Fringe 2026

“The show carries dreams inside a little valise, challenging the audience to keep dreaming and, from there, continue building a world of pleasant, generous and fun possibilities. For children, Circo Valise awakens the construction of dreams in the realm of imagination, and for older audiences, it opens access to enchanting memories that renew the desire to keep dreaming.” Circo Valise is perhaps one of the smallest shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, both in running time and physi

A raunchy, chaotic, totally one-of-a-kind spectacle, Stamptown features 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 Centre, Edinburgh Fringe, Soho Theatre, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, O2 Arena and Off-Broadway in New York City. Stamptown is not really a show you can review in quite the same

“Just before Fringe 2024, Linus Karp (Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, Gwyneth Goes Skiing, The Fit Prince) was the victim of a homophobic attack. The case never went to trial... Until now. Linus Karp was hit with an umbrella. The attacker shouted that he would've killed him. The show retells the events and the aftermath – the police investigation, the public response, performing at Edinburgh Fringe days after and the heroic acts of Joseph Martin, and then dramatises the t

“A bold retelling of Sophocles’s tragedy set in Thebes, California. The Oracle summons audience-citizens and invokes the ancient rites of drama and democracy to address a crisis. Two brothers, gay activist Nikolas and conservative cop Elias – are dead after a protest on the capitol steps. When the Governor proclaims one a hero and the other erased, defiant sister Tigg and best friend Henry risk everything for justice and love. The score delivers both burden and joy as it navi

“Mario the Maker Magician returns to Edinburgh, bringing his robot magic live from NYC, with a show full of original magic, handmade robots and modern slapstick. Fast-paced, interactive and full of heart, Mario takes audiences on a romping ride of contagious energy and big belly laughs. Perfect for kids, adults and families. There’s something for everyone!” Some family shows are designed to keep children entertained for an hour, but others manage to make adults feel like chil

“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!” There is something wonderfully nostalgic about walking into a circus. The lights, the costumes, the sense that anything could happen and, of course, the small but very real fear that somebody is about to attempt something that looks medically ina

“Gather around the bonfire, girlies. You think you know the story of the Gunpowder Plot? You don’t! Get ready for an incredibly misinformed, inaccurate retelling of one of Britain’s most infamous tales of treason. Expect hilarious songs, forbidden love and explosive action in this ridiculously camp new musical by WIT?” Remember, Remember! takes one of Britain’s most infamous historical events, throws accuracy out of the window and replaces it with forbidden love, outrageous c

“The staff at Plumstanton Library are clinging to tradition as the shelves collapse around them. The roof leaks, the stacks are bare, and they haven’t issued a new library card in years. When a new head librarian arrives and they learn the building could be condemned and sold, panic spreads fast! Can they save the library and themselves before it’s too late?” Amy Milburn's direction is clear and strong, providing a solid framework for the story and letting the comic situation

“A broken fairy tale for broken people. In a whimsical land of broken toys, Magnus Coffinkey must fix a bell atop an impossibly high spire. Success will make his wish come true. The price of failure is a permanently broken heart. Funny, honest and deeply devastating, The Trials of Magnus Coffinkey is a dark fairy tale where the power of storytelling is used to make sense of great personal trauma.” Some stories use fairy tales simply because they look pretty. The Trials of Mag

“Everyone has held a wine glass. Everyone has broken one. From childhood curiosity to adult caution, we share a relationship with this fragile everyday object. On stage, two artists carefully manipulate, stack and balance a delicate landscape, risking collapse at any moment. The glass becomes partner, obstacle and quiet threat – demanding precision and trust between performers. Each action carries tension; each near-collapse asks what might happen next. Unexpected outcomes re

“Slime. Ooze. Mucus. Tobi feels like he is covered, head to toe, in slugs. Every unwanted kiss, lover and confused indignity over the years has left its oozy mark. They’ve always been there, but one recent romantic encounter and suddenly these slimy gastropods are taking over in a big way. From his childhood bedroom, Tobi explores fractured memories of his queer, adolescent sexual awakening (replete with a Hollyoaks Hunks calendar circa 2008) in an attempt to make peace with

The Adults Only Magic Show features magicians Sam and Justin, performing a variety of tricks with the help of bunny Richard and Magnus “Danger” Magnus, their charming MC. The show is a blend of noteworthy magic, dick jokes, and unnecessary nudity. Let’s begin with the magic. Many of the tricks were quite impressive. There was this great one where we, the audience, designed an event throughout several parts of the show, and much later it’s revealed that our exact prediction ha

“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?” Margaret Thatcher: Queen of Hollywood absolutely understands the assignment. This is camp, ridiculous, gloriously theatrical and packed with enough jokes to make you wonder whether Maggie ever actu

“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!” Explosive Science Show is an energetic, colourful and suitably chaotic family show that sets out to prove that science can be just as entertaining as it is educational. And, judging by the reactions of the children around me, Magnus certainly succeeds in keeping hi

“Viggo writing to you here! I’m back in Edinburgh, I miss you! But I took off my Hi-vis vest, and now I can’t find myself… Can’t speak right now! Please come find me!!” Viggo Venn has managed to make a career out of being wonderfully, gloriously ridiculous. Only One continues that tradition by somehow finding a surprising amount of heart underneath the silliness. This is physical comedy at its best: playful, unpredictable and completely committed to the idea that you don’t ne

“Live from Edinburgh. It’s The Tom Brace Magic Hour. Prepare to have your minds read, your jaws dropped and potentially your hearts broken (wink).” There is something wonderfully old-school about The Tom Brace Magic Hour. It feels like an evening television special has somehow escaped the screen and landed in Edinburgh, complete with a charismatic host, impressive magic and just enough theatrical polish to make the whole thing feel like an event. Direction is great and makes

“I say! There's been a murder! The Famous Five grew up and grew apart. When Dick, now a hardened PI, gets in over his head, he turns to his sister Anne for help. Do they have what it takes to solve the crime? A British film noir, full of gangsters, intrigue and lashings of tinned pineapple.” Direction is clear and effective, providing a solid framework for the story and making creative use of the space. The production knows where it wants the audience to look, and the staging

“Step into a world of words and human connection, inspired by the writings of Rainer Maria Rilke. Letters, love and longing connect a poet of the past with an actor of today. Struggling with writer’s block, Rilke only expresses himself through letters for a year. A century later, the letters help Ivo Müller navigate his own challenges in a world where even his name feels foreign.” There is something inherently beautiful about a production built around letters. Words written a

“Witness the impossible true survival story of Titanic stoker Frederick Barrett. Working in the boiler rooms of the maiden voyage, Barrett’s fight for survival is one of the most devastating accounts of the Titanic’s last few hours. Boiler Room Six gives a voice to the sacrifice of the working men below deck who kept the ship afloat for as long as possible, saving hundreds of lives, whilst knowingly giving up on their own.” Most people know the story of the Titanic. We know t

“The Olivier Award-winning West End smash hit and Fringe favourite is back! The Showstoppers improvise a hilarious new musical every show, totally inspired by audience suggestions. The mind-blowing, must-see phenomenon where it’s opening night of the hottest musical in town… every night!” The concept is simple: the audience provides the ingredients and the Showstoppers have to turn them into a fully formed musical in real time. What makes that so impressive is just how quickl