The world’s Greatest platform For Creative Freedom.
For three weeks in August, the city of Edinburgh welcomes an explosion of creative energy from around the globe. Artists and performers take to hundreds of stages all over the city, presenting shows for every taste. Venues can be anywhere, from existing theatres and concert halls to repurposed spaces like bars, parks, buses and shipping containers. From big names in the world of entertainment to unknown artists looking to build their careers, the festival spans every genre of live performance, including theatre, comedy, dance, physical theatre, circus, cabaret, children's shows, musicals, opera, music, spoken word, exhibitions and events.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has become more than just an event—it’s a phenomenon that reshapes the city each year. From its humble beginnings back in 1947, when just eight theatre groups turned up uninvited to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival, it has now ballooned into a global showcase, drawing performers and spectators from every corner of the world. Last year alone, it hosted over 3,000 shows across hundreds of venues, a scale that boggles the mind. This year Miriam Margoyles, Jenny Eclair and Bill Bailey are among just some of the performers appearing with show themes for 2025 including the apocalypse, rave culture, disability and sexuality.
New venues this year include Hibs' Easter Road stadium and Portobello Town Hall will also host acts for the first time, with a mini-festival to celebrate Palestinian art and culture, called Welcome to the Fringe, Palestine. The Famous Spiegeltent - a Belgian wood and canvas, mirrored venue dating back to the 19th century - will return to its traditional festival home in St Andrew Square.
Some of the fantastic theatre highlights this year include Shakespeare for Breakfast at C Venues, Brown Girls Do It Too: Mama Told Me Not to Come at Underbelly and Margolyes & Dickens: More Best Bits at Pleasance. The comedy side is also back with the top three acts from the 2025 edition of So You Think You’re Funny? – Bert Broadbent, Fab Goualin, and Ciara O’Connor at the Gilded Balloon. Moreover, familiar faces at this year’s Fringe include Nish Kumar and Jason Byrne at Assembly, Andy Parsons, Chloe Petts, Deirdre O’Kane, Elf Lyons, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Marjolein Robertson and Rhys Darby at Pleasance, Paul Sinha and Richard Herring at The Stand, and Geoff Norcott and Ali Woods at Underbelly.
As usual, guests are also going to be able to also see musicals, cabaret, dance and physical theatre performances, as well as spoken word and spectacular children’s shows including the fin-tastic Baby Shark and the Mystery of the Sphinx a wonderful show packed with music, magic and mayhem!
Tony Lankester, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “This year’s Fringe programme is filled with every kind of performance, so whether you’re excited for theatre or circus, or the best of comedy, music, dance, children’s shows, magic or cabaret; get ready to dare to discover this August.”
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe takes place from 1st August to 25th August. Programme details HERE.