The Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the greatest arts festivals in the world, run from 7-31 August this year, with 2026 marking the 79th edition of both.
This year also marks my own 44th consecutive Fringe, an event that has changed so much over those five decades; when I first appeared at the Fringe as an aspiring young actor, you were lucky if there were 300 shows. This year there are in the region of 4,202 productions. They’ll play across 299 venues, rather than the 30 or so there were all those years ago. One thing that never changes, however, is the annual trawl through the programme to find the hidden gems buried beneath the noise. So if you’re planning to visit Edinburgh during August, let me save you some time by highlighting 20 of the ‘Must See’ productions that have caught my eye – there’s something for everyone. Enjoy.
TOP 5 MUST SEE THEATRE @ THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE
1 Clive Assembly Rooms, 6-30 August | Thomas loves his job and working from home. All the while talking to his best friend – a cactus called Clive. A funny, moving study of isolation and technology in modern life by Olivier Award-winner Michael Wynne starring two time Olivier nominee Paul Keating. Read review here.
2 Cathy The Traverse, 7-30 August | Two Doors Down favourite Elaine C Smith stars in Cathy, a new Scottish comedy about a woman handling grief in her own unique way after the loss of her husband. Read review here.
3 Cadel: Lungs on Legs Gilded Balloon @ The Museum, 6-30 August | Last year’s Fringe hit returns; the riveting true story of Cadel Evans, the only Australian to win the Tour de France as told by Connor Delves in a powerhouse performance, pedalling live on the actual bike Evans rode to victory.
4 The Event Pleasance Courtyard, 5-31 August | Starring Fringe favourite Mike McShane, this comic deconstruction of theatre and a profound look at human connection in the 21st century, goes beyond the stage, inviting you to think, laugh and reconnect with what matters most.
5 Eleven and a half Angry Men Pleasance at EICC, 5-22 August | An all star stand-up cast, including Joe Pasquale, making his Fringe debut, spoof 12 Angry Men. Can 11½ very angry comedians agree on the fate of a boy accused of heinous murder in 1950s NYC?
TOP 3 MUST SEE THEATRE @ THE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
1 Angels in America King’s Theatre, 15-20 August | Jump at this opportunity to experience Tony Kushner’s gripping, hilarious epoch-defining work accompanied by a David Bowie soundtrack and set at the height of the AIDS crisis in it’s entirety, played over five hours with a 45 minute interval.
2 A Trial – After An Enemy of the People The Lyceum, 7-10 August | Visionary Brazilian director Christiane Jatahy returns to the Festival with a radical sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, featuring Golden Globe-winning actor Wagner Moura (Narcos, The Secret Agent).
3 Hang Time The Lyceum, 20-23 August | Three Black men hang from an old, wide tree, shooting the breeze, sharing the great loves and bitter blues of their interrupted lives… The directorial debut of Pulitzer Prize finalist Zora Howard, Hang Time is a gut-wrenching, subversive perspective on the legacy of racialised violence in America.
TOP 3 MUST SEE MUSICALS @ EDINBURGH FRINGE
1 Disenchanted! The Hit Musical Pleasance EICC, 5-30 August | Forget happily ever after! Cinderella’s done cleaning, Sleeping Beauty’s wide awake and Snow White’s calling the shots now. A side-splitting, cheeky, musical mash-up of all your favourite fairy tales that you didn’t know you desperately needed.
2 Disney’s Frozen The Musical Broughton High School, 4-8 August | Award-winning Forth Children’s Theatre are back and ready to Let It Go with a powerful tale of sisterhood, acceptance and finding the real meaning of true love.
3 Warriors: A Scottish Musical C Venues Aquila, 5-30 August | Written by veterans and set in modern-day Scotland this 2023 sell-out musical returns to follow four soldiers from their infantry training, through to their second tour in Afghanistan. A heartrending story of love, loss, courage and family.
TOP 3 MUST SEE COMEDY @ EDINBURGH FRINGE
1 Larry Dean – Hellbent Pleasance Courtyard, 5-30 August | The funniest man on the Fringe, recently married yet emotionally feral, Larry returns with a riotous show about refusing to grow up.
2 How Far Away Are They? An Afternoon with the Cast of Phoenix Nights Just The Tonic Nucleus, 8-16 August | Join the cast of Phoenix Nights as they share stories, memories and behind the scenes moments from one of Britain’s most beloved comedies.
3 Susan Morrison: Swearing, Sh*t and Shagging – Scotland’s Filthy History The Stand Comedy Club, 21-30 August | The always hilarious funny-woman takes a stroll through Edinburgh’s hilariously skanky past from flying jobbies to dangerous ladies and bonking bankers. This is not the history they taught you at school, it’s funnier.
TOP 3 MUST SEE CABARET/VARIETY @ EDINBURGH FRINGE
1 Mary Mac – Hail Mary: The Tartan Songstress Assembly George Square, 5-30 August | Scottish drag queen and star of La Cage Aux Folles and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie makes her Fringe debut, with a show packed full of live singing and comedy.
2 Tom Read Wilson: A-Z of Me Gilded Balloon @ The Museum, 5-16 August | Join the I’m A Celebrity favourite for an irreverent, whistle-stop tour of the alphabet through songs and sonnets, stories and smut.
3 Camelton Gilded Balloon Teviot, 5-31 August | 20 years ago, theatre writer Stephen Cole tells his hilarious story of writing a musical for the Emir of Qatar. Expect a Qatari movie star, flying carpets, Croatian acrobats, Russian ballet dancers, an Italian director and a lot of camels.
TOP 3 MUST SEE CHILDREN’S SHOWS @ EDINBURGH FRINGE
1 The Mystery of Pleasance Two Pleasance Courtyard, 5-16 August | Calling all trainee detectives! Your skills are needed to solve a thrilling murder mystery. Team up with super sleuth Danyah Miller to examine the evidence, inspect video footage and interrogate suspects to crack the case.
2 Cricket & The Freebugs Assembly Rooms, 6-20 August | It’s 1972 and one bug band is about to change music forever. Five funky bug musicians are coming to you live with the true story of the greatest band you’ve never heard of… expect an hour of funk, soul and heart for old bugs and kids alike.
3 Amazing Bubble Man Underbelly George Square, 6-31 August | Louis Pearl has been thrilling audiences worldwide for more than 30 years with the art, magic, science and fun of bubbles. Having sold out at the Fringe for the last 14 years, be sure to book early.
Edinburgh International Festival tickets HERE | Edinburgh Festival Fringe tickets HERE
