Written by Edinburgh Fringe Media Team
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe will take place from 01 – 25 August 2025. More information about the programme and tickets can be found at edfringe.com.
The first batch of shows that will be staged at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe have been announced, and over 556 shows will be available to view and book on edfringe.com now!
The 556 shows span many genres, including cabaret and variety; children’s shows; comedy; dance, physical theatre and circus; music; musicals and opera; spoken word; and theatre. The shows announced today will take place across 100 venues. More shows will be revealed in the run-up to August.
In a continuing trend, this year more Fringe artists than ever have chosen to make their show available at this early stage, giving them longer to promote their show, grow their audiences and capitalise on all the opportunities available when taking part. It is the artists, companies and venues who come to the Fringe who take the risk in bringing work here every August. Fringe-makers all need help to mitigate these complexities, manage rising costs and make sure this August is the best it can be for residents, visitors and the thousands of arts industry and media that come to the city each Fringe for the world’s largest arts expo.
The Fringe Society continues to advocate and lobby for more support for the festival community – support such as affordable and available accommodation, to the continuation of the Keep it Fringe fund, and anyone in a position to support is encouraged to get in touch with the team.
With over 500 shows on sale from today, the Fringe Society also asks audiences from near and far to start booking tickets now, to take a chance on an emerging artist, to plan a visit to a venue you’re unfamiliar with, and to dive into the first batch of shows.
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: ‘It is always an exciting moment to see the first shows that will be performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The 2025 Edinburgh Fringe feels more real than ever and being able to browse the first batch of shows adds another level of excitement. It’s incredible to see the range and themes of work as well as the talent and creativity that artists are bringing to the festival this year.
‘More artists than ever have chosen to put their shows on sale at this early stage, allowing more time to plan their trip to Edinburgh this August. The cost of putting on a Fringe show can be a barrier to attending and the Fringe Society is working to support artists in any way that we can, whether that’s sourcing artist accommodation, keeping registration fees affordable, seeking out funding opportunities, or simply providing advice to any artist that needs it. Our Artist Services team is on hand to offer support, so please do reach out to the team.’
Below is a small representative sample of shows available to book from today. The full list of shows released today can be found at edfringe.com.
Cabaret and variety
In 1954: Ella, Etta, Eartha (The Jazz Bar) Melissa Western and her musicians pay tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Eartha Kitt and their ‘swinging jazz, powerful soul and cheeky kitsch’.
Returning this year is La Clique, being staged this year in The Famous Spiegeltent – which is returning to St Andrews Square, while Sexy Circus Sideshow 2.0 brings ‘alternative circus’ to ‘the dark arts of underground burlesque and cabaret’ at Assembly.
Alex Love: How to Win a Pub Quiz 2025 is ‘part stand-up, part actual pub quiz’ at The Stand Comedy Club.
At theSpaceUK, Dan Bastianelli: Identity is providing ‘a brand-new magic experience which uses sleight-of-hand, personal stories and honest deception’, while ‘rock’n’roll’s greatest magician’ Arron Jones is at PBH’s Free Fringe with #1 Greatest Hit Rock’n’Roll Magic Show.
Children’s shows
Join Baby Shark and the Mystery of the Sphinx (Gilded Balloon) at for ‘fin-tastic show packed with music, magic and mayhem’ or skip, clap and march together’ to traditional Scottish music at CeilidhKids at the Fringe (Laughing Horse).
‘Experience magical illustrations and amazing new music’ as you follow Milly’s Musical Adventure (Greenside). At School’s Out Comedy Club with Philip Simon (Le Monde), expect ‘children (and maybe even a few parents)’ to ‘take to the stage to share their favourite jokes’.
Among returning shows for children and their families are The Listies: Make Some Noise at Assembly and Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure! at Pleasance.
Comedy
Dungeons & Dragons fans will want to join Tartan Tabletop: A Dungeons & Dragons Comedy (Gilded Balloon) for ‘improvised comedy at the roll of a dice’. At Laughing Horse, Chonk hosts a ‘body-positive buffet of comedians from across the Fringe’. Hasan Al-Habib, 2025 Keep it Fringe recipient, ‘was born to Iraqis that moved to Birmingham after deciding Baghdad wasn’t dangerous enough’ in Hasan Al-Habib: Death to West (Midlands) (Pleasance).
Join the ‘longest-running panelist from BBC Scotland’s Breaking the News’ Stuart Mitchell at Hoots or head to Planet Bar for Settle! for ‘a whirlwind of laughter, infectious tunes, and a good old-fashioned roasting’. At theSpaceUK, Chan Lok Tim ‘navigates life as a Hong Konger preparing to become a husband’ in Congratulations, Good for You – Cantonese Stand-Up Comedy.
At Scottish Comedy Festival, enjoy ‘dark, unfiltered and unapologetic takes on the topics most comedians are smart enough to avoid’ at Michael Shafar – Inappropriate. At The Royal Scots Club, Ian Wood relates anecdotes to show ‘being visually-impaired and a wheelchair user, one can get round most barriers in life’ in Living with Mitochondria Against All Odds.
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.
Representing Scotland’s comedy scene, Susie McCabe is at Assembly, while Connor Burns, Craig Hill and Daniel Sloss are at Just the Tonic and Robert Grainger is at The Stand.
Dance, physical theatre and circus
At Greenside, Tales From Your Queer Elder ‘blends movement and spoken word’ while ‘creating a powerful testament to living authentically while encouraging others to follow their dreams’.
Australian circus company Gravity & Other Myths return to Assembly with Ten Thousand Hours, bringing ‘an ode to the countless hours of sweat and joy needed to achieve great things’.
Art of Andalucia brings a must-see flamenco spectacle to YOTEL Edinburgh, while at theSpaceUK, Sole to Soul ‘blends the physical language of traditional Chinese opera with the expressive symbolism of modern dance’.
Music
For an ‘evening of classics from the silver screen’, check out Tutti Orchestra: At the Movies at Canongate Kirk, or ‘experience the beauty of Italian and Neapolitan love songs’ at La Dolce Vita: A Celebration with Philip Contini (Valvona & Crolla).
MASSAOKE has two runs at Underbelly this year, 90s Live – ‘everything from rock to rave, girl power to grunge and Britpop to boybands’ – and Sing The Musicals – ‘Mamma Mia, Hamilton, Frozen, The Greatest Showman, Dirty Dancing, Les Mis, Jungle Book, We Will Rock You, Phantom, Mary Poppins and many more’.
Ali Affleck comes to the Fringe with five shows this year: she’s with her band The Vagabond Jacks playing Hot Roots Jazz, Highway Honky-Tonk, Rags and Blues at the Argyle Cellar Bar; paying tribute to Billie Holiday with Sophisticated Lady at The Jazz Bar; and revisiting both venues with Ali Affleck Presents: A Hot Time in the Old Town – Celebrating the Wild Trailblazers of Blues and Jazz; Ali Affleck and the Traveling Janes – Bringing Bold, Brassy Bedlam to Swing, Blues and Trad Folk/Roots Jazz; and Ali Affleck’s Queens of Swing.
Head over to Footstomping: Live Scottish Music (WHISKI Bar & Restaurant) for a ‘vibrant foot-stomping good time’ or listen to ‘up-and-coming young musicians’ at Marchmont Music (Marchmont St Giles Church).
Journey to Stolen Identity (Saint Stephen’s Theatre) explores ‘women’s rights through a blend of musical genres, starting with classical but evolving into jazz and rock’. At Edinburgh New Town Church, Andrii Kymach: Ukraine is a ‘new recital, Ukraine, specially devised for 2025’s Day of Ukraine Independence’.
There are a number of tribute acts across venues, including Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac and Celine Dion at theSpaceUK, Abba at Greyfriars Hall at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh and Joni Mitchell at Le Monde.
Musicals and opera
Check out Charles ii: Living Libido Loca at PBH’s Free Fringe for a ‘raunchy adult historical comedy centered around the life and libido of Charles ii’ or head to Rock of Ages at Paradise Green for ‘powerhouse vocals, epic guitar solos, and all your favorite 80s rock anthems’.
How to Win Against History is a ‘tragi-gorgeous comedy musical’ and ‘a true story about expectations, masculinity, privilege and failure on an epic scale’ at Underbelly.
At Greenside, the prince breaks free of the fairytale to ‘sing his very own songs and complain about what his life could be’ in To Be a Prince. At theSpaceUK, ‘ancient Silk Road meets the present, and centuries-old murals come alive’ in Dunhuang.
Updated for 2025 with new songs, I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical the ‘musical comedy revue revealing all about musicals and the people who love them’ is back at Gilded Balloon.
If you fancy a ‘murder-mystery comedy musical’, head to The Detective’s Demise at Just the Tonic for ‘showstopping songs and devilish twists’.
Spoken word
At The Stand, ‘elected MP for Islington North, former Labour leader, and Peace and Justice project founder’ Jeremy Corbyn is in conversation.
For ‘an amusing take on life, with the added hint of truth’, check out What Are You Laughing At? at theSpaceUK, while ‘Peter gives a stirring and passionate account of his great-grandmother’s hard-fought campaign for the right to vote over 100 years ago’ in Alice Hawkins – Working Class Suffragette at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre.
Theatre
Shakespeare for Breakfast is back at C Venues, offering a ‘sensational Shakespearience, perfect for hardened fans and blank-verse virgins alike’ while former Chelsea FC trainee Alfie Cain delivers a ‘raw and powerful solo performance … exposing the brutal reality of football’s unforgiving system’ in Dropped at Easter Road Stadium.
Timestamp at Dovecot Studios is a ‘performance duet of sonic verse, dance, and audience experience that challenges the expectations imposed upon us in society.’ A Period of Faith follows Faith’s ‘battle against Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder in a moving and thought-provoking way’ at Hill Street Theatre.
Brown Girls Do It Too: Mama Told Me Not to Come (Underbelly) explores ‘messy realities, fantasies, sexpectations and navigating life and relationships as British Asian women’.
Experience the beauty of Italian literature and the terror of looming deadlines at Valvona & Crolla with No Shakespeare. At theSpaceUK, The Boy from Bantay takes us on Jeremy’s ‘heartwarming journey of growth and self-discovery’.
Miriam Margolyes is back this August with Margolyes and Dickens: More Best Bits, bringing ‘more characters, more Dickens and more fascinating stories about the man behind the classics’ to Pleasance. More familiar favourites returning this year are Trainspotting Live at Pleasance and Xhloe and Natasha with three shows at theSpaceUK – A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First, And Then the Rodeo Burned Down and What If They Ate the Baby?
Head to Robot Vacuum Fight Club (Outhouse Bar) to ‘form a team, select a knockoff Roomba, customise it, then pit it against a dozen rivals in a series of knockout competitions’, or check out Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me but Banjos Saved My Life (Summerhall), an ‘inspirational true story … about overcoming obstacles, pursuing passions, and the healing power of the arts’.
You can find out more and book edfringe.com
Bookmarks and Stages by Lou 