Dolls is back with more stories, laughter and singing that will get your hands clapping, feet tapping and leave you singing in the streets. 'Songs are interspersed with some comedic segues, with plenty of anecdotes and self-deprecating humour... a camp and theatrical extravaganza with a huge amount of heart' (TheatreandTonic.co.uk).
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
Edinburgh award-winning five-star legend Gyles is back! In his new show the 'wildly funny' (Daily Mail) former-MP and Just A Minute, Celebrity Gogglebox, QI, and This Morning star is unpacking his childhood memories (and yours) and sharing hilarious stories of the best (and worst!) moments of his unlikely life – when he can remember them. This is Gyles ('A master raconteur', Telegraph) with a Rosebud twist – because he's being joined on stage by his friend Harriet Jaine, the producer of his multi-million download podcast, Rosebud. Laughs. Tears. Songs. Name-dropping guaranteed. 'Genius' (Sunday Times).
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
'Harvey Cobb is a born performer, a funny and idiosyncratic improvisational talent' (De Volkskrant). After a wild goose chase for European citizenship, he will be returning to the UK with his debut show – a chaotic and hilarious hour filled with pink boot juggling, ridiculous characters, silly songs, contemporary art, and one Alcoholic Sock Puppet. A Fringe debut not to be missed.
Underbelly Cowgate
Big Belly
Following the hugely successful Hello Birds in 2025, Bran and Tor are back and joined by new friend Piper for a day out at the beach. Who will we meet on our seaside picnic? An interactive multi-sensory storytelling show for 0-2 years, featuring puppetry, singing and key-word signing. Written by Jasmine Cole. Directed by Connie Crosby. Music and Lyrics by Connie Crosby and Hannah Platts. Key-Word Signing supported by Arthur's Club.
Assembly George Square
The Crate
The ultimate Fringe Party is back!! Sold-out since 2012, Hot Dub Time Machine returns to the heart of the Fringe for 8 intimate shows. Boogie through time with 100% BANGERS from 1970-2026. Huge, happy crowds all over the world agree: this is the Best. Party. Ever
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
House of Life is back. One part sermon. One part purge. Three parts party. 'The show that turns strangers into friends' (Lyn Gardner) is ready to cure your existential dread with a glittering blast of collective joy. This five-star, feel-good sensation is the most fun you'll ever have in a theatre. Led by the glitter-clad, beat-dropping RaveRend, this genre-defying night of music, movement and communal healing has been scientifically proven to make you feel 100% never sad again. **** (Guardian). ***** (PlayBill.com). ***** (Telegraph).
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
Two bananas wake up duct-taped to the wall of an art gallery. Three artists, two auctions, one audience. Get ready to bid! An award-winning clown-fruit mash-up about making art, surviving and chasing mass a-peel. In a world that values youth, perfection and mass production, can two bruised bananas go the distance? Ripe with potential, can they find their place before they're put up for sale? Find out how starving these artists truly are. Winner of the Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award and nominated for Best in Theatre, 2025. 'Clowning at the 11th level of intensity' ****1/2 (TheatreThoughtsAus.com).
Underbelly Cowgate
Iron Belly
For nearly 20 years, Rev Derek Gritt has brought a little bit of holy into Britain's homes with his TV show At Your Service – now only available online (which is FINE!). Mega-fan Jane Plemley's last wish was to have her funeral delivered by the Reverend, so this week he's heading to the quaint village of Godsby-Upon-Treen. As usual, he'll lead the service, chat church and answer your burning questions. Except the ones about Jane. She's NOT a witch. From the creator of cult Fringe hit Hot Rubber. ***** (BroadwayWorld.com)
Underbelly Cowgate
Iron Belly
A new collaboration by choreographer Karl Jay-Lewin and composer Matteo Fargion. If I Can’t Dance I’m Not Coming reframes Fritz Lang’s 1927 masterpiece Metropolis, translating silent cinema into a rigorous choreographic score. Performed by an eclectic ensemble of eight, the work rejects virtuosity in favour of dignity, threading humour, rebellion and flashes of tenderness through a democratic creative process. Extending Jay-Lewin and Fargion’s acclaimed Extremely series, the work resonates with quiet political force. www.MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
On the motionless nights of the Karst summer, a call crosses the dark: keu... keu... The scops owl sings, hidden among branches, revealing itself only through its voice. From this image, Compagnia Bellanda shapes a visceral duet on love's fragile threshold – between desire and control, tenderness and aggression, guidance and surrender. Rooted in breaking and evolving into intimate partnering, the choreography entwines bodies, breath and stripped language. Sound is amplified, fractured, returned as memory. Suspended between choice and destiny, the performers inhabit a space where empathy resists rupture and a single word may alter two lives.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
Back for a fourth year and officially a Fringe favourite, Impromptunes returns with their signature musical mayhem. You suggest a title and seconds later the curtain rises on a brand-new musical, performed for the first, last and only time. Everything is made up on the spot – songs, scenes and choreography unfold before your eyes as Australia's finest improvisers create a full musical packed with hijinks, harmonies and hilarity. It's unrehearsed. It's unpredictable. It's a whole lot of fun. It's Impromptunes! 'Outrageously funny' ***** (TheatrePeople.com.au).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Ermintrude
Comedians Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh and a guest wine expert guide you through five wine tastings and at least five jokes. Returning after two sellout Edinburgh Fringe seasons, direct from a residency on the Las Vegas Strip! Everyone from savvy sauvignon swiggers to clueless chardonnay chuggers will find something to make their glass half full, as the wine industry's hardest-hitting questions are answered. Ticket includes five tastings, with an alcohol-free option. 'Quick-witted humour and slick pace' ***** (EdinburghGuide.com). 'Sips and wit... a night of imbibing and chortling!' (Las Vegas Review-Journal).
Assembly Rooms
Bijou
The gripping dark comedy of an ambitious Black accountant fighting for a seat at the table in the high-stakes world of Wall Street. Shortlisted for the Popcorn Writing Award, the show follows a man torn between love, family expectations, and the relentless pursuit of success, as he navigates power, class, and identity in a system never built for him. How far will he go to survive... and who will he become in the process? 'Degraft is marked as a star of the future' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'It’s a privilege to watch a young master at work' ***** (TheRealChristparkle.com).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Daisy
One man. Twelve ironing boards. One epic soundtrack. Get ready to be amazed as physical comedian Jody Kamali masterfully transforms everyday household items into the tools of a Hollywood-style, action-packed movie. With heart-pounding moments and emotional depth, this show thrilled audiences during its packed-out Fringe runs in 2024 and 2025 earning numerous standing ovations. There's gunfire, there's a wedding, there's more gunfire and there's revenge – plus plenty of laughter along the way. 'Demands applause' (Scotsman). 'Astonishing' (DarkChat.co.uk). 'Unapologetically mindless' (Guardian). 'Wonderfully "fringe-y" Fringe show' (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Slapstick and delightful' (One4Review.co.uk).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Ermintrude
I, Jack Ansett (Taskmaster NZ), am making my Edinburgh Debut! Please come! I'd also like to take this opportunity to plug a young up-and-comer Sam Campbell, who I think could do really well in the UK market if he can get in front of enough people. Yes, you'd rather buy tickets to the big acts, McIntyre, Minchin, Jack Ansett – but it is always good to take a shot on a lesser-known face.
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Four
A show by Jack about jokes. Who doesn't like jokes? If your answer to that question is 'Me!', then steer well clear of this show. Celebrating 40 years in standup comedy, Jack takes us on a memoir of all his favourite old stories. Jokes and funny anecdotes have intrigued Jack for as long as he can remember. Now he has assembled the best of them to form a new show that offers a glimpse of the influences that led him into and helped shape his comedy career. Guaranteed no new material.
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
BAFTA winner and recovering spoken-word artist Jack Rooke (Creator of Hulu/C4's Big Boys), revives his debut comedy-theatre hour, a decade on from its first Fringe run. Featuring the original show (co-written with his nan) and new content, this retrospective explores grief, milking having a dead dad for personal/professional gain, the innocence of writing just for oneself before the interference of "telly wankers", and the palpable regret of his own decline into becoming said "telly wanker". Directed by Gabriel Bisset-Smith. 'Good Grief 2.0 [is] a delightful and still affecting watch' (Guardian). 'Engaging, frank, humorous' (New York Times).
Underbelly Bristo Square
McEwan Hall
'Hi James, We're finding audiences don't really want trauma right now. Would you consider something punchier? Warmly, The Industry.' NextUp's Biggest Award in Comedy nominee, James Barr is back with a brand-new show! A comedian and broadcaster on Hits Radio, he is the storyteller behind one of the most talked-about shows of Edinburgh Fringe 2025, Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex To My Mum). British Comedy Guide's Best Reviewed Shows of Edinburgh Fringe 2025. ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Show longlist, British LGBT Awards 2025 Top 10 LGBTQ+ Public Figure.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dexter
Direct from London's West End and an unprecedented run of sold out shows in theatres around the world – a show that guarantees to leave you aching with laughter and dizzy in disbelief. Presented by James Phelan, the first magician in history to sell out a two week solo run at The Magic Circle. Join us for the most astonishing and impossible night of magic.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Beauty
Jason Byrne is back and “Byrning” brighter than ever, celebrating 30 glorious years of stand-up with his brand-new show, 30 Years Byrning. Byrne delivers a riotous night of high-energy storytelling, surreal tangents and unstoppable laughter. From razor-sharp observations to gloriously unhinged audience interaction, brave improvisation, that has made Jason a festival favourite for three decades. This anniversary special is a hilarious return to props and stunts of the past decades, a fearless leap forward and a masterclass in pure comic mayhem. Do not blow it by missing this show, get tickets early, it makes sense.
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
Have you ever been in love? From the loins of multi award-winning goofball, Jeromaia Detto (Australia), the disarmingly charming Giuseppe Alfresco is desperate to finally find connection and fall in love. Winner Best Comedy Weekly Award – Adelaide Fringe 2026. 'Laughter therapy' ***** (@ThePerthDiary, Instagram). 'Magical evening of big-hearted humour' ***** (SeeDoEatReview.com). 'An abs workout and total laugh' **** (List). Praise for previous work: Winner of People's Choice Award, Sydney Fringe 2025. Judge's Pick (Comedy) – Melbourne Fringe, 2024. Winner of Best Comedy Weekly Award – Adelaide Fringe, 2024.
Underbelly George Square
Buttercup
Elton John's greatest hits are reimagined by multi award-winning Jess Robinson (Dead Ringers, The Last Leg), renowned for her pitch-perfect impressions. Celebrating Elton through the voices of iconic women: Britney, Barbra, Amy, and more, Jess returns for her 10th Fringe with her 'dazzling vocals and wickedly sharp impressions' ***** (BroadwayWorld.com). ***** (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine). ***** (Edinburgh-Reviews.co.uk). ***** (StageDoorJoe.co.uk). ***** (Edinburgh Evening News). **** (List). **** (Fest). **** (Chortle.co.uk). 'It's like a mega concert with all your favourite stars' (ITV1). 'Naturally funny, pitch perfect' (Telegraph).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
Mary Floppins has cracked the sh*ts. Wipe the wee from the toilet seat and pick up your dirty undies, because the perfect nanny is back to teach all you little boys – and girls – a thing or two about running a prim and proper household. Hailed 'a rising star and quadruple threat' (TheSpyInTheStalls.com) and returning after a completely sold-out Edinburgh Fringe run in 2025, Jessica Barton combines a spoonful of song, dance, clowning and deep-cleaning to present a skanky and empowering comedy debut. Newly directed by Dan Wye.
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Button
Jewish Plot is a shape-shifting work of meta-theatre by Torrey Townsend. What begins as a witty reconstruction of a fictional Victorian melodrama about antisemitism fractures in real time, erupting into a searing contemporary reckoning with Jewish identity, politics and inheritance. Fierce, funny and unflinching, the play asks what it means to create – and to belong – amid historical trauma and present-day violence. Following a sold-out New York premiere and recognition by Vulture as one of 2025’s Top 10 Plays in New York City, Jewish Plot is daring, urgent theatre at its most alive.
Assembly Rooms
Drawing Room
You're invited to Jill's Tupperware Party. A perfect world where plastic lids click, smiles almost never falter and microwaves hum with divine purpose. Jill's Tupperware Party is an auspicious afternoon where sales records, hearts and bones could all be broken. This interactive comedy-horror blends retro suburban camp with B-movie terror all sealed in a pastel fantasy. Come join the party. What's the worst that could happen? You're in the company of friends...
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Laugh
After his father's sudden death, Jody digs through his belongings, uncovering the man he thought he knew. Suddenly, he's back for one hour to tell us who he was. Playing both himself and his father, Jody unpicks his Dad's bizarre life in a thoughtful, funny theatrical solo show about grief, secrets and the contradictions within us all. From the creator of the fringe hit Ironing Board Man: 'Makes every individual moment entertaining' (Stage). 'A genius for storytelling' (GetYourCoatsOn.com). 'Astonishing' (DarkChat.co.uk). 'Demands applause' (Scotsman).
Assembly George Square
The Crate
Death penalty defense attorney Josh Pickar debuts a high-energy hour of stand-up and clown. From a stripper who accidentally stopped executions to a suicidal groundhog, Getting Off offers a darkly hilarious look at the bizarre theatre of capital punishment.
Assembly Roxy
Snug Bar
A comedy about false eyelashes and the truth that sizzles beneath: with the signature wit that's made them a staple of downtown New York, Sayre celebrates the stylish women of yesteryear and forges a path towards being the witty, wonderful, fabulous and foul-mouthed dame they've always dreamed they'd be. To Sayre, being a 40-Year-Old Woman is more than candles on a cake; it's a way of being fully yourself. Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a hilarious ride!
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dairy Room
Winner, Best LGBTQIA+ Edinburgh Fringe Award (List). An unexpected call from a library derails a performance planned by newly arrived drag artist Goody Prostate, booked to headline the local reading hour. But as they race against the clock to scramble together a new act in real time, they spiral into a chaotic interrogation of childhood, memory and a long overdue examination of what it means to grow up. The library is open – sit down, be quiet and listen. Because sometimes, reading is what? Fundamentalist. ***** (List, BingeFringe.com, TheatreWeekly.com, AYoungishPerspective.co.uk, WhatsTheShow.com.au, SeeDoEatReview.com).
Underbelly Cowgate
Big Belly
What is the most powerful force in the universe? You may be closer to it than you realise. In this thrilling new show, magician-scientist Kevin Quantum explores the hidden forces that shape your world. Electricity crackles, reality bends and impossible moments unfold that feel both scientific and otherworldly. Trained by Penn & Teller and winner of Best Magic (Adelaide Fringe), expect raw, unfiltered magic from a world-class showman. 'Astonishing' ***** (Edinburgh Evening News). 'Defies imagination' ***** (Advertiser, Adelaide). 'Unfathomable' **** (Scotsman). Think you know what's real? Think again.
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
One of Ireland's most exciting new comedy stars returns with a brand-new show. After his sell-out UK and Ireland tour in 2025 including a total sell-out run at the Edinburgh festival Killian is back with Killian Dollar Baby. Killian is one of the biggest stars of Irish sketch comedy with a huge online following. He is also one part of the award-winning Young Hot Guys podcast.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Jersey
Krapp's Last Tape is a journey through an old man's life, filled with hilarious memories and hopes for the future, coupled with the mourning of lost love and unfulfilled ambition. This production, directed by Academy Award nominee Stockard Channing and starring David Westhead, tours globally throughout 2026/27. Revel in Samuel Beckett's classic play, as audiences are invited into Krapp's world of solitude, memories, dreams, elation and despair. Post-show 15-minute Q&A on selected dates noted with a 65-minute runtime.
Assembly Roxy
Upstairs
Terry's back from the dead and he's brought a chat show with him Featuring interviews with "real" celebrities and accompanied by a live band. Previous guests include: George Lucas, Ray Parker Jr, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Liza Minelli, DB Cooper, Tim Henman, Scarlett Johansson and several different Michael Caines. Every night one lucky member of the audience will give Terry £5000. Terry Wogan is a recipient of a KBE / dead. 'A clever late-night romp' **** (Telegraph). **** (Mervyn Stutter's Pick of the Fringe).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio One
Ancient myths. Modern questions. International multi award-winning artist and singer-songwriter Cheeyang Ng blends Chinese mythology, memory and queer legacy in the electrifying solo ritual musical Legendary, a life-affirming tale of queer joy and identity. Through communal song and the retelling of ancient myths, they explore their relationship with family, tradition and the stories that have shaped them, but never reflected them. In the beginning, there was a god named Pan Gu and a ravishing goddess named Nü Wa. A global internet sensation, Legendary doesn't just tell a story: it invites the audience to create one. 'Extraordinary' (Jason Robert Brown).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Friesian
Ping-ponging between campfire storytelling and psychedelic, gut-punching folk-rock, Live From The Afterlife is a solo piece by Charlie Kilgore about time, hitchhiking, surviving a terminal illness, and anal.
Assembly Roxy
Roxyboxy
MC Hammersmith is posh West London's leading freestyle rapper, with 500 million views online. He presents his new show: Ice Ice Nepo Baby. When MC Hammersmith turned 18, his parents (MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice) shockingly revealed he was adopted. His two famous dads helped him ascend to the top of the rap game. He now embarks on a quest to find his biological family, the only way he knows how: by performing an hour of improvised hip hop comedy based on audience suggestions. Lightning-fast raps, explosively funny rhymes, and utterly captivating genealogical investigation!
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Three
Before he was the Bard, he was just Will… with a problem: his publisher will only print one of his plays. With Puck as instigator, Lear, Cleopatra, the Macbeths and more of Shakespeare’s greatest characters erupt into rebellion in a chaotic race to become the chosen tale. Pop musical comedy meets absurdist theatre in this riotous story of ambition, ego and the birth of a legend.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Cowbarn
Featuring Fran Healy of Travis and more special guests! Making Love with David Magidoff is in the middle of a three-year sold-out run in Los Angeles and is proud to make its Edinburgh debut! Each night David Magidoff (Dexter) interviews a celebrity about a real love story, then he and his improviser friends turn it into a fully improvised musical. Past guests include Tony Hale (Veep), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), and Oscar Nuñez (The Office). You never know who will show up! 'Making Love is Hilarious!' (Alex Horne, creator of Taskmaster).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Two
Lights! Cameras! Maggie! Mrs Thatcher goes to Hollywood to play herself in a musical remake of the Iron Lady and a Prime MiniSTAR is born! Will Maggie pull herself up by her bra straps or be trampled down by the man? And will she find a moment to ugly-cry so she can win an Oscar? A drag musical romp from the producer of Unfortunate and Olivier Award-winners behind Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder. 'Hilarious camp with political punch' **** (Times). ***** (Attitude.co.uk).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
From comedian Mark Vigeant (whose last Fringe hour became a special on Dropout TV) comes a wildly inventive character-comedy hour. Meet Larry: a burnt-out engineer on a mission to gain fame by livestreaming a survival adventure from the Alaskan wilderness. Armed with a camera, unshakeable optimism and questionable survival skills, he livestreams his journey into the wild. But when the wilderness pushes back, his mission spirals into chaos. Blending live video, immersive tech and fearless clowning, OUT THERE is a hilarious, unpredictable descent into ambition, delusion and the things we do to prove our lives matter.
Assembly Roxy
Downstairs
Second City Mainstage alums Ashley Blair and Drew Reilly are Megasquirt, an experimental comedy music project from Brooklyn. Fully Loaded is the unhinged hybrid concert/sketch show of your wet dreams – a high-octane flood of gay brain rot set to a sickening beat. Imagine being at an underground rave that is also hilarious and maybe illegal. That's the vibe. Featuring hit songs like Butt of the Bread, Gooning in the DJ Booth, Centaur Boyfriend and more! Come thirsty. Leave fully loaded.
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
Another hilarious and brilliantly entertaining satirical show from the online sensation behind the award-winning hit The Room Next Door. Packed with sketches and stories about having hope despite the current political and global shitshow. Featuring characters from his BBC Radio 4 show, No Room as well as some old friends too. ‘Huge comedy talent’ (Radio Times) **** (Guardian). **** (Daily Mail).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Three
New stand-up tour show from Mike Wozniak in which a story about a bench will be prominent. Previous experience of or strong opinions about benches not required. Let Mike worry about that. As seen on Taskmaster, Man Down and Junior Taskmaster. As heard on Three Bean Salad podcast.
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
The King is back! Mitch Benn resurrects Elvis from BBC Radio 2's legendary Steve Wright in the Afternoon show, to answer hunks of burning questions about life, death, cheeseburgers and everything in between... including the story of how Mitch managed to be possibly the most popular thing on the most popular show on British radio for over ten years, without anyone ever knowing it was him. If you have a question for Elvis, hit the QR code on the flyer or go to: mitchbenn.com/asking-elvis Thankyouverymuch. 'The country's leading musical satirist' (Times).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Jersey
Join Monski Mouse, and her super talented friends, for a live musical singalong cabaret of nursery classics, song, puppetry and bonkers fun for 0-5s and their parents/carers. All the big topics covered: elephants, fish, wiggly worms, transport and the existential ways of the toddler. 'Moments of utter beauty' ***** (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine). 'Monski shines bright, inviting us into a world of wonder' ***** (One4Review.co.uk). 'Delightful' **** (FamiliesOnline.co.uk). 'At the Fringe with a toddler? Recommend Monski Mouse Baby Cabaret' (@AlMurray). Nominated for Best Family Friendly show, WTF Best of Fringe Awards 2025.
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
Why toddle when you can dance? Join this must-do, award-winning, epic session of bopping, bonkers, beautiful fun. Expect high-energy smiling to retro beats and thumping nursery rhymes. Best of Kids Weekly Award winner, Adelaide Fringe 2024. Best of Kids Award nominee, Sydney Fringe 2022. Sold-out season Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. 'Best. Time. Ever' ***** (FamiliesOnline.co.uk). 'Deserves all the praise' ***** (One4Review.co.uk). 'This is what the experts meant when they said spend quality time together' ***** (GlamAdelaide.com.au). 'Tune after tune perfectly chosen for the youngsters' ***** (Edinburgh Evening News).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
It's 1943, and the Nazis are winning. Luckily America has one last trick up its sleeve – a super soldier! But uh oh! A moth snuck into the machine! It's mutating! It's becoming a... moth... man!? Written and performed by Alex Franklin (as seen on Channel 4 and HBO Max), Nikola McMurtrie (Sketch Off 2025 third place, Funny Women Shorts winner), Alex Prescot (Musical Comedy Award finalist) and Hudson Hughes (Double Sketch Off finalist). Prepare for the ultimate romantic comedy musical that no one asked for. Mothman! 'Incredibly funny' ***** (TheWeeReview.com).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Button
When Annie's parents offer her a life-changing sum to get married by 35, she can't refuse. Even if she definitely should. Part romcom, part social autopsy, this ‘relentlessly funny’ (Rosie Jones) new solo show satirises our obsession with ticking life’s boxes. Big-hearted, big-character storytelling about the cost of fitting in – and the freedom of opting out. Written and performed by Ellie Ross (BBC Radio 5 Live, i Paper's 50 Best Jokes of the Fringe, Leicester Square Theatre's SketchOff!), with direction from Liam Williams (Sheeps). ‘Bursting with big laughs’ (Jesse Armstrong; creator of Peep Show & Succession).
Assembly Roxy
Snug Bar
Don your deerstalker and grab your magnifying glass as this talented company use audience suggestions to create a hilarious improvised murder mystery. All you have to do... is solve it! Ms Gold poisoned at a synchronised swimming gala? Dr Blue exploded by cannon during a hot air balloon race? Professor Violet crushed to death at a Love Island recoupling? You decide! But will you guess whodunnit before the killer is revealed? 'A rip-roaring, side-splitting whodunnit' ***** (WhatsGoodToDo.co.uk) 'Outstanding performances delivered by a seriously talented cast!' ***** (ThreeWeeks).
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
The 'maddest, baddest show of the Fringe' (Daily Mail) is back and bigger than ever! Join Loki, Thor and the Norse Gods in this five-star groundbreaking blend of mythological storytelling and high-octane wrestling. Back for its fifth consecutive year at the Fringe, this 'knockout spectacle' (Telegraph) is a one-of-a-kind theatre experience unlike any other show in the world. A true cult classic of the festival, it sells out fast so move quickly! ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). ***** (LondonTheatre.co.uk). ***** (BingeFringe.com). **** (Telegraph). **** (Daily Mail).
Assembly Rooms
Music Hall
Noah's in charge, and you're all animals!! Embarking on his first cruise ship contract, newly single Noah flees his old life in search of stardom on the ark. Finding himself caught up in cosmic plans much larger and apocalyptic than he could have anticipated, he must find ways to keep the existential dread (and animal couples) at bay. Nathaniel Jones writes and performs in a Noah's Ark character comedy about a cappella, the apocalypse and stepping up at work. Directed by award-winning director Sam Smith.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Daisy
After a run at Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Naughty Cabaret is coming back to Edinburgh in 2026. A queer feminist extravaganza full of energy, absurdity and ridiculousness. 'Late night absurdity doesn't come much more fun than this' **** (ToDoList.org.uk). With an ever-changing line up of clown, character comedy, boyband, burlesque and more. Previous guest performers include Lorna Rose-Treen, Lara Ricote, Elf Lyons, Siblings, Ria Lina, Lucy Hopkins and Paulina Lenoir. Hosted by Anna Marie Simonsen and Marie Kallevik Straume, also seen in the 'irresistibly silly' **** (Guardian) clown comedy Troll.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Friesian
Nuns!: A medieval comedy created by Dog Complex Theatre in collaboration with globally acclaimed Police Cops. The Place: Bavaria. The Year: Medieval. The Teeth: Rotten. Sister Gertrude wants to be the holiest nun: forgoing sin, fearing desire, yet secretly wondering what lies beneath Monk Bertram’s robes… So when whispers of witches start to plague the convent, Gertrude teams up with mysterious witch-hunter Yarrow and sets forth to rid the world of devilry and naughty lustful thoughts. Expect action-packed physical comedy and an all-female soundtrack (except that one Evanescence song where the guy says 'wake me up').
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Five
It breaks your heart, an epic tragedy in miniature: two men, a couple of sacks and a crate, but their plight and their dreams rise before us in pathetic grandeur. Drilling into the heart of the famous John Steinbeck novella, Nigel Miles-Thomas' simple staging fully evokes its bleak compassion and harsh unsparing humanity. The story of the itinerant farmworkers, clever thwarted George and big, dumb Lennie, is conjured up, a fleck of individual love and pain in the Dustbowl America in the '30s.
Assembly Rooms
Drawing Room
Explore a microscopic universe from the Big Bang to the death of the stars in this multi award-winning, physical-theatre odyssey through deep space. A nonverbal, jelly-like performer plucks creatures from evolutionary history and pushes, bends and twists their body and the boundaries of physics, creating mind-bending comedy and entire worlds out of nothing. ***** (TheClothesline.com.au). ****½ (ArtsHub.com.au). This mesmerising work is the latest iteration of the Only Bones Project. Each version adheres to a simple set of rules: One performer, one light, no text, no set, no props, no narrative, all within 1m2.
Assembly Roxy
Downstairs
Operotica: The UK's premier kinky opera duo. Classically trained, fetish-approved and, as of yesterday, dead. Their bodies are cold, but their spirits are restless. Join psychic extraordinaire Séayoncé for a journey through Operotica's many past lives. From star-crossed nuns to 18th-century ladies-in-waiting, these theatrical reincarnations reveal the true purpose of history's horniest souls. Will their story of love after death be the greatest (and sexiest) ever told? Witness a haunting that will tear down the opera house and transport you through time.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dairy Room
Following their fan-favourite run at the Fringe last year, Out of the Blue are back again for their 22nd year with tighter harmonies, crazier choreography and enough high notes to reach the stratosphere! OOTB is Oxford University's internationally acclaimed a cappella group and, after jet-setting across the world earlier this year, are excited to return to their home turf to showcase new talent and new songs. Don't miss your chance to see these singers in action for an hour of incredible music with something for everyone, from Olivia Rodrigo to Jon Bon Jovi!
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio One
Who are we when we’re together? When we’re alone? When we fight for what we believe in? Dance Base's in-house company for dancers over 60, PRIME explores the ways in which we can support each other to keep going, fighting and overcoming obstacles and also when we choose to surrender and accept. We Are premiers new work from recently appointed Artistic Director Kally Lloyd-Jones and guest choreographer Malcolm Sutherland.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
Remember when people were excited for the future? With visions of jetpacks, friendly robots wheeling around and solar-powered bidets. Well, we don’t have visions like that anymore, do we? But the universe is not over. The light has not gone out. Here’s a candle in the dark. Contagious and whispering. And you can take it with you when you leave. A new stand-up show from pioneering alt-comedy hero and star of Cats Does Countdown. (ISH) Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Show winner, 2023. ‘Has the audience laughing so hard they’re about to leave their bodies’ ***** (Chortle.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Dancer
A powerful wordless work of masked physical theatre and puppetry with original music, exploring displacement and the immigrant crisis in America. Created from interviews and the lived experiences of an international ensemble, the piece uses masks, puppetry and poetic movement to illuminate border crossings, exile, the search for belonging and the barriers imposed by others. As hostility toward immigrants intensifies, this visually arresting performance moves beyond headlines to reveal deeply human stories of courage, loss and resilience. Urgent and intimate, it asks audiences to reflect on migration, memory and compassion in a nation shaped by arrivals.
Assembly Roxy
Central
Amna is a good Muslim daughter. Mostly. At home she’s modest, obedient, invisible. Online she’s PersianBaby – bold, flirtatious, watched. Pink Rabbit is a fierce, coming-of-age, darkly funny solo play about faith, female desire and the intoxicating power of attention. As Amna hides her OnlyFans from her strict mother, the lies start to fracture. Caught between mosque and male gaze, shame and thrill, she begins to ask: who is she performing for? Raw, intimate and electric, Pink Rabbit explores intergenerational and cultural conflict – and the dangerous moment when being seen finally feels better than being honest.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Daisy
A performance by Corpo Máquina's artistic director Guilherme Miotto for pole dance virtuoso Yvonne Smink. With a live soundscape from musician/composer Isaac Poels. Pole dancer Yvonne Smink won the Dutch pole dancing championships multiple times and is a rising star internationally. In Poles, Guilherme highlights Yvonne's impressive technical strength and allows for joy to radiate from her no-nonsense appearance. With her down to earth approach and healthy blush, Yvonne makes her way through the steel pipe construction. At the cutting edge of personal and public space, she delivers chilling moments of physicality and intimacy.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
The multi award-winning comedy blockbuster returns! With 20+ five-star reviews, globally acclaimed Police Cops bring back the show that started it all! Reloaded and supercharged for 2026, expect adrenaline-fuelled physical comedy, 80s bangers and uncompromising facial hair. Winner: Stage Award for Acting Excellence. Winner: Best Show, Toronto Fringe. Winner: Best International Show, Cape Town Fringe. Winner: Brighton Fringe Award For Excellence. ***** (WhatsOnStage.com). ***** (EdFestMag.com). ***** (Stage). ***** (TheatreWeekly.com). 'It's hip, radical, funny as f*ck and a work of towering genius' (Bill Nighy). 'It takes brains to be this dumb!' (Stewart).
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
A researcher from Scotland travels to Saint John, a remote British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific. Upon arrival, she finds the island is under the control of a growing religious cult. This discovery starts to shift her studies from the land to the people as the dangerous theology of the cult is revealed and the day of paradise approaches. Prophets is a brand new two-hander drama from Fringe First-winning writer Jack MacGregor that examines the intersection between faith and cult, an exploration of violent belief at the edge of the world.
Assembly Roxy
Roxyboxy
A contemporary butoh work, R/evolution(s) reimagines butoh for today while carrying its inheritance forward. It brings together Conan Amok – heir to the lineage of Dairakudakan, one of Japan's leading butoh companies – and contemporary dancers renewing the form from within. Grounded in Amok's 'multi layered body' method, developed through a fusion of butoh and sculptural practice, the work explores revolution as both orbit and radical transformation. Deep bass and wadaiko drums create a club-like ritual atmosphere, inviting audiences to encounter butoh anew. This work is part of Wings: International Dance Project by Dance Base Yokohama for Emerging Creators.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
As seen at Glastonbury – the show that turns into a rave is back. Toys"R"Us has shut its doors for good. Charlie and his mates are left jobless, skint and spiralling in a crumbling, bigot-led Britain. With nothing left to lose and nowhere left to go, Charlie has a vision. An abandoned warehouse. An abandoned nation. It's time to create a sanctuary. An escape. A rave. After playing Glastonbury Festival five times, sold out London's Vault Festival and sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe 2022. Now... it's coming back to Underbelly Cowgate. ***** (StageDoor.com).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Button
After the horror of being dumped by her boyfriend for the shiny new freshmen, wannabe queen bee Beth and her two unruly dorm-mates Mercy and Bo, spiral down a path of competitive obsession. When each of them discover their own unruly magical powers, pressure hits a boiling point, exploding into a surreal and haunting conclusion – a roller coaster ride into the secret world of girlhood: with all its ups and downs, twists and turns: alliances always shifting and personalities revealing themselves more and more each second.
Underbelly Cowgate
Iron Belly
Rob Auton performs a story he has written about being an estate agent on the planet Jupiter. 'A genuine original' (Guardian).
Assembly Roxy
Central
In 2024, Rob Duncan was named Printer of the Year. After 15 years in the industry, he was finally recognised as a pioneer in his field. This show is an hour of printing, celebrating his awards and debuting a new category of dramatic arts – performance printing. 'Brilliantly, hilariously stupid' (Frankie Boyle). 'Extraordinary' **** (Scotsman). 'Frigging maverick' ***** (ThreeWeeks).
Underbelly George Square
Bluebell
Robin Grainger returns to Edinburgh with another hysterical show about happiness. 'A masterclass in comedy... Fully deserves his place amongst the top echelons of current comedians.' ***** (TheRealChrisParkle.com). 'Non-stop energy, we the audience could barely catch our breath' ***** (One4Review.co.uk). 'Hilarious. An hour that's full of heart, delivered by one of the most likeable comics on the circuit' *** (List). Nominated for BEST Show (ISH) Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2025. Nominated for Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award in 2025 and longlisted in 2026.
Assembly George Square
The Crate
It's Roger Prick! The 1970s pornographer, erotic novelist and lecherous Casanova is back for 2026. Now it's time to relaunch his dirtiest novel, revised and edited for the feminist era. Bringing together character comedy, drag, time travel, cardboard props, drawings and all the sex of 70s Soho, this is an alternative comedy extravaganza. Han Whyte is a drag king, character comedian and Leicester Square Theatre Sketch Off finalist 2025. She participated in Soho Comedy Plus Lab in 2025. 'A soft porn Alan Partridge' (MorningStarOnline.co.uk). 'Archetype of puffed up machismo' (Chortle.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
Your chance to fall in LOVE with an award-winning couple! Chris and Robyn are newlyweds, but they spend every night on stage, with other people! So, they’ve invited the audience along for a comedy date. Stories about the open mic comedy scene, their biggest fights and so much more! NOMINEE: Best Newcomer at Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2025. WINNER: Comedy New Work Award at Melbourne Fringe 2024. 'Not only does Reynolds have a great voice, but she can also craft a catchy tune' ***** (Time Out). 'Chris absolutely slayed. Smart, sharp writing. A name to remember' **** (One4Review.co.uk).
Assembly Roxy
Snug Bar
SUCCUBUS follows a young woman whose body goes delightfully rogue as her appetite blooms, putting the men in menu. As she navigates medical shrugs, moral chaos and a dawning hunger for power, she discovers others thriving in the dark alongside her. This one-woman show revels in gore, pop-culture parody and unapologetic desire. A coming-of-rage fable with delicious heart, SUCCUBUS invites audiences to savour a richer, wilder vision of feminine possibility. A debut play written and performed by Georgina Collins, directed by Grainne Robson, produced by Halfway Productions.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dexter
Millennials like Jean grew up with Britney Spears. Over the course of an hour see how the princess of pop influenced Jean's life and how the connections shared between them lead to an unbelievable moment of self-discovery. Inspired by the #FreeBritney movement, the 2022 WhatsOnStage Award-nominated hit off-Broadway production is back to take an hilarious and heart-breaking look at celebrity obsession, sexuality and growing up in the early noughties: featuring more nostalgia than you can shake a Tamagochi at! 'Roushbaiani delivers a true masterclass' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com).
Underbelly George Square
Bluebell
Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2025 Most Outstanding Show nominee, Pinder Prize winner. Stranded in regional Victoria without medication for the first time in 12 years, Scout pulls out all the psychological stops to survive the worst night of their life. An exquisite, darkly funny retelling of a harrowing mental marathon through manic withdrawal; Scout imagines life in the Middle Ages, trawls the strange crevices of the internet, makes peace with their own mediocrity and (briefly) surrenders to God. Part storytelling, part stand-up, all raw and unflinchingly real. ***** (Time Out). **** (Chortle.co.uk). **** (List).
Assembly George Square
The Box
If you're after a thrilling, late night alternative circus, you've come to the right place! Sexy Circus Sideshow has been wowing audiences for 25 years globally. Recharged and reloaded for 2026. 3.0 Baby! Exotic acts that connect the underbelly of circus with the dark arts of fetish, burlesque and cabaret performance. A carnival cavalcade of saucy showgirls, sexy circus stunts, neurotic novelty and vaudeville variety at its very best! All-new show. A vibrant, colourful experience showcasing some of the weirdest and most wonderful talent in Edinburgh this year. Sell-out runs. Enough said?
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
The five-star, multi-sell-out, Fringe phenomenon is back! With its hilarious combination of an entirely serious adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet and an absolutely sh!t-faced actor! It just wouldn't be the Fringe without it. With a genuinely inebriated cast member each night, no two shows are ever the same in this raucous, riotous rampage through one of Shakespeare's darkest plays. This show features a rotating cast of the finest classically trained actors, partial nudity, foul language, acts of a sexual nature and actual Shakespeare. Please remember to always #EnjoyShakespeareResponsibly.
Underbelly Bristo Square
McEwan Hall
Baby Wants Candy's 2024-2025 total sell-out hip-hop hit returns! We improvise an epic musical based on a historical figure/celebrity of your choosing (Genghis Khan, Paul Hollywood, Kim Kardashian, anyone!). Just like Hamilton but (ahem) better! Expect the same level of hip hop, storytelling, stunning choreography and powerhouse singing, except made up on the spot. 'An absolute extravaganza, absolute pinnacle of improv. They freestyle lyrics that rival Lin-Manuel himself. Tremendously impressive, side-splittingly funny to the point oxygen becomes a luxury. Shamilton astounded me' ***** (Entertainment-Now.com). 'Brilliant' **** (Guardian). 'Cease and desist!' (Lin-Manuel Miranda).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio One
This nautical musical adventure starring a crew of West End wonder boys was the talk of Fringe 2025. Join us as we turn show tunes, rock classics and pop bangers into superb sea shanties and weave them into a joyous story. You will not want to miss the rib-tickling brilliance of the songs that we Shantify – the harmonies these boys produce will knock your socks off! Last year's show sold out and audiences raved about the show, so don't miss out on the hottest, funnest, shanty-est show at the Fringe!
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
The award-winning 3m follower sensation hits Edinburgh Fringe, taking McEwan Hall by storm! With unscripted masterpieces, unhinged performances and unstoppable self-confidence, see the most followed improvisers on Earth, before they make history this October as the first UK improv group to ever headline the Hammersmith Apollo. 'Pitched to perfection' ***** (TheReviewsHub.com). 'Jaw-achingly funny' ***** (BookmarksAndStages.home.blog). 'A hilarious hour... leaving you pleading for more' **** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Quick-witted and fast on their feet' **** (BroadwayWorld.com). 'Truly incredible' **** (LittleLarkofLondon.com). Recommended by The Herald, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out.
Underbelly Bristo Square
McEwan Hall
Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, Matt Anderson's Shotgunned is a relatable and intimate piece of theatre about how the people we lose can shape who we become. Described by The Stage as 'a cleverly composed, superbly performed, achingly moving two-hander'. ***** (Stage). 'Shotgunned is empathetic, heartfelt, and endearing all at once' (WestEndBestFriend.co.uk). Following a sold-out run in 2024, Shotgunned returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of the 2026 Made in Scotland showcase. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Five
Get in losers, Sophie is turning 29 (again!). Part circus spectacle, part comedy mayhem, and all-out 90s nostalgia, featuring world-class performers from Cirque du Soleil, La Clique, The 7 Fingers and more. Expect breathtaking acrobatics, outrageous surprises and a soundtrack that takes you straight back to the house parties that you never wanted to end. The twist: each night, one lucky guest is chosen to become Sophie. Grab your Walkman, dust off those scrunchies and act like it's your party because tonight... it might be! ´Funny, sexy and breathtaking' ***** (Scottish Sun). ***** (BroadwayBaby.com).
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Beauty
Cosmic Dance presents Space In Between, a compelling South Asian dance triple bill by Oxana Banshikova, Kirsten Newell and Abirami Eswar, exploring tensions between intention and outcome, self and society. Rooted in Bharatanatyam and Kathak and expanded through contemporary movement, three interconnected works unfold. Time Matters reflects on regret and imagined alternate futures, Duality delves into inner conflict and identity, and Unspoken Alignment examines personal and collective misalignment. Together, these pieces reveal unseen forces shaping our choices, relationships and sense of self, offering a powerful, emotionally layered performance experience.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets The L Word in this bittersweet, absurdist launderette meet-cute. Eyes lock. Hearts thump. Palms sweat. But something is off. Secrets of the past are whispered, hidden under the thrum of the washing machines – can what's forgotten be remembered? This OffWestEnd Award-nominated five-star Irish play examines the space between loving someone and not, forgetting and remembering, dirty and clean clothes. A seriously refreshing show on queer love, whirring memory and finding the truth in it all. ***** (AYoungishPerspective.co.uk).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Clover
Rub-a-dub-dub, The Dummies are back with their 'splashingly awesome adventure' (EdinburghFestivalsForKids.com) set to drown you in tears of laughter. Splash Test Dummies are here, ready to roll out their beach towels and spring into an hour of circus-filled hilarity for the whole family. See a brilliant array of catch-your-breath stunt work, acrobatics, juggling and the side-splitting, slapstick comedy for which the dummies are famous. Join the Dummies and come diving from bathtubs to beaches in this aquatic adventure! Winner of Best Children's Presentation, Adelaide Fringe 2020.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Lafayette
New York Times Top Comedy Pick (2021-2025), Edinburgh Fringe Sold Out Run (2017-2025). A raunchy and chaotic full-on fever dream, Stamptown is 80 minutes of pure spectacle featuring the most anarchic and wildly entertaining performance from around the world. Hosted by the bad boy of clown, Zach Zucker, this show has packed out rooms at Netflix Is A Joke, Just For Laughs, Glastonbury, SXSW, Lincoln Center, Edinburgh Fringe, Soho Theatre, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and Off-Broadway in New York City. Watch our Netflix special 3 ***** (Chortle.co.uk). **** (Guardian). * (Scottish Field).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
'You've tried everything. Yoga. Acupuncture. You floated in salt water in the pitch black dark. You juiced, you cleansed. You got a mattress that fitted itself to your foetal form. You ate only rinds for three days and nights. You reached out, you looked within. You have tried, and yet here you are.' So begins this new play by Olivier-nominated playwright John Kolvenbach. Jim Ortlieb delivers a tour-de-force performance as a man bent by isolation and deeply in love with the audience itself.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dairy Room
Award-winning Stefania Licari, expat and medic-turned-comic, promises to make the audiences a little bit more Italian, 10% sexier and 100% happier in her new show. After sell-out runs of her previous work at Edinburgh Fringe 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 Stefania has established herself as a rising star and one of the most exciting international acts in the circuit. This is your unique chance for comedy, pizza and endless love all rolled into an authentic Italian drama. 'A never-to-be-forgotten experience' (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Thoughtful and inspiring comedy' (LondonTheatre.co.uk).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Jersey
Captivate Theatre's five-star, vibrant, energetic, emotional sell-out production is in the Music Hall! By Stephen Greenhorn, the story follows Ally and Davy as they negotiate families, friendships and love in this funny and moving story featuring songs of The Proclaimers. 'Toe-tapping and filled with hometown love, Captivate Theatre's production of Sunshine on Leith... is fun and energetic.' (AllEdinburghTheatre.com). 'The show has found a very appropriate home at the Edinburgh Fringe, offering audiences a chance to see a musical that really reflects the spirit of city life' (KatMasterson.com).
Assembly Rooms
Music Hall
After a health scare at 44, Susie was on the path to a stress-free life... then her life came crashing down around her. Interspersed with hot flushes and the state of the world: it's been quite a year for this comic, but she is still standing and determined to have her say in Coming of Rage. 'I was blown sideways' (Billy Connolly). 'Susie McCabe is one to watch' (New York Times). 'This woman should be considered a national treasure' (Herald). 'Fearful, thoughtful, compassionate and warm stand up for Scotland's funniest woman' (Scotsman).
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
The hottest ticket of Fringe 2024 and 2025. Everyone's favourite ogre-inspired burlesque and drag parody is coming back to Edinburgh! Swamplesque is the award-winning, critically acclaimed, five-star rated burlesque parody show! 'The funniest burlesque show you'll ever see' (Lilithia.net). Prepare for a night filled with laughter, surprises and a touch of the risqué. Don't be green with envy – grab your friends and secure your tickets now for this hilariously naughty night out! 'Rarely have I been in a situation when a review is hard to write because it is such perfection' ***** (GetTheChance.wales).
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
'I've performed at countless birthday parties but never hosted one myself', confesses Lin Lu-Chieh, creator of 2025 Fringe treat Dazed and Confused. Now this charming, theatre-trained magician is doing just that and you're invited! He'll supply balloons, memories humorous or wistful, and plenty of exceptionally cool, gently interactive tricks, but asks you to look beyond the entertainment. Through an engaging mix of autobiographical stories and smooth sleight-of-hand, Lu reveals the poetry inside the illusion. All you need to bring is an open mind. You might just rediscover what magic really feels like...
Underbelly Bristo Square
Jersey
How do our bodies navigate a world in which boundaries and rules are constantly changing? Are there ways of finding closeness even in moments of separation? Could distance ever be seen and felt as a strength? A compelling tension between oneself and others underscores every moment of this captivating three-part quintet, beautifully brought to life by LEI Dance Theatre with Lao-French choreographer Olé Khamchanla. Intelligently blending traditional, contemporary and classical styles, it is an honest, imaginative and questioning dance about the way we live now.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
Hotly-tipped young choreographer Lai Yun-Chi (formerly a dancer with Shechter II and a member of Humanhood) is keen to uncover what lies beneath our layered personalities – the roles we play, the identities we choose, the faces we wear. Drawing upon ceremonial folk rituals, a battery of cross-cultural movement styles and practices and a family history of leathercraft, she and her company Mailantia present the UK premiere of a bold, intricate and brand-new steampunk-influenced quartet about concealment and transformation. Expect a unique and original mix of East-West sensibilities.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
Classical precision meets circus adrenaline in this genre-bending re-imagining of a violin concerto composed by Chloé Charody for The Freestyle Orchestra. Each musician doubles as an acrobat, uniting classical mastery, theatrical storytelling and breathtaking circus – where virtuosity literally takes flight. The whimsical, fairytale-like narrative traces the legend of the Phoenix – a mythical creature with the ability to be reborn through flame. This story of resistance and renewal underpins pertinent global themes, erupting with one of humanity's greatest weapons against oppression: hope.
Assembly Roxy
Central
Join professional science presenter, comedian and relentless buffoon Ted Hill for the world’s silliest science lesson. Expect fire, explosions and high-energy mischief, with a little bit of actual learning sprinkled in to make the grown ups happy. Will it be fun? Yes! Will it be educational? Maybe!
Assembly Roxy
Downstairs
Ted Hill invites you inside his strange and chaotic mind. Expect high-energy jokes, ridiculous visual effects and (funny) graphs. Ted’s always been weird, but now he has a new puzzle to solve: what kind of weird does he want to be? You’ll never see a sillier slideshow… ISH Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show nominee 2024, British Comedy Guide Recommended Show 2022, 2024, 2025. 'Genuinely hilarious' (BroadwayBaby.com). 'A comedian who struggles to make or maintain eye contact' (Chortle.co.uk).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Five
Gravity & Other Myths are back again with their international smash hit that sold out in 2025. Ten Thousand Hours. The creators of A Simple Space bring you an ode to the countless hours of sweat and joy needed to achieve great things. 'The level of thought, skill, and emotional courage on display is breathtaking' ***** (Scotsman). 'An awe-inspiring display of acrobatic brilliance' ***** (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine). 'A visual masterpiece of the human body in motion' ***** (StageWhispers.com.au). Get your tickets fast. This will sell out!
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
Ten audience members are randomly chosen from the crowd and can decide whether to step on stage or remain seated. Those who accept begin a new life and receive flowers representing their energy: year after year, they decide how to spend it. Love, ambition, security, risk. Every decision creates connections, encounters and conflicts, while the rest of the audience shapes the world around them. When the flowers run out, their life ends. Can they find happiness before then? A participatory, funny and deeply human theatre experience – different every day.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Cowbarn
A glittering horror-musical fantasia about Bette Davis battling ageism on the 1975 set of Burnt Offerings. Her loyal minion Don urges her to reclaim power as Oliver Reed drinks, Karen Black challenges the old order and daughter BD Hyman arrives with judgment and scripture. Amelia Earhart appears as an unlikely guide to dangerous ambition. A five-actor ensemble explodes through gossip columnists, demons and Hollywood legends in dizzying movement and transformation. Camp, dread and show-business vengeance collide in a theatrical fever dream about fame, ambition, motherhood and the brutal cost of being seen.
Assembly Roxy
Upstairs
'We don’t make mistakes, we have happy accidents'. Artist, animal lover and unlikely sex symbol Bob Ross brought art into the living rooms of millions with TV phenomenon The Joy of Painting. With his big heart (and even bigger perm) the paragon of casual Zen taught an entire generation to embrace their creativity. Following five-star An Evening Without Kate Bush (Best Cabaret, Adelaide Fringe), Young returns with a brand-new interactive, joyous show directed by Ali James. Original songs composed with Jordan Clarke. Unlock your inner Happy Little Tree and celebrate the enduring icon and his impact.
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
A glitter-soaked, pop-powered one-woman experience tracing the six steps of getting over heartbreak through live music, comedy, and immersive storytelling. Equal parts concerts, comedy and cabaret catharsis, with interactive moments and anthem-level energy.
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Four
The Durham Revue are on an expedition. An expedition for what you ask? An hour of raucous sketch comedy! The group that brought you Ed Gamble, Stevie Martin, Nish Kumar, Ambika Mod and more return. Dubbed Best Sketch Show by the Derek Awards last year, join the Durham Revue, one of the UK's top student comedy groups, for an hour of hilarious, cutting-edge sketches and laughs for everyone! 'Raucously funny with sublimely clever writing' (FringeBiscuit.co.uk ). 'The Durham Revue are back and wackier than ever' (Palatinate).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Dancer
An actor makes a deal with the devil. This new version of Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus features a rotating cast of brave guest performers taking on the challenges of a devilish ensemble. One problem... they've never rehearsed with the rest of the cast. The Faustus Project is funny, a little dangerous and an actor's worst nightmare. With a fresh victim every night, this will be the ultimate theatrical torture. Funny, dangerous, devilish. 'Uproarious' **** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Wonderfully silly fun' ***** (AllEdinburghTheatre.com). 'Camp, outrageous and utterly unexpected' ****½ (The Student).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Laugh
A visual feast of bubbles and flight – part gleeful chaos, part quiet meditation. Storytelling, sensory exploration, calming and delightful, this mesmerising show captivates all ages with wonder and joy. Fresh from a sell-out year at all Fringe Festivals, The Flying Bubble Show arrives back in Edinburgh with a spectacular fusion of bubble artistry, aerial movement and immersive theatre. All set against dazzling lightscapes and soaring movement with a beautiful soundtrack. Joyful, calming and unforgettable – this is bubble art as you've never seen it before.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Beauty
'...for a fun, family show, this is the show to see!' **** (Entertainment-Now.com). 'A rollicking rollercoaster ride!' ****½ (West Australian). The multi award-winning, sell-out smash hit is returning to Edinburgh for its seventh magical year, with whimsical wonders that the whole family will love! Plus, every child receives a free magic wand on entry! Perfect for kids aged 4-12, and just as fun for grown-ups, this is the feel-good family hit that combines high-end entertainment with heart. Tickets sell fast – so don't miss your chance to be part of the magic.
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
The water wars have bled our cities dry. Ecological catastrophe has ripped society's flesh clean to the bone. And there is little left of Western Civilization but a rancid husk. From the ashes, one man rises, in search of purpose – an advertising copywriter. And he's got no one left to pitch but himself. Now to save his own sanity, he'll have to rebrand the apocalypse. But the end of the world is a tough sell.
Assembly Roxy
Downstairs
The Australian cult comedy classic returns to Edinburgh after sell-out seasons at Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival. With six comedians performing nightly alongside their bespoke PowerPoint creations, this is a lineup show like no other. Hosted by agents of Microsoft Office chaos, Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh (creators of wine-tasting hit In Pour Taste), this wild late-night showcase features a rotating lineup of comedians putting the 'show' back into show-and-tell! 'Slide after slide, this show is guaranteed to produce laugh after laugh' **** (List). **** (WeekendNotes.com). Check Instagram @PowerPointComedyShowcase for nightly lineups!
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Three
Back by poop-ular demand! Fringe family favourites since 2008, The Listies return with 110% Ready – a comedy disaster movie about the morning routine. Rich is determined to do the impossible: leave the house on time! Matt, however has other ideas. Expect a poop-load of puns, slapstick, a splash of improvisational idiocy and the Snot Ness Monster! Proper laughs for kids (4+) and the adults who live through this every day. 'Funniest kids show I've ever seen' (Frank Skinner). Winner of a 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Bestie Award for Best Kids Show.
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio One
Mr. Thing are back "broadcasting" live at the Fringe. Become part of the studio audience as Tom and Owen, Puppet Steve and a crew of Things pull together a TV variety show live on stage with surprise guests, games, video sketches, live music, remote controlled cameras, musical robots, technical hijinx and much more. Welcome to the multimedia mayhem that is The Mr. Thing Show. 'A comedic riot' (Telegraph). 'I was howling with laughter' (Metro).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
Come see Mr Cardboard (Stamptown, Upright Citizens Brigade), something between a jovial imaginary friend and an all-powerful god of play, return to face his most trying hour yet! After being called forth from his slumber, Mr Cardboard flies you to his domain, The Land of Cardboard; however, is the Land of Cardboard the magical place it once was? Mr Cardboard must battle with a higher power for the pleasure of the audience and to save the eternal spirit of The Land of Cardboard, in this theatrically forward solo clown show by Miles Calderon.
Underbelly George Square
The Wee Coo
From the team behind Brave Space, a new breathtaking circus adventure where performers climb, swing and create a world in constant motion. What begins solitary grows into a vibrant story of connection: balance teeters, towers tumble and every fall becomes a chance to build together. Structures shift, bodies soar and every movement carries real weight and risk. Set to a living soundscape, this performance asks: what keeps us standing in an unsteady world? In a divided time, it is a celebration of falling, coming together and choosing to rise as one.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Beauty
Walden has a pretty good life. Happily married to his mannequin wife, he works his pigeon children into the ground and feasts upon their eggs for sustenance. Walden is doing everything he's supposed to do – so why does he feel so empty? Can his fantasies about his pigeons sustain him? Or must he face up to a great hurt done to him in the past? The Pigeon Factory is a darkly absurd one-man show that explores work, family and finding purpose in a broken society. 'Ingenious, consistently entertaining' **** (Irish Times).
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
In their secretive high-rise office, the odd trio of Manning, Slater and Wilson think they've finally redeemed themselves. But then... The Problem. One that threatens their very existence. It must be solved fast or – the abyss. A rapid-paced, last-chance comedy by Fringe First winner Brian Parks (Plotters, Enterprise, Shortlist). 'A refreshingly mischievous inventive author' (Times). Directed by Fringe First winner Margarett Perry. Twilight Theatre Company is back after their sold-out shows in 2024 (Polishing Shakespeare, Plotters). You don't want to miss this one!
Assembly Rooms
Front Room
Join festival favourites The Revel Puck Circus for their exhilarating Edinburgh Fringe return! From balancing atop the giant wheel of death to diving 15ft with flair, to somersaulting out of the path of a swinging chainsaw, every moment teeters between comedy and danger. This unmissable show is a must-see for thrill-seekers of all ages, featuring high-octane acrobatics, dizzying aerial feats and side-splitting physical comedy. Step into the mischievous world of East London’s brightest circus talent, where chaos reigns, laughs are guaranteed and thrills come in spectacular, heart-stopping doses.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Lafayette
An immersive comedy experience. Step into the world of a very serious, very secret, very important secret society. As a member of the society, you are privy to astonishing secrets and command powers beyond all imagination. But as you enter the chambers for the weekly meeting, all is not as it seems. Mysteries unravel, rifts form and the wrong choice could mean the end of the society itself. So you'd better make the right decision... no pressure! From the team behind multi award-winning comedy CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation a brand new comedy immersive experience like no other!
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Laugh
Two-time Perth Fringe World Best Comedy Show nominees, Thurber Prize semi-finalist, over two million copies sold – Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone book series. Identical twins. Musical comedy. Sibling rivalry. The Stevenson Experience deliver a brand-new show of hilarious songs, razor-sharp banter and good natured (extremely personal) rivalry. Since their last visit Benjamin wrote multiple bestselling novels which are being adapted by Amazon for television. James also did cool stuff, but whatever, he doesn't like to brag. 'An absolute highlight of Fringe' ****½ (Advertiser, Adelaide).
Assembly George Square Studios
Underground
Boombox romantic, Lloyd Dobler (Say Anything) returns! Seriously unserious, devoutly disobedient, still refusing to buy, sell or process anything. Now a Zen-punk dissident duct-taping ancient spiritual wisdom to the collapse of the American empire, with deep gratitude and zero credentials, like a sticky note saying: 'Be kind. Rewind. Revolt'. Join Lloyd in a kinda-sorta guided meditation to survive late-stage effin' everything... Like a vinyl record spinning in a microwave of manifest destiny, humming: 'Oh well. Whatever. Never-mind.' Written and performed by Dennis Trainor Jr. (Manifest Destiny's Child), directed by Olivier winner Guy Masterson.
Assembly Rooms
Drawing Room
Are you tired of struggling with everyone else? Have you always secretly known you were meant to be rich? Are you ready to succeed? For four weeks only, Gregor MacGregor, played by Comedian's Choice winner Joz Norris, presents you the opportunity to unleash your greatness within! Elizabeth Holmes meets Flashman, The Wolf of Poyais is a dark comedy reliving the true story of a swashbuckling confidence trickster and his quest to sell a country that never existed. ***** (NorthWestEnd.co.uk). ***** (LondonTheatre1.com). With two Fringe Theatre Award Nominations.
Assembly Roxy
Roxyboxy
Last year retired playwright Jonas Müller received a box from an unknown sender. It contained an enormous handwritten book, a pink flash drive and a firm but friendly threat. This is the tale of what happened next. It's also about an elephant named Marcel, but let's not dwell on that. A never-ending tale about unbelievably true stories and the art of honest deception. 'A magical journey into one of the most fascinating experimental theatrical minds at the Fringe' (BritishTheatreGuide.info). 'A marvellous invention with Fargo-like claim to truth-telling' (FringeReview.co.uk).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Daisy
Don't look away. 24 hour telly. Washed down with a ten pack of flumps and a pint of Sunny D. Fresh hour from Tilly "Turbo" Fletcher that'll have you slipping into the static like a warm familiar bath. 'Like a daytime tribute to Chris Morris' Jam... reminded me of early Coogan in its studied exactness' (Comedy.co.uk). Praise for Turbo Town: 'Strong joke-dense writing... switching between different comedic forms very naturally' (Chortle.co.uk).
Underbelly George Square
The Wee Coo
In 2020, Tom started painting portraits. In 2024 the BAFTA nominee received two invitations, one: to a fancy wedding and, two: to paint the portrait of an 86-year-old man. This often hilarious, occasionally embarrassing storytelling show explores how in accepting both Tom relives past failures and current worries ranging from body image to AI.
Underbelly George Square
Bluebell
Following the success of Tweedy's Massive Circus, Tweedy the Clown makes his festival debut with this joyful solo show for all ages. Tweedy finds himself battling mischievous props in a series of increasingly absurd situations, but however chaotic things become Tweedy can always find a creative way to get out – much to the delight of audiences young and old. Described by The Guardian as 'a loveable lark from start to finish'. Expect physical comedy, visual gags and an unexpected encounter with AI.
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
Monks find magic water. Magic water makes dreams come true. Monks go crazy. Starring acclaimed clowns and monks Max Baumgarten (Opium), Dee Marcucci (Absinthe), John Norris (Mr Chonkers, Piggy Time), Bill O'Neill (The Amazing Banana Brothers) and Claire Woolner (A Retrospection). Come to a tent at night and rejoice with them. Co-created with Sam Fishman. Co-directed by Corey Podell (Mr Chonkers, Vanessa 5000) and John Norris. 'Genuinely astonishing, shrieks of laughter' ***** (Skinny on Mr Chonkers). 'Joyously bizarre and bewilderingly funny' ***** (Time Out on The Amazing Banana Brothers).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
Join a massive line-up of comedy stars for a stupendous evening to fight against brain tumours. Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer for children and adults under 40 and increased funding for research is desperately needed. All profits will be donated to The Brain Tumour Charity and Underbelly will match this, doubling the amount that we can raise for the charity. Now returning for its 8th year, last year's line-up included Ivo Graham, David O'Doherty, Bella Hull, Michelle Wolf and Ahir Shah. Check UnderbellyEdinburgh.co.uk for lineup.
Underbelly Bristo Square
McEwan Hall
Drawing on Vincent’s letters, with live music and luminous imagery, this intimate portrait of a visionary artist who found light where others saw madness, takes us into his world shaped by intensity, tenderness and transcendent vision. Through layered voices and shifting landscapes, it reveals a man searching for truth and acceptance in an unforgiving world. What if he wasn't broken, but simply saw and felt too intensely? Praised for its emotional power and haunting beauty, this production bridges Vincent’s century and our own, speaking to anyone who has ever felt out of place or misunderstood.
Assembly George Square Studios
Underground
Where We Choose to Stand is an ambitious dance-theatre work inspired by climate activism amid political upheaval. Embedded in Nicolette Macleod's evocative soundscape are first hand accounts from people from across the UK who have been involved in direct action, amplifying the voices of those often silenced for their actions. Through audience interaction, the work challenges audiences to reflect on where they stand, asking how we position ourselves in moments of crisis.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
Wanna feel like a winner for one hour of your miserable, worthless life? Join perennial losers Will and Noah for sketches, songs and a gazillion trophies in this award-winning show* (*show about winning awards)! Under our roof, all winners are created equal: U13s player of the season, app of the year, soup of the day, oldest man, Nobel pizza prize, Sunday best, Monday worst, longest time survived in lion cage (our money's on the lion) and many more... 'Echoes the glory days of The Mighty Boosh, Garth Marenghi and Monty Python' ***** (EdFringeReview.com).
Underbelly George Square
The Wee Coo
Once upon a time, a washed up writer-comedian-technophobe went off-grid in a confused relocation/mid life crisis. But the grass ain’t always greener. His only hope? His greatest fear. Perrier and Fringe First winner Will Adamsdale returns with a hilarious true(ish) robo-bromance about finally embracing his old enemy technology. 'An utter delight' **** (Guardian on FaceTime). 'Absurd, hilarious and touching in equal measure' *****(Chortle on Borders). A story of bots, block and hitting escape. Originally produced by Fuel, directed by Tom Parry.
Underbelly George Square
Bluebell
Hang onto your space hats (technical term) for a surreal sketch odyssey through the best worst film you've never seen! BBC New Comedy Awards 2025 semi-finalist and Buxton Fringe Best Comedy Show 2025. In Moon Team IIIV (2 if you think about it), Apollo Moon is just a humble prince on a mission to stop a space tax. To pull it off, he'll need a team... a Moon Team. 'Brilliant, bonkers, and totally fringe!' ****½ (BruceOnTheFringe.blog). 'Not just a performance but a Fringe experience – so weird it's unmissable' **** (EdFringeReview.com).
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
Japan's most talked about contemporary circus company makes its highly anticipated return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with smash-hit sensation YOAH. Created by Cirquework, this new style of circus fuses jaw-dropping physicality with breathtaking digital visuals, electro soundscapes and the pulse of traditional Japanese instrumentation to create 'a circus experience like no other' ***** (StageWhispers.com.au). Under the glow of The Moon at Dawn, a young dreamer journeys through fear, isolation and hope in a spectacular collision of acrobatics, rhythm and light. Visually arresting. Sonically electric. Physically fearless. YOAH – back by demand.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Lafayette
Fringe-favourites YUCK Circus are back with a totally bitchin’ brand-new show! Backstreet Boys, Britney, and BIG throwback energy. A decade not to be forgotten – with Furbies, flip phones and evERythinG TyPeD LiKe ThIs. Mix that with high-flying acrobatics, comedy and absolute bangers, iconic! Multi award-winning, internationally touring and with dozens of five-star reviews – get ready for a big night out with the best of the early '00s. Fire up the group chat, grab ya besties and get your tickets now. ‘A high-energy, laugh-out-loud love letter to the early 2000s. 5 STARS' (FringeFeed.com.au).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
Take the "fun" out of "funeral" and throw the rest away! Zoe W is holding a funeral for her childhood dog, and you're invited! Yay! Dressed in Victorian mourning garb and ready to cry on command, she'll teach you how to properly perform your grief. All she wants is your sympathy, your tears and a goddamn glass of wine (please). Sadness is Zoe's passion and this dog was Zoe's best friend. It's gonna be a rough one, so join the solemn ceremony and pay your respects with the good boys (may they rest in peace).
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
Every weekend has been the same for the past six months, and Morgan Shields wouldn't change it for a f*cking thing. Currently thrilled to be at a loss for direction and lacking in motivation, Morgan finds herself every weekend at Dalkeith Miners Club without fail. It's the place to be. Every Saturday night. haim. teeth. CLUB. is a visceral darkly comedic one-woman play that places a working class Scottish young woman at the centre of her own narrative – as a living, breathing, contradictory person.
Underbelly Cowgate
Iron Belly
not for glory is a restless, relentless, rebellious unravelling of traditional dance and music. It is not a radical Highland Dance show, not a reinvented Irish dance display and not an experimental piping competition. It's bodies, bagpipes and brutality. It's kilts, queerness and ceremonial violence. It's back beats, high cuts, striking in, a battering, flinging skirl. not for glory resuscitates tradition with respect and resilience, dissects heritage and dances solidarity. It's a dance-theatre gig balancing virtuosity with vulnerability, pride with shame. Three performers reclaim the traditions they grew up in, not for glory – but for what?
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
Oh look! Here comes the mildest man imaginable. Paulette stumbles into a room full of strangers and doesn't know whether to panic or mingle... so he does both, for 60 minutes. A perfect evening for anyone who wants to scream at a polite person. 2025 Pick of the Fringe (Mervyn Stutter). Winner: 2025 Fringie Award (Philadelphia Fringe). 'Utterly ridiculous... brilliantly performed...laugh-out-loud delirium' ****½ (DCTheaterArts.org). 'For this hour, just say yes to the madness' **** (TheComicsComic.com).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dexter
Perfect for fans of The Play That Goes Wrong and Noises Off. ***** (Skinny). Returning to the Fringe for the sixth time due to phenomenal demand, this Oscar Wilde twist is guaranteed to have you in stitches. When a traditional production of Oscar Wilde’s classic play gets underway, everything seems to be going perfectly to plan... until the lead actor fails to arrive on cue. 'Guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of even the greatest of improv-phobic curmudgeons' **** (Scotsman).
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
Best Magic Show, HELLO! Magazine 2022 and 2024. The only act ever to win the Edfest Bouquet five times! A dynamic blend of mentalism and magic. 'You blew my mind' (Gerard Butler). 14 Royal Family performances including a Royal Command Performance for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 'Beyond a shadow of a doubt masterful magic' (Metro). 'Beyond belief' (Herald). 'The closest thing to mind reading we will ever get' **** (List).
Assembly Rooms
Drawing Room
Official Fringe sell-out 2024 and 2025. It's the year 1954. Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Eartha Kitt are at the dizzy heights of their careers. With swinging jazz, powerful soul and cheeky kitsch, these women broke new ground for all who followed. Award-winning singer/actor Melissa Western and her musicians pay tribute to this magnificent era in music and inspiring trio of pioneering singers. 50s style abounds. 'Western is a force of nature... Great storyteller, feisty, highly enjoyable' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Absolutely brilliant... Her aptitude for music is vast and versatile' ***** (ThreeWeeks). 'Oozes with charisma' ***** (Edinburgh-Reviews.co.uk).
Assembly Rooms
Bijou
Winner of the Best Music Award at Adelaide Fringe and featuring music and lore from Joplin, Winehouse, Cobain, Morrison, and Hendrix, this must-see live rockumentary will get you praying to the rock gods for more. Saluting the members of the 27 Club are some of Australia's top rock icons and musicians. Come as you are to this 'electrifying and magnetic' (GlamAdelaide.com.au) celebration of the legends who will forever be 27 and their legacy left behind. 'I have never been more entertained' ***** (InDaily.com.au). 'Nothing short of mesmerising' ***** (Radio Adelaide).
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
Sold out for its entire run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025. Winner of the Spirit of the Fringe Award. A poetic musical inspired by Japanese classical literature. The male performers wear only two shoulder pads as their costume – playful, never sexual. What begins as laughter at wriggling bottoms soon releases the audience's imagination, revealing countless costumes and worlds. By the final scene, many are moved to tears. Overflowing with the joy and power of theatre, it explores life and death, parting, and human connection through humour, songs and Kabuki-inspired physical expression.
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Button
Sold out on Broadway! Sold out at the Sydney Opera House! Seen by over 2 million people worldwide! BMX, basketball, breakdancing, beatboxing, acrobatics, drumming and more, 360 ALLSTARS connects the street with the elite to deliver a supercharged urban circus. Boasting a stellar cast of World Champion and World Record-holding artists and athletes, the international smash hit returns to Edinburgh as part of its 2026 World Tour! 'Blindingly talented' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Destined to be a sell-out' ***** (TV Bomb). 'The most thrilling stage show ever' ***** (WeekendNotes.co.uk)
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
An inspiring and moving celebration of Katherina Radeva's 40 years as a woman, a migrant and an artist. Claiming space on a dance floor, she dances with joyous abundance and presents stories of her past, present and future. From the little girl dancing at her parents' student parties, to the teenage rhythm gymnast who was body-shamed, to the creative who refuses to be categorised we see a choreography of all the joys and sorrows of 40 years. Radeva is an irresistible performer whose authenticity and generosity shines in this life-affirming piece from award-winning Two Destination Language. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
We all make mistakes, but rarely do they change the course of history. After sell-out seasons in 2023, 2024 and 2025, the smash-hit historical storytelling show by comedian and historian Paul Coulter returns with a new show about five people and how their mistakes (big and small!) changed the world. Penguin Random House published the best-selling book 10 Mistakes That Changed History based on the show in 2025. If you love history, don't let your mistake be missing out on this show! One of British Comedy Guide's best-reviewed shows. ***** (TheatreWeekly.com). ***** (BroadwayWorld.com). ***** (TheEdinburghReporter.co.uk).
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
Australia's best tribute act, The 60 Four, make their Edinburgh debut with the ultimate 70s party. Dazzlingly popular on cruise ships around the world, this crowd-favourite show is a high-octane celebration of the decade that defined cool. From disco floor-fillers to rock anthems that ruled the airwaves, 70s Jukebox delivers wall-to-wall hits by The Bee Gees, ABBA, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart, The Beatles, Leo Sayer and more. Powered by powerhouse vocals, slick choreography and full Las Vegas energy, it's a sing-along, dance-floor-ready celebration. Get ready for the party of the decade – reborn.
Assembly Rooms
Bijou
'Who's On First meets Waiting for Godot' (New York Times) in this ferociously witty play on, about and spilling over with language. Rusty and Max have been friends for most of their lives and they've been arguing almost the entire time. Today, they're scheming up something big. Fringe First winner Brian Dykstra's signature style crackles in this uproarious backyard comedy where two not-so-average average Americans spar in a relentlessly fanatical pursuit of what is said, what is intended, and what is. 'It goes great places!' (Variety). Directed by Fringe First winner Margarett Perry.
Assembly Rooms
Front Room
On a failing spacecraft, two female astronauts fight to save Earth. This heart-racing, multi award-winning sci-fi thriller explores survival, climate change, human resilience and the silencing of female voices in STEM. As time runs out and tensions rise, this intense, captivating, heartfelt show asks: who will save our home? Winner: Best Drama, WHAT THE FRINGE?! Winner: 2025 Fringe Theatre Award. Winner: Best Theatre, Auckland Fringe. Winner: Pannz Tour Ready Award. Winner: SYNZ Tour Ready Award. 'Like nothing we've seen before' ***** (WestEndBestFriend.co.uk). ***** (AYoungishPerspective.co.uk). ***** (LondonTheatre.co.uk). **** (TheatreWeekly.com).
Assembly George Square
The Box
Abandoman is back – and this year, it's a party. Blending hip-hop with euphoric dance music, Rob Broderick's award-winning improvised comedy show turns your suggestions into original bangers, live and unrepeatable every single night. Razor-sharp wit, genuine warmth and unstoppable audience interaction make this one of Edinburgh Fringe's most joyful, unpredictable nights out. 'Clever, quick-witted and audacious' **** (Scotsman). 'Raucous, expansive, and relentlessly hilarious' **** (Times).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Dancer
Join comedian Benjamin Alborough as he attempts to improve Monopoly in this chaotic, high-energy game show. Audience members compete against each other and the host, with the audience physically becoming the game board. The show combines role-playing, physical challenges and psychological intimidation to make something that, if not the best board game in the world, is at least short. ***** (EdFringeReview.com). ***** (ThreeWeeks). ***** (NorthWestEnd.co.uk). 'Riotously entertaining' **** (Chortle.co.uk). Sell-out show in 2024. Benjamin Alborough is a Malcolm Hardee Award nominee for Comic Originality 2025 and a nominee for Best Variety Show Leicester Comedy Festival 2026.
Assembly George Square Studios
Underground
Wanna be a comedy reviewer? Think you have what it takes to sit in a dark room watching something on your own without falling asleep? Then come join Caliban Munroe, 'the single most influential critic of our times' (The Caliban Munroe Podcast), and best-selling author of industry bible The Critic's Way, as he hosts his award-winning once-in-an-afternoon seminar on how to live your dream and crush everyone else's. NB there will be no press tickets available for this show. Previous Praise for Adam Riches: ***** (Times). ***** (Telegraph). ***** (Independent). ***** (Scotsman). ***** (Chortle.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Cow Cafe
'An absolute riot!' ***** (TheatreWeekly.com). Brace yourself folks – this is not your nana's magic show. Back and naughtier than ever for their fifth filthy year at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Adults Only Magic Show is an unapologetically wild ride of raunchy comedy, jaw-dropping illusions and a generous helping of skin. Join Sam, Justin and the outrageous Magnus 'Danger' Magnus as they blow the top off traditional magic with an X-rated twist. There's no bunny in the hat here – unless he's wearing leather and begging for it.
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Three
An all-ages, high-flying collision of circus, theatre and space adventure. 1964: the world’s superpowers are caught in the space race. Enter an unlikely contender... Zambia. Visionary Edward Mukuka Nkoloso aimed to send Africa’s first astronauts into the cosmos. His crew? A young girl, two cats and a missionary. His rocket? Aluminium, ambition and audacity. Wake The Beast and Circus Zambia bring this extraordinary story to life with breathtaking acrobatics, theatrical spectacle and irresistible heart. A true tale of courage, hope and willpower that can take you to the moon... or make you believe you could.
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
Award-winning comedian Aidan Greene is Ireland's foremost stammering comedian (he's also the only one). For years he's been told not to let his stutter define him. Well... too late. Join the bad boy of stammering for a razor-sharp, big-hearted show about embracing what makes you different and having serious craic along the way. 'Destined for stardom' (RTE). 'A joy to behold' (PasteMagazine.com). 'A show which is as heartfelt as hilarious' **** (TheWeeReview.com).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dexter
I grew up playing classical piano, but failed my conservatory audition at 18. After some time focusing on MDMA, I started stand-up comedy. During the pandemic I came back to the piano and now I've combined them. It's my favourite piece, Chopin's Nocturne in Eb Major, presented with jokes by a bald, Australian dickhead with a beard. Best Comedy, Adelaide Fringe Weekly. 'Sidesplittingly funny' (Guardian). 'Will leave you laughing for days on end' ***** (Advertiser, Adelaide). 'This should not work, but it does' ***** (List). ***** (ThreeWeeks). **** (Scotsman).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Four
What if we kissed? Right now? Xx xXx Xx xxX X X x x (*kissing*). Wow. That was wonderful. Until we meet again. As seen / heard on Channel 4 / HBO Max / BBC Radio 4. 'Deeply affecting and incredibly funny' ***** (TheWeeReview.com). 'A one-woman multiverse of gleeful possibility' ****½ (The Reviews Hub). 'Fabulously funny, absurd and intelligent' **** (Everything-Theatre.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
Brand new show. A show so entertaining you can scarcely believe it. Written and performed (both!) by a man in crisis, desperate to find meaning in life. What is stand-up comedy for? Buy a ticket and find out, let me amuse you like you’ve never been amused before; I doubt you’ll ever need amusing again. 'The best thing I saw last year' (Stewart Lee). 'Wow! F**k! Wow!' ***** (Scotsman). 'Totally compelling' **** (Guardian). 'Forensically funny' **** (Times). Chortle Best Show Award Winner 2022. Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee 2022.
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Laugh
Louis Pearl has been thrilling audiences worldwide for over 30 years with the art, magic, science and fun of bubbles. An Edinburgh Fringe favourite, he has sold out for the last 14 years. Louis explores the breathtaking dynamics of bubbles, combining comedy and artistry with audience participation and enough spellbinding bubble tricks to keep everyone mesmerised. From square bubbles to rocket bubbles, the Amazing Bubble Man conjures shrieks of laughter and gasps of amazement from all ages.
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
A hilarious one-woman musical based on an unapologetic dating advice book that writer-performer Grace O'Keefe's own mother wrote. Publishers said it would set feminism back 20 years. 40 years later, let's find out! The theatrical equivalent of a little girl struggling in her mother's heels, this musical explores relationships, romance and the performance of womanhood. Featuring original music by Grace O'Keefe (Summoning Sondheim; Sense and Sensibility; Best Newcomer at Musical Comedy Awards), the show will leave audiences with a deeper appreciation of their mothers and a chaotic new approach to dating and life.
Underbelly George Square
Buttercup
1931. Virginia Woolf delivers a withering critique of patriarchy and reveals with a timeless honesty, her powerful yet troubled mind. She dips deep into her own stream of consciousness from The Waves, Orlando and To the Lighthouse and her polemic essay, A Room of One's Own. Woolf's clarity on women when 'writing one's mind', champions writers from our past to inspire the voices of our future. Directed by Fringe First winner Margarett Perry, Lucy Stevens returns to the drawing room after her sold out five-star run Off-Broadway.
Assembly Rooms
Drawing Room
The world's most celebrated apple returns for an intimate on-stage conversation. From her vaudeville debut at age five to her breakthrough role in Disney's Snow White, Dame Smith will take you on a journey through her storied life and career, all told with her trademark candour and wit. Warm, funny, uplifting, absurd and 'a show you'll remember for many years to come' (GlamAdelaide.com.au). 'One of the funniest shows I've seen for years' (Alan Davies). Winner: Best Variety Award, Adelaide Fringe 2025.
Underbelly George Square
The Wee Coo
A woman walks into a café. She orders a coffee. The barista doesn't understand her request. The woman loses her sh*t. Chaos reigns. This off-beat collaboration between award-winning playwright Vivienne Franzmann, and choreographer and psychotherapist Frauke Requardt, brings together 22 very different eyewitness accounts of one everyday altercation to show how our nervous systems are stuck in the Stone Age. Performed by two dancers, an actor and a drummer (and one bear), Anatomy of Survival is a show for all the nervous systems in the auditorium. Come and feel the rise and fall of yours.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
Everyone's favourite Cork in the North returns with what promises to be his biggest and most hilarious show to date. Join him for tales of pet ownership, constant inability to read a room and his unrelenting frustration with the world around him. Everything is fine, until it's not! Over 60 million views online and star of The 2 Johnnies' Late Night Lock In (RTE), The Blame Game (BBC) and Comedy Central Live. 'Well paced, well written, delivers plenty of laughs' (Mirror). 'Charming, hilarious and accessible with some really powerful thinking underneath it all' (Skinny).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Friesian
This is my coming-out show. I actually came out mid-performance, in front of a crowd... including my Nan. Let's just say there was a joke involving a woman, a KFC and the phrase finger-lickin' good. Afterwards, I asked my cousin: Do you think there's any chance Nan thought I was just talking about the original recipe? 'Crowds will be flocking to see her in the future for sure' **** (TD9Radio.online). As seen on Colin From Accounts and The F Ward.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Clover
Cinderella's gone – the lucky brat's living it up while her stunning stepsisters are left wondering why they don't get their happily ever after. Witness their magical, musical misadventure as they discover what it truly means to be "ugly". Packed with lush, original music, dazzling costumes, outlandish characters and comedic madness, Apparently Ugly is a gleefully deranged fairy tale for kids, adults and anyone who's ever felt not-quite-perfect. Written by Nicky Douglas. Produced by ERA Theatrical Productions.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Ermintrude
Arcana is a poetic, music-led journey about finding your voice and the courage to truly listen to yourself. We follow Arcana, an apprentice court composer trapped in a world of fear and obligation, as her search for “music for all” becomes a deeper quest for identity and freedom. Blending Western classical music with African musical traditions, the show weaves live violin, rich soundscapes, movement, and multilingual storytelling into an immersive, visually striking experience. A bold, cross-cultural performance, Arcana invites audiences into a space of reflection, wonder, and shared humanity. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Assembly Roxy
Central
Assembly's Gala celebrates the opening of our 2026 programme of over 230 shows. This spectacular show highlights some of our biggest and best productions – a must-see for anyone that wants to get a flavour of what's to come at the world's largest arts festival. Book early – always a sell out!
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
Hair is everything. Until it's not. This one-hour, one-woman, one-night stand of a show is about Amy. Everyone wants to be Amy. Until her hair falls out in all the wrong places. What follows is a knotty mess of swimming caps, cat shit and four-finger foreheads. Things buried threaten to rear their ugly bald head. She can't stop thinking about the door. Her bedroom door. And the man hiding behind it. Now Amy attempts to take back her body, one fake eyebrow at a time. This show uses drag and comedy to explore sexuality, alopecia and assault.
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
Edinburgh, are you ready? Warriors, are you ready? The cult hit from New York and Chicago, BATSU! returns to the Fringe after a wildly successful, sold out 2025 run. This high-energy spectacle pits fearless comedians against each other as they compete to avoid hilarious, jaw-dropping punishments. Inspired by Japanese-style game shows, expect the unexpected in this late-night Fringe hit. With visits from Sake Ninjas to shocking twists like paintball guns, electric shocks and even a giant chicken – don’t miss the chaos, the laughter and the unforgettable madness that is BATSU! – the wildest show at the Fringe!
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Dancer
Edinburgh, are you ready? Warriors, are you ready? The cult hit from New York and Chicago, BATSU! returns to the Fringe after a wildly successful, sold out 2025 run. This high-energy spectacle pits fearless comedians against each other as they compete to avoid hilarious, jaw-dropping punishments. Inspired by Japanese-style game shows, expect the unexpected in this late-night Fringe hit. With visits from Sake Ninjas to shocking twists like paintball guns, electric shocks and even a giant chicken – don’t miss the chaos, the laughter and the unforgettable madness that is BATSU! – the wildest show at the Fringe!
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
Shayna, a wealthy five-time divorcee, and Beverley, a mother of twelve boys, escape to the beach. With big wigs and itty-bitty bikinis, the pair settle into their deckchairs, chain-smoking through idle chit chat. As the days stretch into years, birds fall from the sky, their skin melts and yet they remain, with their heads in the sand – this is paradise after all. BIRDS is a sweat-soaked delirium of camp Australian comedy. Waiting for Godot meets Kath & Kim. Come for the tan, stay for the end of days, BYO beach towel xoxo
Assembly George Square
The Box
A new play about motherhood, postpartum psychosis and stand-up comedy! A new mother, Cass, tackles her mental health crisis, with dark humour, bright wit, brutal honesty and dreams of becoming a comic. A “slightly true story", starring BAFTA winner Kimberley Nixon (Channel 4's Fresh Meat). 'Five stars! A brave, blisteringly honest piece of theatre that leaves you laughing, devastated and profoundly changed' (TheEditWales.com). 'It touched our heartstrings' (Katy Thomas, Mothers Matter charity). 'Genuinely funny throughout' (Lee Walters, Ffilm Cymru Wales). 'A brilliant piece of writing and performance. A really smart piece of work' (Dan Porter, Porter's Theatre).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Three
Fringe fave Baby Wants Candy is back! Total Edinburgh Fringe sell-out eight years running. One of the world's most popular comedy ensembles. You shout out the title, Baby Wants Candy make up the musical. Some favourite recent titles: Sweeney Toddler, Tinder in the Animal Kingdom and who could forget the instant classic HotUncles.com... the Musical? Buy early – show sells out! 'An entertainment phenomenon. I have one word for them: Go!' ***** (Scotsman). ***** (Time Out). ***** (ThreeWeeks). 'Critics Choice. Truly amazing!' (New York Times).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio One
Erain (Jarraibiderik Gabe) is a young company formed by two highly skilled dancers who have recently developed this creation. The piece proposes a suggestive dialogue between bodies and objects, opening a space where materials, play, and transformation become compositional tools. Through a careful balance of physical rigour and imaginative imagery, the work invites multiple readings while maintaining a strong sensory clarity. Helena Wilhelmsson (Trembling Frequencies), a Swedish dancer long based in the Basque Country, presents her first choreographic work: a solo that unfolds within a deeply emotional landscape.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
Bear suits, bereavement and big scary feelings... Oh my. When a grief-stricken widow struggles to cope with her husband's death, she finds comfort by donning a bear costume. Thus, BearGirl is born: an unfeeling, thick-skinned beast who doesn't care what happens to her next. But when the voice of her lost love starts to haunt her, she's reminded of a past mistake that she desperately wants to outrun. Can BearGirl ever truly disappear? Or will reality turn predator into prey? A new play about making peace with the beast within, written after The Bear by Anton Chekhov (1888).
Assembly Roxy
Roxyboxy
'Edinburgh's superstar magician' (Guardian) returns. Internationally acclaimed magician Ben's shows are a unique kind of alchemy... Funny, dark and baffling, Hart is a new species of conjuror. Watch him read minds, manipulate reality and blow your mind. Dare you get lost? 'The one magic show you need to see this fringe' (ArtsReview.com.au). 'Hart's performance is astonishing... It is utterly seamless' (Big Issue). 'Ben Hart is a master' (Dynamo). 'Seductive, beautiful, funny, haunting and original... There's no-one else we'd rather watch' (Penn & Teller).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
Join kabarett provocateur Bernie Dieter as her gin-soaked haus band soundtracks a debauched night of breathtaking circus, gender-bending aerial and fire-breathing sideshow at its most rebellious and hilarious best. Club Kabarett is more than just a show; 'it's an exuberant, juicy, guns-blazing performance that makes other cabarets look stale and tame' (ArtsHub.com.au). A triumphant middle finger held up against the mundane, this wickedly funny show is a life-affirming lightning bolt of pure, unadulterated joy! 'F#?king phenomenal' ***** (TheAge.com.au). 'Gloriously decadent and outrageously indecent' ***** (WhatsOnStage.com). 'Deliciously debaucherous, salacious Spiegeltent spectacular' ***** (Time Out).
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Beauty
The longest running Burlesque at Fringe (and Scotland) returns with a 'New School' of international emerging artists. Fastest rising stars on the scene. Scintillating striptease, audacious parody tributes, works in progress and a plethora of fresh interpretations of the artform. Best of Burlesque is the five-star rated, and Pick of the Fringe, that's wowed over 75,000 fans since it's inception. Often imitated, never duplicated. With over 25 years experience in the industry, it's producer, Majestic Mark, is widely known for helping develop the careers of over 2000 artists worldwide. Warning: may cause excitement!
Assembly Rooms
Bijou
The best mixed-bill comedy night in Edinburgh, featuring your favourite comedians from around the Fringe. A perfect way to experience the festival! Previous guests include: Adam Hills, David O'Doherty, Jason Byrne, Lou Sanders, Ahir Shah, Rhys Nicholson, Desiree Burch, Darren Harriott, Joanne McNally, Phil Wang, Joe Lycett, Vir Das and many more. Full line-ups at assemblyfestival.com
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
Bite-size tasters of the best comedy, cabaret, family entertainment and circus – all for you to enjoy in the heart of the Festival in George Square Studios. With line-ups changing daily, we have something for everyone, so let us bring you the best of the fest! See www.assemblyfestival.com for line-ups. 'An all-round crowd pleaser' ***** (ThreeWeeks).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Three
The best place in town to catch rising comedy stars & your Fringe favourites. A different show every night, featuring new faces and festival stalwarts! The perfect start (or end) to your festival evening. Acts will be announced on assemblyfestival.com and at @AssemblyFest.
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Two
Biff travels back to the Fringe following sell-out 2025 premiere season, international tour and London run! The iconic villain of Back to the Future takes centre stage in this comedic reimagination of Marty and Doc's time-traveling escapades, turning the celebrated trilogy on its head from the perspective of Biff, the bully audiences love to hate. For superfans and newcomers alike. 'Excellent, original parody' ***** (Edinburgh-Reviews.co.uk). 'You'll want to go back in time so you can see this one again and again' (Starburst Magazine). 'So sensational it might have been routed through a flux capacitor!' ***** (GetYourCoatsOn.com).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
Acclaimed Canadian Second City comedy duo, Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus, directed by genius collaborator Kat Sandler, bring their signature mix of storytelling and improvisation to Big Stuff – a hilarious and heartfelt exploration of the stuff we leave behind. This fast-paced two-hander unpacks the emotional and absurd aspects of loss – from basement clutter to memories that linger. With quick wit and sharp chemistry, Baram and Snieckus turn life's big questions into big laughs. 'One of those pieces of theatre you'll carry with you for the rest of your life' (Globe and Mail).
Assembly Roxy
Roxyboxy
Bilal Zafar (LastMinute.com Best Newcomer Award nominee and multi award-winner) is back with a brand new, multimedia, interactive and very fun show! Rubicon will feature some games with prizes to be won, some amazing stories and an overall life-changing experience TBF. Will you be crossing the Rubicon? Spoiler alert: yes you will! Bilal has been on BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4 and many other things you might find impressive.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Jersey
Fringe favourites the Black Blues Brothers return with their electrifying, family-friendly show. Having wowed over 65,000 Fringe spectators, they are back at McEwan Hall, ready to amaze audiences once again. Set in a smoky train station and driven by an unforgettable rock’n’roll soundtrack, expect jaw-dropping acrobatics, towering human pyramids and gravity-defying stunts. Featuring iconic music by Glenn Miller, Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, this is the ultimate experience for all ages. After five smash-hit Fringe seasons and appearances at the Royal Variety Show and the Moulin Rouge, this feel-good phenomenon is truly unmissable.
Underbelly Bristo Square
McEwan Hall
A play disguised as a magic show where history and illusion intertwine. Enslaved in America, Henry 'Box' Brown conjures his life and reenacts his daring 1849 escape when he shipped himself to freedom inside a wooden crate. Each illusion mirrors a chapter of his journey: love, loss, confinement, faith and defiance. Gospel-infused soundscapes and stagecraft transform the theatre into a site of both sanctuary and reckoning. As boxes appear, vanish and break apart, Henry's story becomes more than spectacle – it becomes testimony, inviting audiences to witness liberation not as legend but as lived and embodied resistance.
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Button
A wordless, high-energy performance, diving into the hilarious chaos between humans and machines. Before you even know what you want, the robot already knows. The crossword is solved before you've filled in a single square. Your shoes are tied, your hair is combed, your teeth brushed, the laundry folded, all done for you... It's time to switch him off! But where is the stop button? With physical comedy, live drawing and music, a captivating tale about a man and his robot unfolds, turning into a gripping power struggle between human and machine.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Ermintrude
Two puppeteers cast giant shadows to conjure a hilarious occult mystery. Teenage sceptic Vi is forced to live with her grandmother, who claims to be the 200-year-old mystic and spiritual guru Madam Blavatsky. When Vi's friends begin to disappear, she reluctantly teams up with Granny to uncover a conspiracy of séances, unhinged cultists and suspiciously interested government agents. A visually striking dark comedy. Based on a possibly true story. Learn real magic. Summon demons. Impress your friends. Sceptics welcome. Spirits optional. From the award-winning Japanese company behind Shunga Alert and Space Hippo. ***** (ThreeWeeks).
Underbelly Cowgate
Big Belly
A plurality of bodies beyond their visible social markers. Despite their diverse backgrounds artists unite believing that even different individualities empower each other when they act as one. In times of social segregation, we deal with a crossing of the mental boundaries and not just the physical ones. Border Bodies desires to acknowledge the portrait of humanity: collective, clustered, seeking interactions and associations. In the midst of the silence of distancing, we rediscover and invent ways of being together. On stage, hierarchies between social roles are tested, questioned and reorganized. The show is part of São Paulo Showcase.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
Boys Don’t Dance is a poignant dance theatre show by acclaimed disabled artist Marc Brew, reflecting on his lifelong journey defying societal expectations to embrace his love for dance. Combining movement with BMX and wheels, storytelling, lighting and an uplifting 80s soundtrack – alongside visual projections and animation, creating an immersive experience for audiences. Boys Don’t Dance celebrates individuality and the liberating power of dance, encouraging audiences to embrace their unique passions and find strength in their differences. Commissioned by Imaginate and Aberdeen Performing Arts, supported by OneRen. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
One of the UK's most hilarious and best-loved poets is here to take us through the hows, whys and whats of reading, writing and enjoying poetry every day. With his characteristic wit and charm, Bilston accompanies us through the jungle of imagination to the source of inspiration, takes us under the bonnet of a sonnet and over the fear of literary devices. He gives us a whirlwind tour through the history of verse – and shows us why human poetry will always triumph over any attempts by AI.
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
Former burlesque superstar Entendre Entendre invites audiences to the launch of her memoir, SMUT, a recounting her many, MANY lovers. The wild, weird, and unfortunately true, tales found within are delivered through song, striptease, filthy poetry, scandalous storytelling, and audience interaction. Entendre lets it all hang out – sometimes more than she intends. 'Extraordinary... funny, very rude, genuinely moving and memorably powerful all at once' **** (Scotsman). 'Poignant and profound' **** (EdinburgischeDramaturgie.wordpress.com). Created and performed by Bryn Woz. Directed by Rachel Resnik.
Assembly Roxy
Snug Bar
After two sell-out Fringe runs, Burning Down the Horse is back! This immersive comedy epic drops you into the heart of the most iconic wooden animal in history – the Trojan Horse. Become part of this 'infectiously funny' (FringeReview.co.uk) tale as you contend with heroic egos, class clashes and sword supply issues. There's only one rule: Odysseus' word is law. And for the love of gods – no naked flames! Join us for an 'entertaining slice of lunchtime laughs' (Scotsman) and experience what really went on inside the belly of the beast.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Friesian
Seven acrobats and thirty metres of rope… By a Thread returns after a sold-out 2025 season! Long spools of white rope run through industrial pulleys and wrap around bodies. The show weaves virtuosic acrobatics through moments of confusion, hilarity, romance, playfulness, fear and friendship, uncovering the threads of connection present in all relationships. Australian circus at its best, By a Thread is an exploration of trust and risk six meters above the ground. ‘Easily one of the best pieces of physical theatre on display’ (One4Review.co.uk). ‘One of the most tender moments you’ll see in a circus’ (Scotsman).
Assembly Rooms
Music Hall
COMA is an immersive audio experience in complete darkness. You’re lying on a bunk bed inside a shipping container. Headphones on, lights out. 360-degree sound invites you to take part in a collective experiment: slip into a shared dream on the edge of consciousness. The most surrender-driven of the DARKFIELD shows, and the one that asks you to let go completely. Please remember when you leave to take your body with you.
Assembly George Square
Darkfield COMA
No one knows who the killer is, not even the cast! Following multiple five-star sell-out runs, CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation returns for another rip-roaring crime comedy made up entirely on the spot. Leicester Comedy 2023: Best Improv Show Award. Colchester Fringe Comedy Award 2024. Who? What? How? The choice is yours in this fully improvised, witty and absurd murder mystery where the audience creates the crime. 'Quick thinking and fast paced. A spectacular must-see' ***** (Bunbury Magazine). 'Hysterical murder mystery and a tight witty improv show' **** (FringeBiscuit.co.uk).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Ermintrude
It's the return of multi award-winning cinematic drag chaos in stunning CinemaScope vision! Minimum wage cinema employee turned multi award-winning tragic fool, Cabbage the Clown's debut hour marries genres in polygamous holy matrimony in their 'Gen-Z, loudly queer and thoroughly hilarious' (BingeFringe.com) debut. With over 8 million views online for their genre-busting brand of multimedia drag-clowning, Cabbage presents the return of their critically-acclaimed Fringe hit. So talk through the trailers, sit back and enjoy this Bechdel Test-passing, BBFC-unapproved hit. ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). ***** (The Student). ***** (BingeFringe.com). ***** (EdFringeReview).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Button
Presented on even-numbered days (excluding Aug 12), your audience with Elizabeth Taylor resumes! Kayla Boye as Elizabeth, reflects on her tempestuous passion with Richard Burton which nearly killed them both, but which also transformed her to play perhaps her greatest role... AIDS activist and humanitarian. Directed by Michael Weber, presented by Olivier winner, Fringe legend (and twice Taylor's nephew by marriage to Burton) Guy Masterson. 'Brilliant! A must-watch for any Elizabeth Taylor fan!' (EdFringeReview.com). 'Captivating! A brilliantly polished production!' (ThreeWeeks). 'A shattering, exquisite performance that should not be missed' (ChicagoTheatreReview.com).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Two
An audience with Miss Taylor! Kayla Boye (Shake It Away) returns as the Hollywood legend, revealing her innermost feelings about life, love, triumphs and tragedies, until she meets Richard Burton on the set of ‘Cleopatra’, when her life, along with several others’, is turned upside down! Directed by Michael Weber and presented by Olivier winner, Fringe legend (twice Taylor's nephew by marriage to Burton!) Guy Masterson. 'Brilliant! A must-watch for any Elizabeth Taylor fan!' (EdFringeReview.com). 'Captivating! A brilliantly polished production!' (ThreeWeeks). 'A shattering, exquisite performance that should not be missed' (ChicagoTheatreReview.com).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Two
"What a character" – Ancient Australian proverb. Idiom, used to describe either the best or worst person you know. Example: "Wow, that Casey Filips… what a character" Following his critically acclaimed debut show Virtuoso, multi award-winning Australian comic Casey Filips brings us a brand-new character hour that’s 'a hands-down winner' **** (List). WINNER: Best of Comedy Award (Weekly), Adelaide Fringe 2026. WINNER: Take a Chance on Adelaide Award 2024. NOMINEE: Best Comedy, Melbourne Fringe 2024. Mervyn Stutter’s Pick of the Fringe 2024 and 2025.
Assembly George Square
The Box
Bringing together the National Youth Dance Companies of Scotland and Wales for a night of bold choreography, the programme celebrates the power of dance, blending distinct cultural influences with cutting-edge contemporary dance. In a dynamic double-bill of new commissions expect vibrant ensemble movement, intimate duets and striking costumes, as emerging performers push their technique, artistry and imagination to new heights. This collaboration is a celebration of connection, with infectious energy, fierce precision and moments of breathtaking tenderness. These rising stars offer a glimpse of what dance in the UK can become.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
Chris Grace (Superstore, Dropout) brings an all-new hour of standup comedy to the Fringe asking the most important questions: Can you get along with someone that you only mostly agree with? Can nuance survive in an age of extremes? Does using AI make someone evil? And most importantly, what kind of food should be served at a gay sauna? 88% is Chris's attempt to reconcile his heart and the real world in his unique style that the Boston Globe called "an artful blend of the personal and the universal".
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Five
Chris Martin lied to us. He said it was all yellow. But that isn’t true! Will has rewritten Coldplay's breakout hit song Yellow eight times, to more accurately represent the entire visible spectrum of light. Now he's become embroiled in a conspiracy of missing impersonators and something ominous is coming for him. In this debut comedy hour, Will Spence (A Night of Drama, Poltergeist Theatre) takes you on a hyperactive trip into the rainbow, using PowerPoint and a karaoke track. Suitable for Coldplay lovers, Coldplay haters and everyone ambivalently in-between. 'Beguiling silliness' (WhatsOnStage.com).
Underbelly Cowgate
Iron Belly
One mic, infinite possibilities! America's Got Talent runner-up Chris creates jaw-dropping freestyle rap from your suggestions. Fast, fearless and astonishingly funny – this is live comedy at its most exhilarating from the first comedian to ever have a Las Vegas residency with Cirque Du Soleil. No script, no safety net, entirely in the moment. 'The Fringe holy grail... mind-bendingly flawless' ***** (EdFestMag.com). 'Very funny, uniquely appealing... nobody on a Vegas stage does what he does' (Las Vegas Review-Journal) 'Spectacular and hilarious' (BroadwayWorld.com). 'A virtuoso... a hip-hop machine' (Guardian).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Friesian
Wolf. A gasp-inducing acrobatic thrill ride. Clad in designer Libby McDonnell's form-hugging costumes and set to DJ Ori Lichtik's relentless primal rhythms, the cast of ten extraordinary Circa artists grasp, tear, climb, leap and balance with fierce abandon. For Director Yaron Lifschitz, the wolf is a symbol of our untameable selves: liberating, anarchic and savage. The wolves evolve from disruptive forces of chaos into a ferocious pack whose intense choreographies overflow with raw energy and astounding physicality. Wolf is circus with fangs. Join the pack.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Lafayette
'A must-see at this year's Fringe!' **** (Entertainment-Now.co.uk). Roll up! Roll up! Prepare to enter a world of whimsy, wonder and amazement where your imagination will soar like never before, in this completely reimagined family circus spectacular that families across the globe are raving about! With countless five-star reviews, international awards and sell-out seasons worldwide; this isn't just another kids show – it is a full-blown, high-energy, imagination-fuelled spectacular that will leave jaws on the floor and smiles stretching ear to ear!
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
Thomas loves his job and working from home. All the while talking to his best friend – a cactus called Clive. He's not going mad at all. When a new boss takes over, work becomes stressful, life starts to unravel and he grows even more reliant on his spiky friend. A funny and moving exploration of isolation and technology in modern life. A new play by Olivier Award-winner Michael Wynne reunites two time Olivier nominee Paul Keating with visionary director Lucy Bailey. The OffWestEnd Awards 2026 Nomination – Best Performance, Paul Keating.
Assembly Rooms
Drawing Room
We’re bringing this incredible show back – and this time to the Assembly Ballroom! With soaring music and a deeply moving story, the musical tells of the spirited locals of Gander and the stranded passengers who unexpectedly came together in the wake of September 11th, 2001. From tragedy emerged extraordinary kindness, humanity and community, forging friendships that would last a lifetime. Last year’s run sold out within days, so book your tickets early for this unforgettable musical.
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
Smashing swear-free stand-up! Splendidly silly sketches! Superb cabaret extravaganzas! Every day brings a fresh line-up, new reasons to giggle and the chance to see exactly why, in August 2025, we won the Edinburgh Comedy Awards' panel prize for embodying the true 'spirit of the Fringe'. Join our Victoria Wood Award-winning selves, back for our 21st year, with shows that are 'really funny' ***** (Fest), 'fabulous' ***** (Three Weeks) and 'just right' **** (Telegraph)! 'A highlight for children in recent years... with the fun, rowdy feel of a real comedy club' (Guardian).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
Dance Base’s two in-house companies PRIME (for over 60s) and Lothian Youth Dance Company (for 14-21 year-olds) come together to explore the pressures we all face. This double bill will feature new pieces created over the past year by PRIME’s Artistic Director Kally Lloyd-Jones, as well as guest choreographers Malcolm Sutherland, Tough Boys Collective and Rosie Mackley.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
*Ring ring* Who is it? It's drag comedian, delusional icon and all-round cheeky northern piglet Crudi Dench! She's taping the pilot episode for her new TV show Someone Help Her! and needs the assistance of surprise celebrity guests in the audience (you) to help those phoning in. Chaos ensues in this long-awaited debut hour from the star and writer of award-winning, sell-out Fringe shows Drag Queens vs Zombies and Drag Queens vs Vampires. Expect stand-up, audience interaction and a fabulous telephone. 'Riotously funny and surprisingly poignant' ***** (SussexOnlineNews.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Iron Belly
A clinic waiting room. Two Somali teens. One awkward meet-cute. Najma has been in treatment for years. Zakariya’s just starting out. She sketches. He writes poems. Neither of them is ready to talk. Until they meet each other. As their sessions continue, so do the chats. And the jokes. And the secrets. Crush is a tender, funny and honest story about identity, connection and the messy path to healing. Longlisted for the Tony Craze Award 2025.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Clover
The DIVAS are back... bigger, better and beltier! The five-star production is back for 2026 with a cast of professional singers and live band to celebrate some of the greatest DIVAS of all time from music, movies and musical theatre. From Carole King to Cher, Raye to Reba McEntire, and Sabrina Carpenter to Shirley Bassey, there will be something for everyone in this high-energy, fast-paced show. Winner of Best Theatre Production (TheatreScotland.co.uk, 2022 and 2023). 'A professionally executed show and a great way for a music-lover of any age to spend an hour' (Broadway.com).
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
An experimental aerial pole dance explosion performed by NYC collective VERTICAL DREAMSCAPE, featuring US Pole Art Champion Donna Carnow and interdisciplinary artist Gina Alm. Their hour-long montage of dream worlds is a sensual and cinematic, dark yet dazzling vision of a journey when the sun goes down – from the luminous tones of Dusk, the darkest underbelly of Night, into the messy brilliance of Dawn. This durational work pushes the performers' bodies to the limit, producing a powerful, visceral and transcendent product that feels vibrant, textured, unpredictable and of an alien world. 'A genuine work of Art' *****(BroadwayBaby.com).
Assembly Roxy
Central
Out of the Box is a multi award-winning family show delighting audiences across the UK; an hour of joyful chaos, jaw-dropping skill and irresistible fun. Named Best Family Show at Brighton Fringe, Darryl J Carrington transforms everyday objects into extraordinary adventures. A toothbrush stars in a balancing act, a string sparks a heist and a tea party lands on someone's head! With over 20 years of circus and clowning experience, Darryl's silent comedy blends world-class juggling, inventive physical theatre and heart-warming audience interaction. His humour transcends age and language.
Underbelly George Square
The Wee Coo
Darryl J Carrington is a physical comedian and mostly non-verbal clown who loves messing around with objects, timing and visual gags. His last show, Out of the Box, won multiple awards with critics calling it utterly absorbing, charming and great fun. People loved how he connected with audiences using nothing but inventive physical comedy. Tennish starts as a tennis show but quickly goes off-court as Darryl discovers what he can do with tennis props – turning rackets, balls and towels into instruments, obstacles and punchlines. It's playful, chaotic, visual and all about ambition, performance, and failure.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Clover
An evening of low-voltage song and chatter from the increasingly dishevelled Lidl Bruno Mars. In addition to his comedy and not being Chris O’Dowd, David co-hosts the What Did You Do Yesterday? podcast. He is sometimes on television.
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
A Fringe premiere! Dear Evan Hansen is a deeply moving, contemporary musical about anxiety, connection and the search for belonging. Featuring unforgettable songs and emotional storytelling, it follows a teenager whose small lie spirals into something life-changing. Honest, heart-wrenching and hopeful, the show reminds us that even the most isolated voices deserve to be heard. Audiences laugh, cry and leave changed. Captivate Theatre is a local, vibrant, community-driven theatre company known for producing high-quality, engaging performances.
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
You are the Head of Public Relations at MirrorMinds.ai, a company preparing for the launch of their newest product that allows anyone to create fake videos that look perfectly real. As sole audience member and active participant in this immersive theatrical experience, you will video chat with co-workers, investigate the materials in your office and argue for your own perspective on the appropriate use of AI. It's up to you to make this launch a success... or not. Part puzzle room, part quiet horror story.
Underbelly Cowgate
Top Belly
A comic exploration of grief, inspired by a break-up and over 40 interviews gathered via a social media call-out. In the wake of a relationship, a woman tries to contain the overflow of her thoughts…She ends up stuck in a ladder, fighting against komodo dragons, house leaks, holes and jam jars that only seem to multiply. Deluge puts a magic realist spin on dealing with and overcoming grief. Blurring imagination with real stories by invoking a surreal, tender and humorous dreamscape. ‘Intense physicality and irresistible charm’ **** (BritishTheatreGuide.info). ‘Incredibly beautifully written’ **** (TheSpyInTheStalls.com). ****½ (AYoungishPerspective.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Big Belly
Diary of A Mad Man is a darkly comic one-man drama tracing the psychological collapse of a corporate worker whose status craving mutates into obsession. Adapted from Nikolai Gogol and relocated to contemporary Ireland, the play immerses us inside a mind where professional failure breeds paranoia, rage and terrifying logic. Consumed by race, hierarchy and fixation on his CEO’s daughter, his inner voice grows seductive, persuasive and lethal. As reality fractures, the audience becomes trapped inside his reasoning, forced to confront how ambition corrodes identity and madness feels disturbingly justified, dark, funny and deeply unsettling.
Assembly Roxy
Roxyboxy
A Brain, An Athlete, A Basket Case, A Princess and a Criminal all walk into detention one 1985 Saturday morning. You know the story. Or so you thought... Forty years later, the forgotten sixth student hosts a reunion and we're all invited. Part homage, part identity crisis, this sharp, witty, nostalgic love letter to John Hughes' iconic 1980s film is dedicated to anyone who ever wished life felt more like the movies. WhatsOnStage Award nominated Fringe favourites Fake Escape present Don't You Forget About Me as part of their Decade of Fringe season.
Assembly Roxy
Downstairs
The biggest, brightest comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe all in one huge show, staged in the famous Udderbelly. A one-stop shop for your comedy fix right in the beating heart of the festival. Every show sold out since 2017! Previous performers have included Jason Byrne, Nina Conti, Phil Wang, Fern Brady, Ivo Graham, David O'Doherty, Sam Campbell, Joanne McNally, Larry Dean, Amy Gledhill, Ian Smith, Flo & Joan, Olga Koch and Ahir Shah. Every weekend – Friday and Saturday nights. Nightly line-ups available at UnderbellyEdinburgh.co.uk.
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
Eli just became the first ever New Zealander to move to London, after applying for the "youth" visa on the last possible week he was eligible. He's ready to be a star and the only things in his way are his age and the impending apocalypse. From his brief ballet career to the lofty heights of performing at Dining In The Dark, Eli is ready to share it all to win you over... including the horrific story of his first visit to a gay sauna. **** (Chortle.co.uk). **** (Everything-Theatre.co.uk).
Assembly George Square
The Crate
I told my manager I wanted to write a show about dead dogs, and she said 'oh god' but that's not really my problem, it's her job to market it. This show isn't sad, you will leave feeling good. I promise. Thinking about asking my vet for a refund on the euthanasia just to see what happens. 'Holland is an act in absolute mastery of her craft' ****(Scotsman). 'A whirlwind of comedy, chaos, and charm' **** (ThreeWeeks).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Four
Believing themselves to be revolutionary leaders, two overconfident artists attempt to liberate the masses through the power of theatre. Ethan & Gigi are here to upstage fascist pigs and break legs (literally). The revolution will not be televised, it will be live! Alt-comedian legend Chris Gethard says: 'These kids are funny, brave, some of the hardest workers I've ever met and also might be legitimately unwell in a mental sense. Either way, huge fan. Restores my faith and makes me believe in the connective power of comedy.'
Underbelly Cowgate
Big Belly
'Everything a science show should be, and more!' ***** (SeesawMag.com.au). 'Brings science to life!' **** (List). 'A top pick for kids who love science!' **** (EdinburghFestivalsForKids.com). The maddest of mad scientists, Magnus Danger Magnus, is back! Chaotic mayhem abounds in this stunningly stylish STEM show with 10 times the spectacle and 20,000 times the voltage of the science classes at school! Whether you're a science fanatic or just looking for a wildly fun family day out; this high-octane show delivers educational entertainment at its absolute best!
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
FLIGHT is an immersive audio experience in complete darkness, inside a shipping container with an interior exactly resembling a full-scale plane cabin. Exploring the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics, the experience unfolds across two parallel realities and two possible outcomes to the same journey. FLIGHT explores the unsettling idea that more than one version of the present may exist simultaneously: there are many worlds in which this plane lands safely.
Assembly George Square
Darkfield FLIGHT
The Fuccbois are the world’s biggest boyband. They’ve sold more tickets and broken more hearts than anyone, but now it’s time to say goodbye to their frosted tips forever; they’re done. From award-winning writer Bridie Connell, FUCCBOIS: LIVE IN CONCERT is a massive comedy-boyband-extravaganza. It’s an irreverent satire of toxic dating culture, but most importantly: the music is banging. 'Perhaps the most fun you’ll ever have in a theatre’ ****½ (TheStateoftheArts.co.uk). 'Hilarious from the opening minute… comedic brilliance!’ ***** (GlamAdelaide.com.au). ‘This show made me laugh like no other… pure genius!’ ***** (Advertiser, Adelaide).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Two
Award-winning drag thing Fanny Bleach brings you The Nearly Naked Show, a Mighty Boosh and Leigh Bowery mash-up, full of guts and glitter. This fantastical freak show is a reclamation of the naked body in all its gory glory. Join cabaret, drag, performance art and comedy star Fanny on a journey through the universe of her mind in all its creepiest corners and crevices, but please try to keep your hands inside the ride. 'A parade of chaos, craft and c*ntery' (Narc 'Face Acting Heaven' Narc).
Assembly Roxy
Downstairs
Written and performed by Fempath (Mari Moriarty), this kaleidoscopic cabaret features original music and lyrics from trans icons and their adversaries. The show explores queer history, bathroom politics, deepthroating, tarot, Alzheimer's disease, sexual assault, PTSD, immigration, fascism, addiction, disability and Kim Petras. So whether you’re a fan of piano, witches or phallic fruit, come join the party! From saints to slags, trans folk are never just one thing and neither is this cabaret!
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dexter
Co-commissioned by Sadler's Wells. A brand-new Flamenco comedy show where comedy and physical theatre blend beautifully with the world of Flamenco, offering audiences from around the globe a whole new way of enjoying this universal art form. An energetic, inventive, funny, and downright wild take on Flamenco, full of visual gags, world-class dance and live music where traditional styles meets modern genres like rock, pop, hip hop and house. From Sadler's Wells and Yllana, the team who brought you the ***** Edinburgh Fringe hit A Comedy of Operas, comes a Flamenco show like you've never experienced before.
Assembly Rooms
Music Hall
Eva’s falling through time. We join her as she struggles to piece together her reality following the crash that changed everything. Fractured is a story about memory, shame and grief. It’s about the little bad things that inexorably lead to the big bad thing. It’s about the magnetism of the past to anyone refusing to face it. Don’t miss the trippy, pacy Edinburgh Fringe debut play from Bill Cashmore Award-winning writer Shona Graham (Lyric Hammersmith, Old Vic Theatremakers, London Library).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Dancer
Step into the joyful and absurd world of Francisco de Nata. A giraffe. In a G-string. With a job to do. In this silent clown show featuring audience interaction, puppetry and yes, a very special Portuguese custard tart, Francisco invites you on a playful journey where nonsense, vulnerability and wonder take centre stage. Tasked with painting a ceiling, his world soon unravels into beautiful chaos, but as the clock ticks and the paint dries, a tender and ridiculous story unfolds about this giraffe's love for his Avó (grandma). Will it come together before time runs out?
Underbelly Bristo Square
Clover
Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and modern, normal person mines for LOLs in her sophomore solo show. A brave and landmark briefing on the most hilarious topics of all: ageing, Vinted and AI. Never heard of her? She's the absolute and total and main star of these things: Jurassic World: Dominion, Wonka, One Day (Netflix), Mash Report (BBC Two), Smoggie Queens (BBC Three), Deep Cover (Amazon), Lazy Susan (BBC Three). Still never heard of her? Shortest half of sketch-duo Lazy Susan: 'Outrageous and irreverent' **** (Guardian). 'Bright and bountiful, barely wastes a word' (Times).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dexter
Catch a glimpse of the next big thing at Dance Base’s Fringe Fragments. An industry pitching platform open to audiences, Fringe Fragments spotlights dance makers from Scotland and around the world as they share 15-minute excerpts of tour-ready performances
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
Frisky and her incredible band return after their five-star smash-hit Frisky’s Reshuffle. Missed it last year? You missed Heavy-Metal Madonna, Opera WAP, DrumnBass Candle in the Wind. Come play Remix Roulette with us. Any song. Any style. You decide. 'Bold, brilliant, and utterly unmissable' (LondonTheatreDoc.com). 'Eccentric, hilarious, and outrageously entertaining' (SuzzisSpotlight.com). 'Genre-bending, audience-driven and laugh-out-loud funny' (TheReviewsHub.com).
Assembly Rooms
Bijou
GULP! is an absurd physical comedy where an ordinary morning spirals into a full lifetime love story between Henry and his breakfast. He wants an entire life with his new wife, but she’ll be overripe by dinner. Whimsically imaginative, GULP! is a boy-meets-banana clown show that audiences are calling 'wildly inventive', 'surrealist' and 'unexpectedly heartfelt'.
Assembly Roxy
Snug Bar
After surviving hospital stays, a sick cat, and a nerve-wracking stint on Dancing with the Stars, Gearóid Farrelly returns with No Pressure. In this candid and hilarious hour, he unpacks the chaos of modern life with his trademark wit. He reflects on life's absurdities, the struggle of self-care, and the freedom of embracing imperfection. Hailed as 'a solid and consistent hour of great stand-up' (ThreeWeeks), 'an incredible performer' (BroadwayBaby.com), he's also been called 'bloody hilarious' by Sarah Millican and 'my absolute favourite' by Joanne McNally. Don't miss this sharp, life-affirming night.
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Five
Geoff Norcott (Would I Lie to You?, News Quiz, Have I Got News For You) is ending his biggest UK Tour yet at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August. He'll take on life, politics and being a bloke in his trademark playfully provocative style. Only this time he's willing to admit what a judgy person he's become in middle age. This might not be the show for you if you wear dressing gowns after 9am or play music out of your phones on public transport. **** (Times).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Ermintrude
Georgia Polly-Taylor: Very Hot. Very Messy. takes you on a grungy gondola trip through the kaleidoscopic sewers of celebrity. We find wannabe socialite model, Hot Mess, at her first ever MET Gala – poses are struck, bowels are loose and dreams are crushed faster than you can say nepotism. Part absurd clown, part catwalk diva: Georgia Polly-Taylor's remarkably eccentric character celebrates the often disastrous reality of being human. 'Audiences bellow with laughter... tears streaming down their faces' ***** (Everything-Theatre.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Laugh
Theatre adult celebrates the theatre kid in all of us, from first auditions to final bows, as performer and comedian Gianmarco Soresi, takes you on a hilarious journey through the highs and pitfalls of a life on stage. Enjoy stand-up, crowd work and even a showtune or two.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Cowbarn
Les Foutoukours return to Edinburgh with Glob, a circus adventure like no other! Without a single word, two lovable characters tumble, glide and soar through the unknown. Join them as they discover a world that is tender, magical and wonderfully absurd. They’ll make you laugh, gasp and cheer – all while tugging at your heart. For anyone who needs the world to slow down just a little, Glob is a wordless journey where emotion speaks louder than words. Perfect for all ages, it will delight and enchant audiences, young and old. Don’t miss this unforgettable ride!
Underbelly Bristo Square
McEwan Hall
Australian comedy's number one autistic glamourpuss is back in Edinburgh with a banging hour of trademark Jarvis oddball stand-up. She's getting dragged backwards through a hedge and onto stage to perform some brand-new carefully crafted, deceivingly dark and genuinely funny stand-up comedy about the cruelty of reality TV, the cultural distrust being perpetrated by fairy floss flavoured vapes and the collapse of the social contract. There's something, if not for everyone, then for a large spectrum of freaks. One of Rolling Stone's 12 Must-See Comedy Shows at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025.
Underbelly George Square
The Wee Coo
Grace has a massive head. Physically. Not egotistically. Grace dares to tackle a controversial topic – is it an insult to tell a woman she looks like her Dad? From her toddler niece getting a boyfriend before her to embracing millennial women’s religion (going woo woo) to her Dad’s memory slipping and Grace’s big face being the only one he recognises. This warm and laugh-out-loud show is about parents, identity, and finding joy in the things you can’t escape. 'Guaranteed floor-to-ceiling laughs' (BeyondTheJoke.co.uk). 'Her writing is razor sharp' (One4Review.co.uk). Support for Joanne McNally.
Assembly George Square
The Box
Gutter is London's sell-out underground comedy night, making its Fringe premiere. Hosted by a vicious bouffon troupe – 'a little bit nasty' (Philippe Gaulier) – who crawl out of a bin to run the show. A world of clowning, drag and alternative cabaret, with a rotating line-up of stand-out and emerging performers. Each night draws the audience in, then insidiously turns on them. Chortle Award nominated for Best Alternative and Clowning. Created by Tom Greaves (Fudgey: Best Reviewed Shows 2024, Comedy.co.uk). Late-night comedy that refuses to behave.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Friesian
Probably shouldn't have given everything away in the title. Like most people I've been trying to figure out how the worst dickheads have taken over everything. So I've read three books (one was a graphic novel) and listened to five audiobooks (AT NORMAL SPEED) to try and figure out WHAT THE F*CK IS GOING ON? Credits to impress my mum: New Zealand Today (Netflix), Taskmaster NZ, Guy Montgomery's GuyMont Spelling Bee. ***** (ThreeWeeks). **** (Chortle). **** (Skinny).
Assembly Roxy
Upstairs
The five-star, sell-out, musical-comedy cabaret Guys Sing Dolls is back at the Fringe! Four professional male vocalists (and Neil, the pianist from Pilton...) attempt to perform some of the most iconic diva anthems of all time from music, movies and musical theatre. Guys Sing Dolls is back with more stories, laughter and singing that will get your hands clapping, feet tapping and leave you singing in the streets. 'Songs are interspersed with some comedic segues, with plenty of anecdotes and self-deprecating humour... a camp and theatrical extravaganza with a huge amount of heart' (TheatreandTonic.co.uk).
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
Edinburgh award-winning five-star legend Gyles is back! In his new show the 'wildly funny' (Daily Mail) former-MP and Just A Minute, Celebrity Gogglebox, QI, and This Morning star is unpacking his childhood memories (and yours) and sharing hilarious stories of the best (and worst!) moments of his unlikely life – when he can remember them. This is Gyles ('A master raconteur', Telegraph) with a Rosebud twist – because he's being joined on stage by his friend Harriet Jaine, the producer of his multi-million download podcast, Rosebud. Laughs. Tears. Songs. Name-dropping guaranteed. 'Genius' (Sunday Times).
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
'Harvey Cobb is a born performer, a funny and idiosyncratic improvisational talent' (De Volkskrant). After a wild goose chase for European citizenship, he will be returning to the UK with his debut show – a chaotic and hilarious hour filled with pink boot juggling, ridiculous characters, silly songs, contemporary art, and one Alcoholic Sock Puppet. A Fringe debut not to be missed.
Underbelly Cowgate
Big Belly
Following the hugely successful Hello Birds in 2025, Bran and Tor are back and joined by new friend Piper for a day out at the beach. Who will we meet on our seaside picnic? An interactive multi-sensory storytelling show for 0-2 years, featuring puppetry, singing and key-word signing. Written by Jasmine Cole. Directed by Connie Crosby. Music and Lyrics by Connie Crosby and Hannah Platts. Key-Word Signing supported by Arthur's Club.
Assembly George Square
The Crate
The ultimate Fringe Party is back!! Sold-out since 2012, Hot Dub Time Machine returns to the heart of the Fringe for 8 intimate shows. Boogie through time with 100% BANGERS from 1970-2026. Huge, happy crowds all over the world agree: this is the Best. Party. Ever
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
House of Life is back. One part sermon. One part purge. Three parts party. 'The show that turns strangers into friends' (Lyn Gardner) is ready to cure your existential dread with a glittering blast of collective joy. This five-star, feel-good sensation is the most fun you'll ever have in a theatre. Led by the glitter-clad, beat-dropping RaveRend, this genre-defying night of music, movement and communal healing has been scientifically proven to make you feel 100% never sad again. **** (Guardian). ***** (PlayBill.com). ***** (Telegraph).
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
Two bananas wake up duct-taped to the wall of an art gallery. Three artists, two auctions, one audience. Get ready to bid! An award-winning clown-fruit mash-up about making art, surviving and chasing mass a-peel. In a world that values youth, perfection and mass production, can two bruised bananas go the distance? Ripe with potential, can they find their place before they're put up for sale? Find out how starving these artists truly are. Winner of the Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award and nominated for Best in Theatre, 2025. 'Clowning at the 11th level of intensity' ****1/2 (TheatreThoughtsAus.com).
Underbelly Cowgate
Iron Belly
For nearly 20 years, Rev Derek Gritt has brought a little bit of holy into Britain's homes with his TV show At Your Service – now only available online (which is FINE!). Mega-fan Jane Plemley's last wish was to have her funeral delivered by the Reverend, so this week he's heading to the quaint village of Godsby-Upon-Treen. As usual, he'll lead the service, chat church and answer your burning questions. Except the ones about Jane. She's NOT a witch. From the creator of cult Fringe hit Hot Rubber. ***** (BroadwayWorld.com)
Underbelly Cowgate
Iron Belly
A new collaboration by choreographer Karl Jay-Lewin and composer Matteo Fargion. If I Can’t Dance I’m Not Coming reframes Fritz Lang’s 1927 masterpiece Metropolis, translating silent cinema into a rigorous choreographic score. Performed by an eclectic ensemble of eight, the work rejects virtuosity in favour of dignity, threading humour, rebellion and flashes of tenderness through a democratic creative process. Extending Jay-Lewin and Fargion’s acclaimed Extremely series, the work resonates with quiet political force. www.MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
On the motionless nights of the Karst summer, a call crosses the dark: keu... keu... The scops owl sings, hidden among branches, revealing itself only through its voice. From this image, Compagnia Bellanda shapes a visceral duet on love's fragile threshold – between desire and control, tenderness and aggression, guidance and surrender. Rooted in breaking and evolving into intimate partnering, the choreography entwines bodies, breath and stripped language. Sound is amplified, fractured, returned as memory. Suspended between choice and destiny, the performers inhabit a space where empathy resists rupture and a single word may alter two lives.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
Back for a fourth year and officially a Fringe favourite, Impromptunes returns with their signature musical mayhem. You suggest a title and seconds later the curtain rises on a brand-new musical, performed for the first, last and only time. Everything is made up on the spot – songs, scenes and choreography unfold before your eyes as Australia's finest improvisers create a full musical packed with hijinks, harmonies and hilarity. It's unrehearsed. It's unpredictable. It's a whole lot of fun. It's Impromptunes! 'Outrageously funny' ***** (TheatrePeople.com.au).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Ermintrude
Comedians Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh and a guest wine expert guide you through five wine tastings and at least five jokes. Returning after two sellout Edinburgh Fringe seasons, direct from a residency on the Las Vegas Strip! Everyone from savvy sauvignon swiggers to clueless chardonnay chuggers will find something to make their glass half full, as the wine industry's hardest-hitting questions are answered. Ticket includes five tastings, with an alcohol-free option. 'Quick-witted humour and slick pace' ***** (EdinburghGuide.com). 'Sips and wit... a night of imbibing and chortling!' (Las Vegas Review-Journal).
Assembly Rooms
Bijou
The gripping dark comedy of an ambitious Black accountant fighting for a seat at the table in the high-stakes world of Wall Street. Shortlisted for the Popcorn Writing Award, the show follows a man torn between love, family expectations, and the relentless pursuit of success, as he navigates power, class, and identity in a system never built for him. How far will he go to survive... and who will he become in the process? 'Degraft is marked as a star of the future' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'It’s a privilege to watch a young master at work' ***** (TheRealChristparkle.com).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Daisy
One man. Twelve ironing boards. One epic soundtrack. Get ready to be amazed as physical comedian Jody Kamali masterfully transforms everyday household items into the tools of a Hollywood-style, action-packed movie. With heart-pounding moments and emotional depth, this show thrilled audiences during its packed-out Fringe runs in 2024 and 2025 earning numerous standing ovations. There's gunfire, there's a wedding, there's more gunfire and there's revenge – plus plenty of laughter along the way. 'Demands applause' (Scotsman). 'Astonishing' (DarkChat.co.uk). 'Unapologetically mindless' (Guardian). 'Wonderfully "fringe-y" Fringe show' (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Slapstick and delightful' (One4Review.co.uk).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Ermintrude
I, Jack Ansett (Taskmaster NZ), am making my Edinburgh Debut! Please come! I'd also like to take this opportunity to plug a young up-and-comer Sam Campbell, who I think could do really well in the UK market if he can get in front of enough people. Yes, you'd rather buy tickets to the big acts, McIntyre, Minchin, Jack Ansett – but it is always good to take a shot on a lesser-known face.
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Four
A show by Jack about jokes. Who doesn't like jokes? If your answer to that question is 'Me!', then steer well clear of this show. Celebrating 40 years in standup comedy, Jack takes us on a memoir of all his favourite old stories. Jokes and funny anecdotes have intrigued Jack for as long as he can remember. Now he has assembled the best of them to form a new show that offers a glimpse of the influences that led him into and helped shape his comedy career. Guaranteed no new material.
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
BAFTA winner and recovering spoken-word artist Jack Rooke (Creator of Hulu/C4's Big Boys), revives his debut comedy-theatre hour, a decade on from its first Fringe run. Featuring the original show (co-written with his nan) and new content, this retrospective explores grief, milking having a dead dad for personal/professional gain, the innocence of writing just for oneself before the interference of "telly wankers", and the palpable regret of his own decline into becoming said "telly wanker". Directed by Gabriel Bisset-Smith. 'Good Grief 2.0 [is] a delightful and still affecting watch' (Guardian). 'Engaging, frank, humorous' (New York Times).
Underbelly Bristo Square
McEwan Hall
'Hi James, We're finding audiences don't really want trauma right now. Would you consider something punchier? Warmly, The Industry.' NextUp's Biggest Award in Comedy nominee, James Barr is back with a brand-new show! A comedian and broadcaster on Hits Radio, he is the storyteller behind one of the most talked-about shows of Edinburgh Fringe 2025, Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex To My Mum). British Comedy Guide's Best Reviewed Shows of Edinburgh Fringe 2025. ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Show longlist, British LGBT Awards 2025 Top 10 LGBTQ+ Public Figure.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dexter
Direct from London's West End and an unprecedented run of sold out shows in theatres around the world – a show that guarantees to leave you aching with laughter and dizzy in disbelief. Presented by James Phelan, the first magician in history to sell out a two week solo run at The Magic Circle. Join us for the most astonishing and impossible night of magic.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Beauty
Jason Byrne is back and “Byrning” brighter than ever, celebrating 30 glorious years of stand-up with his brand-new show, 30 Years Byrning. Byrne delivers a riotous night of high-energy storytelling, surreal tangents and unstoppable laughter. From razor-sharp observations to gloriously unhinged audience interaction, brave improvisation, that has made Jason a festival favourite for three decades. This anniversary special is a hilarious return to props and stunts of the past decades, a fearless leap forward and a masterclass in pure comic mayhem. Do not blow it by missing this show, get tickets early, it makes sense.
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
Have you ever been in love? From the loins of multi award-winning goofball, Jeromaia Detto (Australia), the disarmingly charming Giuseppe Alfresco is desperate to finally find connection and fall in love. Winner Best Comedy Weekly Award – Adelaide Fringe 2026. 'Laughter therapy' ***** (@ThePerthDiary, Instagram). 'Magical evening of big-hearted humour' ***** (SeeDoEatReview.com). 'An abs workout and total laugh' **** (List). Praise for previous work: Winner of People's Choice Award, Sydney Fringe 2025. Judge's Pick (Comedy) – Melbourne Fringe, 2024. Winner of Best Comedy Weekly Award – Adelaide Fringe, 2024.
Underbelly George Square
Buttercup
Elton John's greatest hits are reimagined by multi award-winning Jess Robinson (Dead Ringers, The Last Leg), renowned for her pitch-perfect impressions. Celebrating Elton through the voices of iconic women: Britney, Barbra, Amy, and more, Jess returns for her 10th Fringe with her 'dazzling vocals and wickedly sharp impressions' ***** (BroadwayWorld.com). ***** (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine). ***** (Edinburgh-Reviews.co.uk). ***** (StageDoorJoe.co.uk). ***** (Edinburgh Evening News). **** (List). **** (Fest). **** (Chortle.co.uk). 'It's like a mega concert with all your favourite stars' (ITV1). 'Naturally funny, pitch perfect' (Telegraph).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
Mary Floppins has cracked the sh*ts. Wipe the wee from the toilet seat and pick up your dirty undies, because the perfect nanny is back to teach all you little boys – and girls – a thing or two about running a prim and proper household. Hailed 'a rising star and quadruple threat' (TheSpyInTheStalls.com) and returning after a completely sold-out Edinburgh Fringe run in 2025, Jessica Barton combines a spoonful of song, dance, clowning and deep-cleaning to present a skanky and empowering comedy debut. Newly directed by Dan Wye.
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Button
Jewish Plot is a shape-shifting work of meta-theatre by Torrey Townsend. What begins as a witty reconstruction of a fictional Victorian melodrama about antisemitism fractures in real time, erupting into a searing contemporary reckoning with Jewish identity, politics and inheritance. Fierce, funny and unflinching, the play asks what it means to create – and to belong – amid historical trauma and present-day violence. Following a sold-out New York premiere and recognition by Vulture as one of 2025’s Top 10 Plays in New York City, Jewish Plot is daring, urgent theatre at its most alive.
Assembly Rooms
Drawing Room
You're invited to Jill's Tupperware Party. A perfect world where plastic lids click, smiles almost never falter and microwaves hum with divine purpose. Jill's Tupperware Party is an auspicious afternoon where sales records, hearts and bones could all be broken. This interactive comedy-horror blends retro suburban camp with B-movie terror all sealed in a pastel fantasy. Come join the party. What's the worst that could happen? You're in the company of friends...
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Laugh
After his father's sudden death, Jody digs through his belongings, uncovering the man he thought he knew. Suddenly, he's back for one hour to tell us who he was. Playing both himself and his father, Jody unpicks his Dad's bizarre life in a thoughtful, funny theatrical solo show about grief, secrets and the contradictions within us all. From the creator of the fringe hit Ironing Board Man: 'Makes every individual moment entertaining' (Stage). 'A genius for storytelling' (GetYourCoatsOn.com). 'Astonishing' (DarkChat.co.uk). 'Demands applause' (Scotsman).
Assembly George Square
The Crate
Death penalty defense attorney Josh Pickar debuts a high-energy hour of stand-up and clown. From a stripper who accidentally stopped executions to a suicidal groundhog, Getting Off offers a darkly hilarious look at the bizarre theatre of capital punishment.
Assembly Roxy
Snug Bar
A comedy about false eyelashes and the truth that sizzles beneath: with the signature wit that's made them a staple of downtown New York, Sayre celebrates the stylish women of yesteryear and forges a path towards being the witty, wonderful, fabulous and foul-mouthed dame they've always dreamed they'd be. To Sayre, being a 40-Year-Old Woman is more than candles on a cake; it's a way of being fully yourself. Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a hilarious ride!
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dairy Room
Winner, Best LGBTQIA+ Edinburgh Fringe Award (List). An unexpected call from a library derails a performance planned by newly arrived drag artist Goody Prostate, booked to headline the local reading hour. But as they race against the clock to scramble together a new act in real time, they spiral into a chaotic interrogation of childhood, memory and a long overdue examination of what it means to grow up. The library is open – sit down, be quiet and listen. Because sometimes, reading is what? Fundamentalist. ***** (List, BingeFringe.com, TheatreWeekly.com, AYoungishPerspective.co.uk, WhatsTheShow.com.au, SeeDoEatReview.com).
Underbelly Cowgate
Big Belly
What is the most powerful force in the universe? You may be closer to it than you realise. In this thrilling new show, magician-scientist Kevin Quantum explores the hidden forces that shape your world. Electricity crackles, reality bends and impossible moments unfold that feel both scientific and otherworldly. Trained by Penn & Teller and winner of Best Magic (Adelaide Fringe), expect raw, unfiltered magic from a world-class showman. 'Astonishing' ***** (Edinburgh Evening News). 'Defies imagination' ***** (Advertiser, Adelaide). 'Unfathomable' **** (Scotsman). Think you know what's real? Think again.
Assembly Rooms
Ballroom
One of Ireland's most exciting new comedy stars returns with a brand-new show. After his sell-out UK and Ireland tour in 2025 including a total sell-out run at the Edinburgh festival Killian is back with Killian Dollar Baby. Killian is one of the biggest stars of Irish sketch comedy with a huge online following. He is also one part of the award-winning Young Hot Guys podcast.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Jersey
Krapp's Last Tape is a journey through an old man's life, filled with hilarious memories and hopes for the future, coupled with the mourning of lost love and unfulfilled ambition. This production, directed by Academy Award nominee Stockard Channing and starring David Westhead, tours globally throughout 2026/27. Revel in Samuel Beckett's classic play, as audiences are invited into Krapp's world of solitude, memories, dreams, elation and despair. Post-show 15-minute Q&A on selected dates noted with a 65-minute runtime.
Assembly Roxy
Upstairs
Terry's back from the dead and he's brought a chat show with him Featuring interviews with "real" celebrities and accompanied by a live band. Previous guests include: George Lucas, Ray Parker Jr, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Liza Minelli, DB Cooper, Tim Henman, Scarlett Johansson and several different Michael Caines. Every night one lucky member of the audience will give Terry £5000. Terry Wogan is a recipient of a KBE / dead. 'A clever late-night romp' **** (Telegraph). **** (Mervyn Stutter's Pick of the Fringe).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio One
Ancient myths. Modern questions. International multi award-winning artist and singer-songwriter Cheeyang Ng blends Chinese mythology, memory and queer legacy in the electrifying solo ritual musical Legendary, a life-affirming tale of queer joy and identity. Through communal song and the retelling of ancient myths, they explore their relationship with family, tradition and the stories that have shaped them, but never reflected them. In the beginning, there was a god named Pan Gu and a ravishing goddess named Nü Wa. A global internet sensation, Legendary doesn't just tell a story: it invites the audience to create one. 'Extraordinary' (Jason Robert Brown).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Friesian
Ping-ponging between campfire storytelling and psychedelic, gut-punching folk-rock, Live From The Afterlife is a solo piece by Charlie Kilgore about time, hitchhiking, surviving a terminal illness, and anal.
Assembly Roxy
Roxyboxy
MC Hammersmith is posh West London's leading freestyle rapper, with 500 million views online. He presents his new show: Ice Ice Nepo Baby. When MC Hammersmith turned 18, his parents (MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice) shockingly revealed he was adopted. His two famous dads helped him ascend to the top of the rap game. He now embarks on a quest to find his biological family, the only way he knows how: by performing an hour of improvised hip hop comedy based on audience suggestions. Lightning-fast raps, explosively funny rhymes, and utterly captivating genealogical investigation!
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Three
Before he was the Bard, he was just Will… with a problem: his publisher will only print one of his plays. With Puck as instigator, Lear, Cleopatra, the Macbeths and more of Shakespeare’s greatest characters erupt into rebellion in a chaotic race to become the chosen tale. Pop musical comedy meets absurdist theatre in this riotous story of ambition, ego and the birth of a legend.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Cowbarn
Featuring Fran Healy of Travis and more special guests! Making Love with David Magidoff is in the middle of a three-year sold-out run in Los Angeles and is proud to make its Edinburgh debut! Each night David Magidoff (Dexter) interviews a celebrity about a real love story, then he and his improviser friends turn it into a fully improvised musical. Past guests include Tony Hale (Veep), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), and Oscar Nuñez (The Office). You never know who will show up! 'Making Love is Hilarious!' (Alex Horne, creator of Taskmaster).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Two
Lights! Cameras! Maggie! Mrs Thatcher goes to Hollywood to play herself in a musical remake of the Iron Lady and a Prime MiniSTAR is born! Will Maggie pull herself up by her bra straps or be trampled down by the man? And will she find a moment to ugly-cry so she can win an Oscar? A drag musical romp from the producer of Unfortunate and Olivier Award-winners behind Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder. 'Hilarious camp with political punch' **** (Times). ***** (Attitude.co.uk).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
From comedian Mark Vigeant (whose last Fringe hour became a special on Dropout TV) comes a wildly inventive character-comedy hour. Meet Larry: a burnt-out engineer on a mission to gain fame by livestreaming a survival adventure from the Alaskan wilderness. Armed with a camera, unshakeable optimism and questionable survival skills, he livestreams his journey into the wild. But when the wilderness pushes back, his mission spirals into chaos. Blending live video, immersive tech and fearless clowning, OUT THERE is a hilarious, unpredictable descent into ambition, delusion and the things we do to prove our lives matter.
Assembly Roxy
Downstairs
Second City Mainstage alums Ashley Blair and Drew Reilly are Megasquirt, an experimental comedy music project from Brooklyn. Fully Loaded is the unhinged hybrid concert/sketch show of your wet dreams – a high-octane flood of gay brain rot set to a sickening beat. Imagine being at an underground rave that is also hilarious and maybe illegal. That's the vibe. Featuring hit songs like Butt of the Bread, Gooning in the DJ Booth, Centaur Boyfriend and more! Come thirsty. Leave fully loaded.
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
Another hilarious and brilliantly entertaining satirical show from the online sensation behind the award-winning hit The Room Next Door. Packed with sketches and stories about having hope despite the current political and global shitshow. Featuring characters from his BBC Radio 4 show, No Room as well as some old friends too. ‘Huge comedy talent’ (Radio Times) **** (Guardian). **** (Daily Mail).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Three
New stand-up tour show from Mike Wozniak in which a story about a bench will be prominent. Previous experience of or strong opinions about benches not required. Let Mike worry about that. As seen on Taskmaster, Man Down and Junior Taskmaster. As heard on Three Bean Salad podcast.
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
The King is back! Mitch Benn resurrects Elvis from BBC Radio 2's legendary Steve Wright in the Afternoon show, to answer hunks of burning questions about life, death, cheeseburgers and everything in between... including the story of how Mitch managed to be possibly the most popular thing on the most popular show on British radio for over ten years, without anyone ever knowing it was him. If you have a question for Elvis, hit the QR code on the flyer or go to: mitchbenn.com/asking-elvis Thankyouverymuch. 'The country's leading musical satirist' (Times).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Jersey
Join Monski Mouse, and her super talented friends, for a live musical singalong cabaret of nursery classics, song, puppetry and bonkers fun for 0-5s and their parents/carers. All the big topics covered: elephants, fish, wiggly worms, transport and the existential ways of the toddler. 'Moments of utter beauty' ***** (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine). 'Monski shines bright, inviting us into a world of wonder' ***** (One4Review.co.uk). 'Delightful' **** (FamiliesOnline.co.uk). 'At the Fringe with a toddler? Recommend Monski Mouse Baby Cabaret' (@AlMurray). Nominated for Best Family Friendly show, WTF Best of Fringe Awards 2025.
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
Why toddle when you can dance? Join this must-do, award-winning, epic session of bopping, bonkers, beautiful fun. Expect high-energy smiling to retro beats and thumping nursery rhymes. Best of Kids Weekly Award winner, Adelaide Fringe 2024. Best of Kids Award nominee, Sydney Fringe 2022. Sold-out season Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. 'Best. Time. Ever' ***** (FamiliesOnline.co.uk). 'Deserves all the praise' ***** (One4Review.co.uk). 'This is what the experts meant when they said spend quality time together' ***** (GlamAdelaide.com.au). 'Tune after tune perfectly chosen for the youngsters' ***** (Edinburgh Evening News).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
It's 1943, and the Nazis are winning. Luckily America has one last trick up its sleeve – a super soldier! But uh oh! A moth snuck into the machine! It's mutating! It's becoming a... moth... man!? Written and performed by Alex Franklin (as seen on Channel 4 and HBO Max), Nikola McMurtrie (Sketch Off 2025 third place, Funny Women Shorts winner), Alex Prescot (Musical Comedy Award finalist) and Hudson Hughes (Double Sketch Off finalist). Prepare for the ultimate romantic comedy musical that no one asked for. Mothman! 'Incredibly funny' ***** (TheWeeReview.com).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Button
When Annie's parents offer her a life-changing sum to get married by 35, she can't refuse. Even if she definitely should. Part romcom, part social autopsy, this ‘relentlessly funny’ (Rosie Jones) new solo show satirises our obsession with ticking life’s boxes. Big-hearted, big-character storytelling about the cost of fitting in – and the freedom of opting out. Written and performed by Ellie Ross (BBC Radio 5 Live, i Paper's 50 Best Jokes of the Fringe, Leicester Square Theatre's SketchOff!), with direction from Liam Williams (Sheeps). ‘Bursting with big laughs’ (Jesse Armstrong; creator of Peep Show & Succession).
Assembly Roxy
Snug Bar
Don your deerstalker and grab your magnifying glass as this talented company use audience suggestions to create a hilarious improvised murder mystery. All you have to do... is solve it! Ms Gold poisoned at a synchronised swimming gala? Dr Blue exploded by cannon during a hot air balloon race? Professor Violet crushed to death at a Love Island recoupling? You decide! But will you guess whodunnit before the killer is revealed? 'A rip-roaring, side-splitting whodunnit' ***** (WhatsGoodToDo.co.uk) 'Outstanding performances delivered by a seriously talented cast!' ***** (ThreeWeeks).
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
The 'maddest, baddest show of the Fringe' (Daily Mail) is back and bigger than ever! Join Loki, Thor and the Norse Gods in this five-star groundbreaking blend of mythological storytelling and high-octane wrestling. Back for its fifth consecutive year at the Fringe, this 'knockout spectacle' (Telegraph) is a one-of-a-kind theatre experience unlike any other show in the world. A true cult classic of the festival, it sells out fast so move quickly! ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). ***** (LondonTheatre.co.uk). ***** (BingeFringe.com). **** (Telegraph). **** (Daily Mail).
Assembly Rooms
Music Hall
Noah's in charge, and you're all animals!! Embarking on his first cruise ship contract, newly single Noah flees his old life in search of stardom on the ark. Finding himself caught up in cosmic plans much larger and apocalyptic than he could have anticipated, he must find ways to keep the existential dread (and animal couples) at bay. Nathaniel Jones writes and performs in a Noah's Ark character comedy about a cappella, the apocalypse and stepping up at work. Directed by award-winning director Sam Smith.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Daisy
After a run at Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Naughty Cabaret is coming back to Edinburgh in 2026. A queer feminist extravaganza full of energy, absurdity and ridiculousness. 'Late night absurdity doesn't come much more fun than this' **** (ToDoList.org.uk). With an ever-changing line up of clown, character comedy, boyband, burlesque and more. Previous guest performers include Lorna Rose-Treen, Lara Ricote, Elf Lyons, Siblings, Ria Lina, Lucy Hopkins and Paulina Lenoir. Hosted by Anna Marie Simonsen and Marie Kallevik Straume, also seen in the 'irresistibly silly' **** (Guardian) clown comedy Troll.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Friesian
Nuns!: A medieval comedy created by Dog Complex Theatre in collaboration with globally acclaimed Police Cops. The Place: Bavaria. The Year: Medieval. The Teeth: Rotten. Sister Gertrude wants to be the holiest nun: forgoing sin, fearing desire, yet secretly wondering what lies beneath Monk Bertram’s robes… So when whispers of witches start to plague the convent, Gertrude teams up with mysterious witch-hunter Yarrow and sets forth to rid the world of devilry and naughty lustful thoughts. Expect action-packed physical comedy and an all-female soundtrack (except that one Evanescence song where the guy says 'wake me up').
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Five
It breaks your heart, an epic tragedy in miniature: two men, a couple of sacks and a crate, but their plight and their dreams rise before us in pathetic grandeur. Drilling into the heart of the famous John Steinbeck novella, Nigel Miles-Thomas' simple staging fully evokes its bleak compassion and harsh unsparing humanity. The story of the itinerant farmworkers, clever thwarted George and big, dumb Lennie, is conjured up, a fleck of individual love and pain in the Dustbowl America in the '30s.
Assembly Rooms
Drawing Room
Explore a microscopic universe from the Big Bang to the death of the stars in this multi award-winning, physical-theatre odyssey through deep space. A nonverbal, jelly-like performer plucks creatures from evolutionary history and pushes, bends and twists their body and the boundaries of physics, creating mind-bending comedy and entire worlds out of nothing. ***** (TheClothesline.com.au). ****½ (ArtsHub.com.au). This mesmerising work is the latest iteration of the Only Bones Project. Each version adheres to a simple set of rules: One performer, one light, no text, no set, no props, no narrative, all within 1m2.
Assembly Roxy
Downstairs
Operotica: The UK's premier kinky opera duo. Classically trained, fetish-approved and, as of yesterday, dead. Their bodies are cold, but their spirits are restless. Join psychic extraordinaire Séayoncé for a journey through Operotica's many past lives. From star-crossed nuns to 18th-century ladies-in-waiting, these theatrical reincarnations reveal the true purpose of history's horniest souls. Will their story of love after death be the greatest (and sexiest) ever told? Witness a haunting that will tear down the opera house and transport you through time.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dairy Room
Following their fan-favourite run at the Fringe last year, Out of the Blue are back again for their 22nd year with tighter harmonies, crazier choreography and enough high notes to reach the stratosphere! OOTB is Oxford University's internationally acclaimed a cappella group and, after jet-setting across the world earlier this year, are excited to return to their home turf to showcase new talent and new songs. Don't miss your chance to see these singers in action for an hour of incredible music with something for everyone, from Olivia Rodrigo to Jon Bon Jovi!
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio One
Who are we when we’re together? When we’re alone? When we fight for what we believe in? Dance Base's in-house company for dancers over 60, PRIME explores the ways in which we can support each other to keep going, fighting and overcoming obstacles and also when we choose to surrender and accept. We Are premiers new work from recently appointed Artistic Director Kally Lloyd-Jones and guest choreographer Malcolm Sutherland.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
Remember when people were excited for the future? With visions of jetpacks, friendly robots wheeling around and solar-powered bidets. Well, we don’t have visions like that anymore, do we? But the universe is not over. The light has not gone out. Here’s a candle in the dark. Contagious and whispering. And you can take it with you when you leave. A new stand-up show from pioneering alt-comedy hero and star of Cats Does Countdown. (ISH) Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Show winner, 2023. ‘Has the audience laughing so hard they’re about to leave their bodies’ ***** (Chortle.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Dancer
A powerful wordless work of masked physical theatre and puppetry with original music, exploring displacement and the immigrant crisis in America. Created from interviews and the lived experiences of an international ensemble, the piece uses masks, puppetry and poetic movement to illuminate border crossings, exile, the search for belonging and the barriers imposed by others. As hostility toward immigrants intensifies, this visually arresting performance moves beyond headlines to reveal deeply human stories of courage, loss and resilience. Urgent and intimate, it asks audiences to reflect on migration, memory and compassion in a nation shaped by arrivals.
Assembly Roxy
Central
Amna is a good Muslim daughter. Mostly. At home she’s modest, obedient, invisible. Online she’s PersianBaby – bold, flirtatious, watched. Pink Rabbit is a fierce, coming-of-age, darkly funny solo play about faith, female desire and the intoxicating power of attention. As Amna hides her OnlyFans from her strict mother, the lies start to fracture. Caught between mosque and male gaze, shame and thrill, she begins to ask: who is she performing for? Raw, intimate and electric, Pink Rabbit explores intergenerational and cultural conflict – and the dangerous moment when being seen finally feels better than being honest.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Daisy
A performance by Corpo Máquina's artistic director Guilherme Miotto for pole dance virtuoso Yvonne Smink. With a live soundscape from musician/composer Isaac Poels. Pole dancer Yvonne Smink won the Dutch pole dancing championships multiple times and is a rising star internationally. In Poles, Guilherme highlights Yvonne's impressive technical strength and allows for joy to radiate from her no-nonsense appearance. With her down to earth approach and healthy blush, Yvonne makes her way through the steel pipe construction. At the cutting edge of personal and public space, she delivers chilling moments of physicality and intimacy.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
The multi award-winning comedy blockbuster returns! With 20+ five-star reviews, globally acclaimed Police Cops bring back the show that started it all! Reloaded and supercharged for 2026, expect adrenaline-fuelled physical comedy, 80s bangers and uncompromising facial hair. Winner: Stage Award for Acting Excellence. Winner: Best Show, Toronto Fringe. Winner: Best International Show, Cape Town Fringe. Winner: Brighton Fringe Award For Excellence. ***** (WhatsOnStage.com). ***** (EdFestMag.com). ***** (Stage). ***** (TheatreWeekly.com). 'It's hip, radical, funny as f*ck and a work of towering genius' (Bill Nighy). 'It takes brains to be this dumb!' (Stewart).
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
A researcher from Scotland travels to Saint John, a remote British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific. Upon arrival, she finds the island is under the control of a growing religious cult. This discovery starts to shift her studies from the land to the people as the dangerous theology of the cult is revealed and the day of paradise approaches. Prophets is a brand new two-hander drama from Fringe First-winning writer Jack MacGregor that examines the intersection between faith and cult, an exploration of violent belief at the edge of the world.
Assembly Roxy
Roxyboxy
A contemporary butoh work, R/evolution(s) reimagines butoh for today while carrying its inheritance forward. It brings together Conan Amok – heir to the lineage of Dairakudakan, one of Japan's leading butoh companies – and contemporary dancers renewing the form from within. Grounded in Amok's 'multi layered body' method, developed through a fusion of butoh and sculptural practice, the work explores revolution as both orbit and radical transformation. Deep bass and wadaiko drums create a club-like ritual atmosphere, inviting audiences to encounter butoh anew. This work is part of Wings: International Dance Project by Dance Base Yokohama for Emerging Creators.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
As seen at Glastonbury – the show that turns into a rave is back. Toys"R"Us has shut its doors for good. Charlie and his mates are left jobless, skint and spiralling in a crumbling, bigot-led Britain. With nothing left to lose and nowhere left to go, Charlie has a vision. An abandoned warehouse. An abandoned nation. It's time to create a sanctuary. An escape. A rave. After playing Glastonbury Festival five times, sold out London's Vault Festival and sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe 2022. Now... it's coming back to Underbelly Cowgate. ***** (StageDoor.com).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Button
After the horror of being dumped by her boyfriend for the shiny new freshmen, wannabe queen bee Beth and her two unruly dorm-mates Mercy and Bo, spiral down a path of competitive obsession. When each of them discover their own unruly magical powers, pressure hits a boiling point, exploding into a surreal and haunting conclusion – a roller coaster ride into the secret world of girlhood: with all its ups and downs, twists and turns: alliances always shifting and personalities revealing themselves more and more each second.
Underbelly Cowgate
Iron Belly
Rob Auton performs a story he has written about being an estate agent on the planet Jupiter. 'A genuine original' (Guardian).
Assembly Roxy
Central
In 2024, Rob Duncan was named Printer of the Year. After 15 years in the industry, he was finally recognised as a pioneer in his field. This show is an hour of printing, celebrating his awards and debuting a new category of dramatic arts – performance printing. 'Brilliantly, hilariously stupid' (Frankie Boyle). 'Extraordinary' **** (Scotsman). 'Frigging maverick' ***** (ThreeWeeks).
Underbelly George Square
Bluebell
Robin Grainger returns to Edinburgh with another hysterical show about happiness. 'A masterclass in comedy... Fully deserves his place amongst the top echelons of current comedians.' ***** (TheRealChrisParkle.com). 'Non-stop energy, we the audience could barely catch our breath' ***** (One4Review.co.uk). 'Hilarious. An hour that's full of heart, delivered by one of the most likeable comics on the circuit' *** (List). Nominated for BEST Show (ISH) Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2025. Nominated for Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award in 2025 and longlisted in 2026.
Assembly George Square
The Crate
It's Roger Prick! The 1970s pornographer, erotic novelist and lecherous Casanova is back for 2026. Now it's time to relaunch his dirtiest novel, revised and edited for the feminist era. Bringing together character comedy, drag, time travel, cardboard props, drawings and all the sex of 70s Soho, this is an alternative comedy extravaganza. Han Whyte is a drag king, character comedian and Leicester Square Theatre Sketch Off finalist 2025. She participated in Soho Comedy Plus Lab in 2025. 'A soft porn Alan Partridge' (MorningStarOnline.co.uk). 'Archetype of puffed up machismo' (Chortle.co.uk).
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
Your chance to fall in LOVE with an award-winning couple! Chris and Robyn are newlyweds, but they spend every night on stage, with other people! So, they’ve invited the audience along for a comedy date. Stories about the open mic comedy scene, their biggest fights and so much more! NOMINEE: Best Newcomer at Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2025. WINNER: Comedy New Work Award at Melbourne Fringe 2024. 'Not only does Reynolds have a great voice, but she can also craft a catchy tune' ***** (Time Out). 'Chris absolutely slayed. Smart, sharp writing. A name to remember' **** (One4Review.co.uk).
Assembly Roxy
Snug Bar
SUCCUBUS follows a young woman whose body goes delightfully rogue as her appetite blooms, putting the men in menu. As she navigates medical shrugs, moral chaos and a dawning hunger for power, she discovers others thriving in the dark alongside her. This one-woman show revels in gore, pop-culture parody and unapologetic desire. A coming-of-rage fable with delicious heart, SUCCUBUS invites audiences to savour a richer, wilder vision of feminine possibility. A debut play written and performed by Georgina Collins, directed by Grainne Robson, produced by Halfway Productions.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dexter
Millennials like Jean grew up with Britney Spears. Over the course of an hour see how the princess of pop influenced Jean's life and how the connections shared between them lead to an unbelievable moment of self-discovery. Inspired by the #FreeBritney movement, the 2022 WhatsOnStage Award-nominated hit off-Broadway production is back to take an hilarious and heart-breaking look at celebrity obsession, sexuality and growing up in the early noughties: featuring more nostalgia than you can shake a Tamagochi at! 'Roushbaiani delivers a true masterclass' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com).
Underbelly George Square
Bluebell
Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2025 Most Outstanding Show nominee, Pinder Prize winner. Stranded in regional Victoria without medication for the first time in 12 years, Scout pulls out all the psychological stops to survive the worst night of their life. An exquisite, darkly funny retelling of a harrowing mental marathon through manic withdrawal; Scout imagines life in the Middle Ages, trawls the strange crevices of the internet, makes peace with their own mediocrity and (briefly) surrenders to God. Part storytelling, part stand-up, all raw and unflinchingly real. ***** (Time Out). **** (Chortle.co.uk). **** (List).
Assembly George Square
The Box
If you're after a thrilling, late night alternative circus, you've come to the right place! Sexy Circus Sideshow has been wowing audiences for 25 years globally. Recharged and reloaded for 2026. 3.0 Baby! Exotic acts that connect the underbelly of circus with the dark arts of fetish, burlesque and cabaret performance. A carnival cavalcade of saucy showgirls, sexy circus stunts, neurotic novelty and vaudeville variety at its very best! All-new show. A vibrant, colourful experience showcasing some of the weirdest and most wonderful talent in Edinburgh this year. Sell-out runs. Enough said?
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
The five-star, multi-sell-out, Fringe phenomenon is back! With its hilarious combination of an entirely serious adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet and an absolutely sh!t-faced actor! It just wouldn't be the Fringe without it. With a genuinely inebriated cast member each night, no two shows are ever the same in this raucous, riotous rampage through one of Shakespeare's darkest plays. This show features a rotating cast of the finest classically trained actors, partial nudity, foul language, acts of a sexual nature and actual Shakespeare. Please remember to always #EnjoyShakespeareResponsibly.
Underbelly Bristo Square
McEwan Hall
Baby Wants Candy's 2024-2025 total sell-out hip-hop hit returns! We improvise an epic musical based on a historical figure/celebrity of your choosing (Genghis Khan, Paul Hollywood, Kim Kardashian, anyone!). Just like Hamilton but (ahem) better! Expect the same level of hip hop, storytelling, stunning choreography and powerhouse singing, except made up on the spot. 'An absolute extravaganza, absolute pinnacle of improv. They freestyle lyrics that rival Lin-Manuel himself. Tremendously impressive, side-splittingly funny to the point oxygen becomes a luxury. Shamilton astounded me' ***** (Entertainment-Now.com). 'Brilliant' **** (Guardian). 'Cease and desist!' (Lin-Manuel Miranda).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio One
This nautical musical adventure starring a crew of West End wonder boys was the talk of Fringe 2025. Join us as we turn show tunes, rock classics and pop bangers into superb sea shanties and weave them into a joyous story. You will not want to miss the rib-tickling brilliance of the songs that we Shantify – the harmonies these boys produce will knock your socks off! Last year's show sold out and audiences raved about the show, so don't miss out on the hottest, funnest, shanty-est show at the Fringe!
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
The award-winning 3m follower sensation hits Edinburgh Fringe, taking McEwan Hall by storm! With unscripted masterpieces, unhinged performances and unstoppable self-confidence, see the most followed improvisers on Earth, before they make history this October as the first UK improv group to ever headline the Hammersmith Apollo. 'Pitched to perfection' ***** (TheReviewsHub.com). 'Jaw-achingly funny' ***** (BookmarksAndStages.home.blog). 'A hilarious hour... leaving you pleading for more' **** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Quick-witted and fast on their feet' **** (BroadwayWorld.com). 'Truly incredible' **** (LittleLarkofLondon.com). Recommended by The Herald, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out.
Underbelly Bristo Square
McEwan Hall
Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, Matt Anderson's Shotgunned is a relatable and intimate piece of theatre about how the people we lose can shape who we become. Described by The Stage as 'a cleverly composed, superbly performed, achingly moving two-hander'. ***** (Stage). 'Shotgunned is empathetic, heartfelt, and endearing all at once' (WestEndBestFriend.co.uk). Following a sold-out run in 2024, Shotgunned returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of the 2026 Made in Scotland showcase. MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Five
Get in losers, Sophie is turning 29 (again!). Part circus spectacle, part comedy mayhem, and all-out 90s nostalgia, featuring world-class performers from Cirque du Soleil, La Clique, The 7 Fingers and more. Expect breathtaking acrobatics, outrageous surprises and a soundtrack that takes you straight back to the house parties that you never wanted to end. The twist: each night, one lucky guest is chosen to become Sophie. Grab your Walkman, dust off those scrunchies and act like it's your party because tonight... it might be! ´Funny, sexy and breathtaking' ***** (Scottish Sun). ***** (BroadwayBaby.com).
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Beauty
Cosmic Dance presents Space In Between, a compelling South Asian dance triple bill by Oxana Banshikova, Kirsten Newell and Abirami Eswar, exploring tensions between intention and outcome, self and society. Rooted in Bharatanatyam and Kathak and expanded through contemporary movement, three interconnected works unfold. Time Matters reflects on regret and imagined alternate futures, Duality delves into inner conflict and identity, and Unspoken Alignment examines personal and collective misalignment. Together, these pieces reveal unseen forces shaping our choices, relationships and sense of self, offering a powerful, emotionally layered performance experience.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets The L Word in this bittersweet, absurdist launderette meet-cute. Eyes lock. Hearts thump. Palms sweat. But something is off. Secrets of the past are whispered, hidden under the thrum of the washing machines – can what's forgotten be remembered? This OffWestEnd Award-nominated five-star Irish play examines the space between loving someone and not, forgetting and remembering, dirty and clean clothes. A seriously refreshing show on queer love, whirring memory and finding the truth in it all. ***** (AYoungishPerspective.co.uk).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Clover
Rub-a-dub-dub, The Dummies are back with their 'splashingly awesome adventure' (EdinburghFestivalsForKids.com) set to drown you in tears of laughter. Splash Test Dummies are here, ready to roll out their beach towels and spring into an hour of circus-filled hilarity for the whole family. See a brilliant array of catch-your-breath stunt work, acrobatics, juggling and the side-splitting, slapstick comedy for which the dummies are famous. Join the Dummies and come diving from bathtubs to beaches in this aquatic adventure! Winner of Best Children's Presentation, Adelaide Fringe 2020.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Lafayette
New York Times Top Comedy Pick (2021-2025), Edinburgh Fringe Sold Out Run (2017-2025). A raunchy and chaotic full-on fever dream, Stamptown is 80 minutes of pure spectacle featuring the most anarchic and wildly entertaining performance from around the world. Hosted by the bad boy of clown, Zach Zucker, this show has packed out rooms at Netflix Is A Joke, Just For Laughs, Glastonbury, SXSW, Lincoln Center, Edinburgh Fringe, Soho Theatre, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and Off-Broadway in New York City. Watch our Netflix special 3 ***** (Chortle.co.uk). **** (Guardian). * (Scottish Field).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
'You've tried everything. Yoga. Acupuncture. You floated in salt water in the pitch black dark. You juiced, you cleansed. You got a mattress that fitted itself to your foetal form. You ate only rinds for three days and nights. You reached out, you looked within. You have tried, and yet here you are.' So begins this new play by Olivier-nominated playwright John Kolvenbach. Jim Ortlieb delivers a tour-de-force performance as a man bent by isolation and deeply in love with the audience itself.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Dairy Room
Award-winning Stefania Licari, expat and medic-turned-comic, promises to make the audiences a little bit more Italian, 10% sexier and 100% happier in her new show. After sell-out runs of her previous work at Edinburgh Fringe 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 Stefania has established herself as a rising star and one of the most exciting international acts in the circuit. This is your unique chance for comedy, pizza and endless love all rolled into an authentic Italian drama. 'A never-to-be-forgotten experience' (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Thoughtful and inspiring comedy' (LondonTheatre.co.uk).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Jersey
Captivate Theatre's five-star, vibrant, energetic, emotional sell-out production is in the Music Hall! By Stephen Greenhorn, the story follows Ally and Davy as they negotiate families, friendships and love in this funny and moving story featuring songs of The Proclaimers. 'Toe-tapping and filled with hometown love, Captivate Theatre's production of Sunshine on Leith... is fun and energetic.' (AllEdinburghTheatre.com). 'The show has found a very appropriate home at the Edinburgh Fringe, offering audiences a chance to see a musical that really reflects the spirit of city life' (KatMasterson.com).
Assembly Rooms
Music Hall
After a health scare at 44, Susie was on the path to a stress-free life... then her life came crashing down around her. Interspersed with hot flushes and the state of the world: it's been quite a year for this comic, but she is still standing and determined to have her say in Coming of Rage. 'I was blown sideways' (Billy Connolly). 'Susie McCabe is one to watch' (New York Times). 'This woman should be considered a national treasure' (Herald). 'Fearful, thoughtful, compassionate and warm stand up for Scotland's funniest woman' (Scotsman).
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
The hottest ticket of Fringe 2024 and 2025. Everyone's favourite ogre-inspired burlesque and drag parody is coming back to Edinburgh! Swamplesque is the award-winning, critically acclaimed, five-star rated burlesque parody show! 'The funniest burlesque show you'll ever see' (Lilithia.net). Prepare for a night filled with laughter, surprises and a touch of the risqué. Don't be green with envy – grab your friends and secure your tickets now for this hilariously naughty night out! 'Rarely have I been in a situation when a review is hard to write because it is such perfection' ***** (GetTheChance.wales).
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
'I've performed at countless birthday parties but never hosted one myself', confesses Lin Lu-Chieh, creator of 2025 Fringe treat Dazed and Confused. Now this charming, theatre-trained magician is doing just that and you're invited! He'll supply balloons, memories humorous or wistful, and plenty of exceptionally cool, gently interactive tricks, but asks you to look beyond the entertainment. Through an engaging mix of autobiographical stories and smooth sleight-of-hand, Lu reveals the poetry inside the illusion. All you need to bring is an open mind. You might just rediscover what magic really feels like...
Underbelly Bristo Square
Jersey
How do our bodies navigate a world in which boundaries and rules are constantly changing? Are there ways of finding closeness even in moments of separation? Could distance ever be seen and felt as a strength? A compelling tension between oneself and others underscores every moment of this captivating three-part quintet, beautifully brought to life by LEI Dance Theatre with Lao-French choreographer Olé Khamchanla. Intelligently blending traditional, contemporary and classical styles, it is an honest, imaginative and questioning dance about the way we live now.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
Hotly-tipped young choreographer Lai Yun-Chi (formerly a dancer with Shechter II and a member of Humanhood) is keen to uncover what lies beneath our layered personalities – the roles we play, the identities we choose, the faces we wear. Drawing upon ceremonial folk rituals, a battery of cross-cultural movement styles and practices and a family history of leathercraft, she and her company Mailantia present the UK premiere of a bold, intricate and brand-new steampunk-influenced quartet about concealment and transformation. Expect a unique and original mix of East-West sensibilities.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3
Classical precision meets circus adrenaline in this genre-bending re-imagining of a violin concerto composed by Chloé Charody for The Freestyle Orchestra. Each musician doubles as an acrobat, uniting classical mastery, theatrical storytelling and breathtaking circus – where virtuosity literally takes flight. The whimsical, fairytale-like narrative traces the legend of the Phoenix – a mythical creature with the ability to be reborn through flame. This story of resistance and renewal underpins pertinent global themes, erupting with one of humanity's greatest weapons against oppression: hope.
Assembly Roxy
Central
Join professional science presenter, comedian and relentless buffoon Ted Hill for the world’s silliest science lesson. Expect fire, explosions and high-energy mischief, with a little bit of actual learning sprinkled in to make the grown ups happy. Will it be fun? Yes! Will it be educational? Maybe!
Assembly Roxy
Downstairs
Ted Hill invites you inside his strange and chaotic mind. Expect high-energy jokes, ridiculous visual effects and (funny) graphs. Ted’s always been weird, but now he has a new puzzle to solve: what kind of weird does he want to be? You’ll never see a sillier slideshow… ISH Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show nominee 2024, British Comedy Guide Recommended Show 2022, 2024, 2025. 'Genuinely hilarious' (BroadwayBaby.com). 'A comedian who struggles to make or maintain eye contact' (Chortle.co.uk).
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Five
Gravity & Other Myths are back again with their international smash hit that sold out in 2025. Ten Thousand Hours. The creators of A Simple Space bring you an ode to the countless hours of sweat and joy needed to achieve great things. 'The level of thought, skill, and emotional courage on display is breathtaking' ***** (Scotsman). 'An awe-inspiring display of acrobatic brilliance' ***** (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine). 'A visual masterpiece of the human body in motion' ***** (StageWhispers.com.au). Get your tickets fast. This will sell out!
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
Ten audience members are randomly chosen from the crowd and can decide whether to step on stage or remain seated. Those who accept begin a new life and receive flowers representing their energy: year after year, they decide how to spend it. Love, ambition, security, risk. Every decision creates connections, encounters and conflicts, while the rest of the audience shapes the world around them. When the flowers run out, their life ends. Can they find happiness before then? A participatory, funny and deeply human theatre experience – different every day.
Underbelly Bristo Square
Cowbarn
A glittering horror-musical fantasia about Bette Davis battling ageism on the 1975 set of Burnt Offerings. Her loyal minion Don urges her to reclaim power as Oliver Reed drinks, Karen Black challenges the old order and daughter BD Hyman arrives with judgment and scripture. Amelia Earhart appears as an unlikely guide to dangerous ambition. A five-actor ensemble explodes through gossip columnists, demons and Hollywood legends in dizzying movement and transformation. Camp, dread and show-business vengeance collide in a theatrical fever dream about fame, ambition, motherhood and the brutal cost of being seen.
Assembly Roxy
Upstairs
'We don’t make mistakes, we have happy accidents'. Artist, animal lover and unlikely sex symbol Bob Ross brought art into the living rooms of millions with TV phenomenon The Joy of Painting. With his big heart (and even bigger perm) the paragon of casual Zen taught an entire generation to embrace their creativity. Following five-star An Evening Without Kate Bush (Best Cabaret, Adelaide Fringe), Young returns with a brand-new interactive, joyous show directed by Ali James. Original songs composed with Jordan Clarke. Unlock your inner Happy Little Tree and celebrate the enduring icon and his impact.
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
A glitter-soaked, pop-powered one-woman experience tracing the six steps of getting over heartbreak through live music, comedy, and immersive storytelling. Equal parts concerts, comedy and cabaret catharsis, with interactive moments and anthem-level energy.
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Four
The Durham Revue are on an expedition. An expedition for what you ask? An hour of raucous sketch comedy! The group that brought you Ed Gamble, Stevie Martin, Nish Kumar, Ambika Mod and more return. Dubbed Best Sketch Show by the Derek Awards last year, join the Durham Revue, one of the UK's top student comedy groups, for an hour of hilarious, cutting-edge sketches and laughs for everyone! 'Raucously funny with sublimely clever writing' (FringeBiscuit.co.uk ). 'The Durham Revue are back and wackier than ever' (Palatinate).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Dancer
An actor makes a deal with the devil. This new version of Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus features a rotating cast of brave guest performers taking on the challenges of a devilish ensemble. One problem... they've never rehearsed with the rest of the cast. The Faustus Project is funny, a little dangerous and an actor's worst nightmare. With a fresh victim every night, this will be the ultimate theatrical torture. Funny, dangerous, devilish. 'Uproarious' **** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Wonderfully silly fun' ***** (AllEdinburghTheatre.com). 'Camp, outrageous and utterly unexpected' ****½ (The Student).
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Laugh
A visual feast of bubbles and flight – part gleeful chaos, part quiet meditation. Storytelling, sensory exploration, calming and delightful, this mesmerising show captivates all ages with wonder and joy. Fresh from a sell-out year at all Fringe Festivals, The Flying Bubble Show arrives back in Edinburgh with a spectacular fusion of bubble artistry, aerial movement and immersive theatre. All set against dazzling lightscapes and soaring movement with a beautiful soundtrack. Joyful, calming and unforgettable – this is bubble art as you've never seen it before.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Beauty
'...for a fun, family show, this is the show to see!' **** (Entertainment-Now.com). 'A rollicking rollercoaster ride!' ****½ (West Australian). The multi award-winning, sell-out smash hit is returning to Edinburgh for its seventh magical year, with whimsical wonders that the whole family will love! Plus, every child receives a free magic wand on entry! Perfect for kids aged 4-12, and just as fun for grown-ups, this is the feel-good family hit that combines high-end entertainment with heart. Tickets sell fast – so don't miss your chance to be part of the magic.
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
The water wars have bled our cities dry. Ecological catastrophe has ripped society's flesh clean to the bone. And there is little left of Western Civilization but a rancid husk. From the ashes, one man rises, in search of purpose – an advertising copywriter. And he's got no one left to pitch but himself. Now to save his own sanity, he'll have to rebrand the apocalypse. But the end of the world is a tough sell.
Assembly Roxy
Downstairs
The Australian cult comedy classic returns to Edinburgh after sell-out seasons at Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival. With six comedians performing nightly alongside their bespoke PowerPoint creations, this is a lineup show like no other. Hosted by agents of Microsoft Office chaos, Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh (creators of wine-tasting hit In Pour Taste), this wild late-night showcase features a rotating lineup of comedians putting the 'show' back into show-and-tell! 'Slide after slide, this show is guaranteed to produce laugh after laugh' **** (List). **** (WeekendNotes.com). Check Instagram @PowerPointComedyShowcase for nightly lineups!
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio Three
Back by poop-ular demand! Fringe family favourites since 2008, The Listies return with 110% Ready – a comedy disaster movie about the morning routine. Rich is determined to do the impossible: leave the house on time! Matt, however has other ideas. Expect a poop-load of puns, slapstick, a splash of improvisational idiocy and the Snot Ness Monster! Proper laughs for kids (4+) and the adults who live through this every day. 'Funniest kids show I've ever seen' (Frank Skinner). Winner of a 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Bestie Award for Best Kids Show.
Assembly George Square Studios
Studio One
Mr. Thing are back "broadcasting" live at the Fringe. Become part of the studio audience as Tom and Owen, Puppet Steve and a crew of Things pull together a TV variety show live on stage with surprise guests, games, video sketches, live music, remote controlled cameras, musical robots, technical hijinx and much more. Welcome to the multimedia mayhem that is The Mr. Thing Show. 'A comedic riot' (Telegraph). 'I was howling with laughter' (Metro).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
Come see Mr Cardboard (Stamptown, Upright Citizens Brigade), something between a jovial imaginary friend and an all-powerful god of play, return to face his most trying hour yet! After being called forth from his slumber, Mr Cardboard flies you to his domain, The Land of Cardboard; however, is the Land of Cardboard the magical place it once was? Mr Cardboard must battle with a higher power for the pleasure of the audience and to save the eternal spirit of The Land of Cardboard, in this theatrically forward solo clown show by Miles Calderon.
Underbelly George Square
The Wee Coo
From the team behind Brave Space, a new breathtaking circus adventure where performers climb, swing and create a world in constant motion. What begins solitary grows into a vibrant story of connection: balance teeters, towers tumble and every fall becomes a chance to build together. Structures shift, bodies soar and every movement carries real weight and risk. Set to a living soundscape, this performance asks: what keeps us standing in an unsteady world? In a divided time, it is a celebration of falling, coming together and choosing to rise as one.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Beauty
Walden has a pretty good life. Happily married to his mannequin wife, he works his pigeon children into the ground and feasts upon their eggs for sustenance. Walden is doing everything he's supposed to do – so why does he feel so empty? Can his fantasies about his pigeons sustain him? Or must he face up to a great hurt done to him in the past? The Pigeon Factory is a darkly absurd one-man show that explores work, family and finding purpose in a broken society. 'Ingenious, consistently entertaining' **** (Irish Times).
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
In their secretive high-rise office, the odd trio of Manning, Slater and Wilson think they've finally redeemed themselves. But then... The Problem. One that threatens their very existence. It must be solved fast or – the abyss. A rapid-paced, last-chance comedy by Fringe First winner Brian Parks (Plotters, Enterprise, Shortlist). 'A refreshingly mischievous inventive author' (Times). Directed by Fringe First winner Margarett Perry. Twilight Theatre Company is back after their sold-out shows in 2024 (Polishing Shakespeare, Plotters). You don't want to miss this one!
Assembly Rooms
Front Room
Join festival favourites The Revel Puck Circus for their exhilarating Edinburgh Fringe return! From balancing atop the giant wheel of death to diving 15ft with flair, to somersaulting out of the path of a swinging chainsaw, every moment teeters between comedy and danger. This unmissable show is a must-see for thrill-seekers of all ages, featuring high-octane acrobatics, dizzying aerial feats and side-splitting physical comedy. Step into the mischievous world of East London’s brightest circus talent, where chaos reigns, laughs are guaranteed and thrills come in spectacular, heart-stopping doses.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Lafayette
An immersive comedy experience. Step into the world of a very serious, very secret, very important secret society. As a member of the society, you are privy to astonishing secrets and command powers beyond all imagination. But as you enter the chambers for the weekly meeting, all is not as it seems. Mysteries unravel, rifts form and the wrong choice could mean the end of the society itself. So you'd better make the right decision... no pressure! From the team behind multi award-winning comedy CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation a brand new comedy immersive experience like no other!
Underbelly Cowgate
Belly Laugh
Two-time Perth Fringe World Best Comedy Show nominees, Thurber Prize semi-finalist, over two million copies sold – Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone book series. Identical twins. Musical comedy. Sibling rivalry. The Stevenson Experience deliver a brand-new show of hilarious songs, razor-sharp banter and good natured (extremely personal) rivalry. Since their last visit Benjamin wrote multiple bestselling novels which are being adapted by Amazon for television. James also did cool stuff, but whatever, he doesn't like to brag. 'An absolute highlight of Fringe' ****½ (Advertiser, Adelaide).
Assembly George Square Studios
Underground
Boombox romantic, Lloyd Dobler (Say Anything) returns! Seriously unserious, devoutly disobedient, still refusing to buy, sell or process anything. Now a Zen-punk dissident duct-taping ancient spiritual wisdom to the collapse of the American empire, with deep gratitude and zero credentials, like a sticky note saying: 'Be kind. Rewind. Revolt'. Join Lloyd in a kinda-sorta guided meditation to survive late-stage effin' everything... Like a vinyl record spinning in a microwave of manifest destiny, humming: 'Oh well. Whatever. Never-mind.' Written and performed by Dennis Trainor Jr. (Manifest Destiny's Child), directed by Olivier winner Guy Masterson.
Assembly Rooms
Drawing Room
Are you tired of struggling with everyone else? Have you always secretly known you were meant to be rich? Are you ready to succeed? For four weeks only, Gregor MacGregor, played by Comedian's Choice winner Joz Norris, presents you the opportunity to unleash your greatness within! Elizabeth Holmes meets Flashman, The Wolf of Poyais is a dark comedy reliving the true story of a swashbuckling confidence trickster and his quest to sell a country that never existed. ***** (NorthWestEnd.co.uk). ***** (LondonTheatre1.com). With two Fringe Theatre Award Nominations.
Assembly Roxy
Roxyboxy
Last year retired playwright Jonas Müller received a box from an unknown sender. It contained an enormous handwritten book, a pink flash drive and a firm but friendly threat. This is the tale of what happened next. It's also about an elephant named Marcel, but let's not dwell on that. A never-ending tale about unbelievably true stories and the art of honest deception. 'A magical journey into one of the most fascinating experimental theatrical minds at the Fringe' (BritishTheatreGuide.info). 'A marvellous invention with Fargo-like claim to truth-telling' (FringeReview.co.uk).
Underbelly Bristo Square
Daisy
Don't look away. 24 hour telly. Washed down with a ten pack of flumps and a pint of Sunny D. Fresh hour from Tilly "Turbo" Fletcher that'll have you slipping into the static like a warm familiar bath. 'Like a daytime tribute to Chris Morris' Jam... reminded me of early Coogan in its studied exactness' (Comedy.co.uk). Praise for Turbo Town: 'Strong joke-dense writing... switching between different comedic forms very naturally' (Chortle.co.uk).
Underbelly George Square
The Wee Coo
In 2020, Tom started painting portraits. In 2024 the BAFTA nominee received two invitations, one: to a fancy wedding and, two: to paint the portrait of an 86-year-old man. This often hilarious, occasionally embarrassing storytelling show explores how in accepting both Tom relives past failures and current worries ranging from body image to AI.
Underbelly George Square
Bluebell
Following the success of Tweedy's Massive Circus, Tweedy the Clown makes his festival debut with this joyful solo show for all ages. Tweedy finds himself battling mischievous props in a series of increasingly absurd situations, but however chaotic things become Tweedy can always find a creative way to get out – much to the delight of audiences young and old. Described by The Guardian as 'a loveable lark from start to finish'. Expect physical comedy, visual gags and an unexpected encounter with AI.
Underbelly George Square
Udderbelly
Monks find magic water. Magic water makes dreams come true. Monks go crazy. Starring acclaimed clowns and monks Max Baumgarten (Opium), Dee Marcucci (Absinthe), John Norris (Mr Chonkers, Piggy Time), Bill O'Neill (The Amazing Banana Brothers) and Claire Woolner (A Retrospection). Come to a tent at night and rejoice with them. Co-created with Sam Fishman. Co-directed by Corey Podell (Mr Chonkers, Vanessa 5000) and John Norris. 'Genuinely astonishing, shrieks of laughter' ***** (Skinny on Mr Chonkers). 'Joyously bizarre and bewilderingly funny' ***** (Time Out on The Amazing Banana Brothers).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Piccolo Tent
Join a massive line-up of comedy stars for a stupendous evening to fight against brain tumours. Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer for children and adults under 40 and increased funding for research is desperately needed. All profits will be donated to The Brain Tumour Charity and Underbelly will match this, doubling the amount that we can raise for the charity. Now returning for its 8th year, last year's line-up included Ivo Graham, David O'Doherty, Bella Hull, Michelle Wolf and Ahir Shah. Check UnderbellyEdinburgh.co.uk for lineup.
Underbelly Bristo Square
McEwan Hall
Drawing on Vincent’s letters, with live music and luminous imagery, this intimate portrait of a visionary artist who found light where others saw madness, takes us into his world shaped by intensity, tenderness and transcendent vision. Through layered voices and shifting landscapes, it reveals a man searching for truth and acceptance in an unforgiving world. What if he wasn't broken, but simply saw and felt too intensely? Praised for its emotional power and haunting beauty, this production bridges Vincent’s century and our own, speaking to anyone who has ever felt out of place or misunderstood.
Assembly George Square Studios
Underground
Where We Choose to Stand is an ambitious dance-theatre work inspired by climate activism amid political upheaval. Embedded in Nicolette Macleod's evocative soundscape are first hand accounts from people from across the UK who have been involved in direct action, amplifying the voices of those often silenced for their actions. Through audience interaction, the work challenges audiences to reflect on where they stand, asking how we position ourselves in moments of crisis.
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB1
Wanna feel like a winner for one hour of your miserable, worthless life? Join perennial losers Will and Noah for sketches, songs and a gazillion trophies in this award-winning show* (*show about winning awards)! Under our roof, all winners are created equal: U13s player of the season, app of the year, soup of the day, oldest man, Nobel pizza prize, Sunday best, Monday worst, longest time survived in lion cage (our money's on the lion) and many more... 'Echoes the glory days of The Mighty Boosh, Garth Marenghi and Monty Python' ***** (EdFringeReview.com).
Underbelly George Square
The Wee Coo
Once upon a time, a washed up writer-comedian-technophobe went off-grid in a confused relocation/mid life crisis. But the grass ain’t always greener. His only hope? His greatest fear. Perrier and Fringe First winner Will Adamsdale returns with a hilarious true(ish) robo-bromance about finally embracing his old enemy technology. 'An utter delight' **** (Guardian on FaceTime). 'Absurd, hilarious and touching in equal measure' *****(Chortle on Borders). A story of bots, block and hitting escape. Originally produced by Fuel, directed by Tom Parry.
Underbelly George Square
Bluebell
Hang onto your space hats (technical term) for a surreal sketch odyssey through the best worst film you've never seen! BBC New Comedy Awards 2025 semi-finalist and Buxton Fringe Best Comedy Show 2025. In Moon Team IIIV (2 if you think about it), Apollo Moon is just a humble prince on a mission to stop a space tax. To pull it off, he'll need a team... a Moon Team. 'Brilliant, bonkers, and totally fringe!' ****½ (BruceOnTheFringe.blog). 'Not just a performance but a Fringe experience – so weird it's unmissable' **** (EdFringeReview.com).
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
Assembly George Square
Gordon Aikman Theatre
Japan's most talked about contemporary circus company makes its highly anticipated return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with smash-hit sensation YOAH. Created by Cirquework, this new style of circus fuses jaw-dropping physicality with breathtaking digital visuals, electro soundscapes and the pulse of traditional Japanese instrumentation to create 'a circus experience like no other' ***** (StageWhispers.com.au). Under the glow of The Moon at Dawn, a young dreamer journeys through fear, isolation and hope in a spectacular collision of acrobatics, rhythm and light. Visually arresting. Sonically electric. Physically fearless. YOAH – back by demand.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
The Lafayette
Fringe-favourites YUCK Circus are back with a totally bitchin’ brand-new show! Backstreet Boys, Britney, and BIG throwback energy. A decade not to be forgotten – with Furbies, flip phones and evERythinG TyPeD LiKe ThIs. Mix that with high-flying acrobatics, comedy and absolute bangers, iconic! Multi award-winning, internationally touring and with dozens of five-star reviews – get ready for a big night out with the best of the early '00s. Fire up the group chat, grab ya besties and get your tickets now. ‘A high-energy, laugh-out-loud love letter to the early 2000s. 5 STARS' (FringeFeed.com.au).
Assembly George Square Gardens
Palais du Variété
Take the "fun" out of "funeral" and throw the rest away! Zoe W is holding a funeral for her childhood dog, and you're invited! Yay! Dressed in Victorian mourning garb and ready to cry on command, she'll teach you how to properly perform your grief. All she wants is your sympathy, your tears and a goddamn glass of wine (please). Sadness is Zoe's passion and this dog was Zoe's best friend. It's gonna be a rough one, so join the solemn ceremony and pay your respects with the good boys (may they rest in peace).
Underbelly Cowgate
Jelly Belly
Every weekend has been the same for the past six months, and Morgan Shields wouldn't change it for a f*cking thing. Currently thrilled to be at a loss for direction and lacking in motivation, Morgan finds herself every weekend at Dalkeith Miners Club without fail. It's the place to be. Every Saturday night. haim. teeth. CLUB. is a visceral darkly comedic one-woman play that places a working class Scottish young woman at the centre of her own narrative – as a living, breathing, contradictory person.
Underbelly Cowgate
Iron Belly
not for glory is a restless, relentless, rebellious unravelling of traditional dance and music. It is not a radical Highland Dance show, not a reinvented Irish dance display and not an experimental piping competition. It's bodies, bagpipes and brutality. It's kilts, queerness and ceremonial violence. It's back beats, high cuts, striking in, a battering, flinging skirl. not for glory resuscitates tradition with respect and resilience, dissects heritage and dances solidarity. It's a dance-theatre gig balancing virtuosity with vulnerability, pride with shame. Three performers reclaim the traditions they grew up in, not for glory – but for what?
Assembly @ Dance Base
DB3