Category: New Town

‘Culture Gives Hope’ says Benedetti as 2026 Edinburgh International Festival removes barriers to Arts

  • A major new global poll unveiled at the 2026 Edinburgh International Festival found that 68% of people worldwide say culture gives them hope. 
  • The International Festival tackled barriers that keep audiences from world-class live performance: over 50,000 tickets were priced at £30 or under; a record 3,000 free tickets were given to Scotland’s young musicians; over 8,000 half-price and free tickets for Deaf, disabled & neurodivergent audiences; and more than double the number of £10 tickets were available across every performance.
  • A deep connection was forged between audiences and world-leading thinkers, artists and cultural voices: 86% of audiences rated their experience 4 or 5 stars.

The 2026 Edinburgh International Festival has concluded, with the last of 146 performances across music, dance, opera and theatre in a 24-day celebration of the performing arts.

This year’s programme, All Rise, put America in the spotlight, featuring the largest representation of American artists in the Festival’s history. With over 2,000 artists from 46 countries, hand-picked for their cultural resonance, the 2026 Festival was defined by extraordinary artists and thinkers who presented a range of contemporary perspectives, and a vision for the future.  

In its inaugural Global Ideas Stage event, the International Festival unveiled a major new poll conducted on culture and hope, the largest of its kind ever undertaken on this subject. Focaldata surveyed 35,000 people across 34 countries and found that 68% say culture gives them hope, with a single cultural moment, whether a live performance, a book, a film or a piece of theatre, helping them feel more hopeful about an uncertain future.

This year’s programme brought together some of the world’s leading thinkers, artists and cultural voices, including: Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, filmmaker Ken Burns, Pulitzer-Award nominee Zora Howard, trumpeter and educator Wynton Marsalis, Oscar-nominee Wagner Moura, lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson and journalist Amy Goodman.

The Festival also presented a landmark exhibition The Legacy of Slavery, which gave a comprehensive history of the legacy of racial injustice, from Scotland to America. This Festival commission drew more than 7,500 people during its three-week run at the Playfair Library, in its first ever international outing outside of The Legacy Museum site in Montgomery, Alabama.

Launch of the 2026 Edinburgh International Festivall

Nicola Benedetti, Festival Director, Edinburgh International Festival said:  
“These new findings confirm what I have always known, culture gives us hope. This Festival, and the audiences who have been changed by what they saw on our stages, are proof of that.  
 
“This year’s Festival theme, All Rise, was a rallying cry for collaboration and resilience, based on our firm belief that through artistic endeavour we can learn to see one another more truthfully, and more tolerantly.

“The 2,000 artists that joined us in Edinburgh answered our invitation with courage and generosity, grappling with urgent and profound issues – everything from AI and fake news to the opioid crisis and police brutality – holding up a mirror as well as showing us a way forwards. 
 
“We asked audiences to take a leap with us, embracing risks with an exceptional number of bold new commissions by the International Festival. They responded with curiosity and bravery. This is what it looks like when culture gives us hope.”

This year, the International Festival asked for a deeper connection between audiences and artists. Across all artforms, opera, music, theatre and dance, 86% of audiences surveyed rated their performance experience 4 or 5 stars.

The new ‘Lights Down, Phones Off’ initiative encouraged audiences to switch off distractions during all performances: resulting in a significant reduction in phone-related disturbances.  
 
The Festival also rolled out its broad range of industry-leading concessions and initiatives, to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to cultural discovery. More than 50,000 tickets across the programme were priced at £30 or under, and a record 4,894 £10 tickets were offered across every single performance, a more than 50% increase on last year. Over a third of these were bought by audiences who had never attended the Festival before.

Alongside this, over 8,000 tickets were issued to Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent audience members and their companions, a number of tickets that has grown consistently over the past three years.

A record 3,000 Young Musician Pass tickets were issued this year, giving Scottish young musicians free access to the International Festival and creating pathways into transformative cultural experiences.

Young Musician Pass holders were also given opportunities to meet and ask questions of artists including members of the Berliner Philharmoniker, Colin Currie, Nicola Benedetti and some of the Festival’s Rising Stars. 
 
The Festival’s Discover series also brought over 2,000 opportunities for Edinburgh secondary school pupils to encounter opera, dance, music and theatre at performances and in their own schools, many for the first time.

Taking the Festival experience out of the concert halls, weekly NHS Festival Sessions brought artists into healthcare settings for pop-up performances for staff, patients and visitors. Families also enjoyed Art of Listening workshops introducing them to live classical performance, which took place in Space @ The Broomhouse Hub for the first time.

Francesca Hegyi, Chief Executive, Edinburgh International Festival said:  
“This year we have seen the unique role Festival plays in bringing together significant thinkers, political leaders, and some of the best artists in the world to Edinburgh.  

“The International Festival hosted artists from 46 countries, taking to stages alongside over 700 artists from across Scotland. We welcomed 23 international delegations and served as a launchpad for the Creative Trade Forum, a new initiative to promote trade and investment for the UK’s creative sector.

“What sets the International Festival apart is the global role it plays, while rooted resolutely in Scotland – more than half of our tickets go to Edinburgh residents.

“We provide a global stage, a meeting place for cultures and ideas, where audiences gather every year.”

Comedy show wins Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award

Australian comedian Frankie McNair has won the 2026 Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, for Huge Ass Mindset, a stand-up comedy show about her experiences of complex PTSD resulting from childhood sexual abuse.

Huge Ass Mindset is the first comedy show to win the Mental Health Foundation’s annual Edinburgh award, which has been running since 2017. It is one of six shows to be shortlisted for this year’s award.

The Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award was established in order to highlight and support the most compelling new work about mental health at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The award is currently sponsored by the Cornwell Charitable Trust and offers a cash prize of £3000 plus additional support tailored to each winning artist.

Andrew Eaton-Lewis, arts programme officer at the Mental Health Foundation, said: “Over the past decade the Fringe has increasingly become a place where solo performers draw on extremely personal, sometimes traumatic real life experiences when creating their shows.

“It is a very difficult thing to do well, and safely, and is certainly not for everyone. But Frankie is a performer who has brought an exceptional level of skill and care to the task, having spent many years in therapy preparing herself to tell this story.

“The result is a show that dares to challenge the shame around childhood sexual abuse in a way that is brave, powerful and also funny in a way that few people would imagine is possible when talking about this subject.”

During her show, Frankie McNair takes care to reassure the audience that she has processed her traumatic childhood experiences through years of therapy, encourages them to leave the room if they need to, and provides resources after the show in case anyone is triggered by the material.

Huge Ass Mindset was one of six shows that were shortlisted for this year’s award. The others are:

Bog Witch (Traverse Theatre):

In a fraught summer of heatwaves and flash floods, climate anxiety is everywhere, but remarkably few shows are directly confronting the question of how it’s possible to stay happy and sane when the world seems to be falling apart around you.

One notable exception is Bryony Kimmings’ spectacular and very funny new show, which tells the story of a lonely first year living in a tumbledown cottage in the English countryside, as Bryony attempts to “plug back into nature” while feeling like she’s failing at every turn.

Parasocial Activity (Pleasance):

This new show from Gallus and Silly Mission Productions begins as an extended comic skit about writer-performer Briony Martha’s character, Jenny, meeting her idol, Hollywood actor James McAvoy, in a Glasgow coffee shop, before evolving into something much darker.

It’s an exploration of the recent phenomenon of ‘AI psychosis’, in which people struggling with isolation develop strong emotional attachments to AI chatbots which can become harmful, and, in this case, dangerous.

Giraffe (Pleasance): Abigail Weinstock’s semi-autobiographical show tells the story of Eliana, who grows up believing she is a sociopath, only to discover – with help from a therapist, a court order and an unexpected relationship with a child who seems to be going through something similar – that she should have been diagnosed with something quite different.

Giraffe compellingly illustrates the long-term mental health impact of growing up believing there is something “wrong” with you.

The End Of The World (Gilded Balloon): In Destiny Faith Nelson’s solo show, she plays Desiree, a young, lonely wannabe writer who decides to livestream her own suicide after becoming overwhelmed by the world and her own perceived failures, before realising, too late, that the man she shares a home with but barely knows has been invisibly going through his own mental health crisis.

The End of The World is a deeply affecting story of how social media can isolate vulnerable people from the world around them.

Water Colour (Traverse Theatre): Milly Sweeney’s debut play is the story of two lost souls in Glasgow, a kitchen porter and an art student, who both end up on the brink of suicide for different reasons but ultimately find solace in each other’s survival.

It’s a moving exploration of the complex factors that can push young people to the brink.

The shortlist for the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award is selected in consultation with The Scotsman newspaper’s team of experienced critics as well as arts and mental health professionals.

Each year’s winner is announced at the Scotsman Fringe First Awards, the biggest theatre awards ceremony at the Edinburgh Fringe. 

Since 2023 the award has been sponsored by the Cornwell Charitable Trust and dedicated to the memory of arts journalist Tim Cornwell, who died in 2022.

Tim worked for many years as the Scotsman’s arts correspondent and was part of the judging panel for the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award, a subject close to his heart as someone living with Bipolar disorder. Tim died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism in June 2022.

Thanks to the Cornwell Charitable Trust, our winner will again be offered a £3000 prize plus a flexible package of support tailored to the needs of the show and its future development, which may include mentoring support and mental health training, support with funding applications and/or a contribution to production costs.

The Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award is part of the Foundation’s year-round arts programme, which also includes the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, one of the world’s biggest mental health themed arts festivals, which celebrates its 20th year in 2026.

The Mental Health Foundation also recently launched Performing Anxiety, a resource for people who want to make audience-facing creative work about mental health. The resource includes interviews with numerous artists who have made Edinburgh Fringe shows about mental health, including Bryony Kimmings, Caroline Horton, Selina Thompson and Amy Conway.

It can be found at www.mhfestival.com/performinganxiety.

Verona Verbakel wins the 2026 Filipa Branaganca Award

Gilded Balloon is delighted to announce Verona Verbakel as the winner of the 2026 Filipa Bragança Award for her outstanding solo performance in Only Fans for Therapy at Zoo Playground.

The Filipa Bragança Award recognises an exceptional lead solo performance by an emerging female, female-identifying or non-binary actor in a theatre production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Established in 2017 in memory of the gifted actor Filipa Bragança, the award celebrates the extraordinary talent of performers working at the Fringe and honours Filipa’s own remarkable contribution to the festival.

Filipa delivered defining performances in critically acclaimed Gilded Balloon productions including Echoes and Angel before her untimely death in 2016, aged just 25.

Uniquely, the award considers eligible solo performances from across the entire Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with judges independently scouting work across venues throughout August.

Following weeks of intensive viewing by the judging panel, this year’s shortlist reflected an exceptionally strong field of solo theatre. Judges highlighted the outstanding standard of writing, characterisation and performance across this year’s Fringe, with Verona Verbakel ultimately standing out for the depth, originality and sheer commitment of her performance in Only Fans for Therapy.

Karen and Katy Koren, Artistic Directors of Gilded Balloon, said: “Filipa was an extraordinary young actor whose talent, generosity and presence made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of seeing her work.

“It is incredibly important to us that this award continues to celebrate the kind of bold, brilliant and distinctive solo performance that Filipa herself represented.

“Verona’s performance this year was completely compelling ,she commands the stage with remarkable skill and vulnerability, and we are thrilled to recognise her with the 2026 Filipa Bragança Award.

“Every year, the standard of work considered for the Filipa Bragança Award makes the judging incredibly difficult, and this year was no exception. We saw an extraordinary range of solo performances from artists working across the Fringe, but Verona’s work stayed with us.

“Only Fans for Therapy is fearless, uncomfortable and deeply human, and Verona gives an extraordinary performance at its centre. We are delighted to celebrate her achievement and to continue Filipa’s legacy through an award that champions emerging performers and the power of solo storytelling.”

The winner of the 2026 Filipa Bragança Award was presented on Friday at The Scotsman Awards.

2026 SHORTLISTED NOMINEES

  • Abigail Weinstock — Giraffe (Pleasance)
  • Briony Martha — Parasocial Activity (Gilded Balloon)
  • Farah Ashraf — Pink Rabbit (Underbelly)
  • Leticia Rodrigues — 116 Grams (Zoo)
  • Marainn Yar — Landsfrau (Summerhall)
  • Martha Knight — King of All Birds (Summerhall)
  • Verona Verbakel — Only Fans for Therapy (Zoo)

Princes Street to reopen on Saturday

Princes Street is set to fully reopen on Saturday (29 August), following a major fire at the former Debenham’s building last month.

Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams are working to resume services, with pedestrian access restored between Castle and Frederick Street for the first time since 9 July.

Subject to successful testing overnight on Friday, trams will run to their full route from the Airport to Newhaven and all city centre bus diversions will end.

Passengers are being encouraged to continue planning ahead and checking for the latest travel updates and information on the Council’s website. Operators will publish updated timetabling information ahead of the weekend.

The three eastbound bus stops between Castle Street and Frederick Street will remain closed, with westbound bus stops unaffected.

Remedial work on the site will continue, which requires the pavement on the north side of Princes Street to remain closed. One lane of the eastbound carriageway will be used as a temporary pedestrian walkway.

Significant work has been carried out over the past seven weeks to make the building safe, including:

  • The front façade of the building has now been fully stabilised with supporting steel beams
  • The eastern gable of the building has been secured and made safe. This involved reducing it in height by approximately two metres and supporting it with scaffolding
  • Several tonnes of bricks and unsafe stonework – some weighing as much as 850kg – from the upper levels of the façade have been carefully removed and stored for reuse
  • Several tonnes of debris and dangerous materials have been removed from the building.

The closure has had a significant effect on the city, particularly on businesses on the northern section of the tram route, including Newhaven, Leith and The Shore. Ongoing work to support these businesses includes:

  • The development of a promotional campaign More By The Shore  to drive footfall to businesses in the area
  • The campaign will involve special offers, a voucher scheme, events and more – with more details to follow in the coming weeks
  • Direct Engagement and Communications – officers will continue speaking directly to businesses in the area over the next few weeks, holding online briefings and issuing information and other advice.

Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “The reopening of Princes Street is a significant step in the city’s recovery from, what was, a devastating fire – and I’m sure it will come as a great relief to many.

“This has been an incredibly difficult few weeks for the city, not least given the timing, and I’m pleased that we can now turn our attention to getting Edinburgh back to normal as well as helping those businesses most affected to get back on their feet.

“A great deal of effort has gone on behind the scenes to make this possible – and my thanks go to our council teams and engineers who have carried out painstaking work to make the building secure as quickly and safely as possible.

“I also want to thank Lothian Buses, and their drivers, for keeping the city moving and our residents and visitors for their patience.

“I think it’s fair to say that this period has further underlined the critical importance and popularity of our tram network, not just to the north of the city but to the whole of Edinburgh.

With that in mind, I’m pleased that our business support campaign ‘More by the Shore’ is taking shape – and will soon be encouraging more residents and visitors to explore Leith, the Shore and Newhaven, and visit the fantastic local businesses there. This activity is planned to run well beyond the reopening of Princes Street, over the festive period and into the new year.”

Sarah Boyd, Chief Executive for Lothian and Edinburgh Trams said: “We welcome the news that Princes Street is due to reopen on Saturday 29 August.

“Our teams are now focused on reinstating bus and tram services along one of the city’s most important transport corridors and we encourage customers to check the latest service updates and allow extra time for travel.

“I would like to thank our customers for their patience, understanding and support throughout this period of continued disruption. We are also grateful to our colleagues, whose professionalism, flexibility and commitment continued to keep Edinburgh moving during a particularly challenging time.

“Finally, we would like to acknowledge the close collaboration of our partners, including the emergency services, the City of Edinburgh Council and other agencies involved in responding to this incident. 

“Their collective efforts have helped ensure services can begin to return safely and efficiently for the benefit of Edinburgh’s residents, visitors and businesses.”

The latest updates, information and advice will continue to be posted on the Council’s dedicated webpage.

OIL & WHISKEY in Edinburgh for international premiere

For a one-week, special engagement, the award-winning, off-Broadway, country rock musical, OIL & WHISKEY, will make its way to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe ahead of a 3-week Off West End London run. 

OIL & WHISKEY will perform at The Nightclub at The Street as part of PBH’s Free Fringe, Sunday 23 – Sunday 30 August.

‘The Last Five Years’ meets Nashville Honky Tonk; Oil & Whiskey is a dramedy about two ex-lovers who meet for a drink and relive their entire relationship over a couple of rounds of whiskey.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and by the end you will remember why: you don’t text your ex. At the forefront of the recent Americana resurgence in Edinburgh and NYC, this toe-stomping musical written in Nashville, Tennessee, will immerse audiences in an authentic country rock cabaret concert akin to an evening at the Grand Ole Opry.

Oil & Whiskey is the debut musical for producer, musician, and songwriter Kit Nolan. The Nashville based multi-instrumentalist who has toured the world performing for millions as the Music Director for Lindsey Stirling, and as a session musician for Robbie Williams and One Direction.

He is joined by award-winning playwright and storyteller Dax Wiley. Wiley has written and produced musicals across the U.S.A. such as New York’s first immersive musical, The Limbo Lounge, and Good Fishermen Know A Lot About Sex, a powerful drama performed on theatre row in Los Angeles about the dangers of opioid abuse in America.

First debuted at the New York City Fringe Festival 2025 where it won the SOLD-OUT Award, Oil & Whiskey has big plans for 2026; beginning in June as one of two shows performing in New Musical Theater Nashville’s First Stage Showcase, and touring to popular Honky Tonk and off-Broadway venues in NYC, including iconic venues such as The Bitter End; home to where artists like Bob Dylan got their start in Greenwich Village, NYC.

Oil & Whiskey comes to the Edinburgh Fringe for a one-week special engagement, Sunday 23 – Sunday 30 August, 19:45 at The Nightclub at PBH’s Free Fringe @ The Street.

Oil & Whiskey
Kit Nolan | Dax Wiley | Alexa Karas | AK INK

19:45 23 – 30 Aug | The Nightclub at PBH’s Free Fringe @ The Street

Final Week, Fresh Shows

What’s On at theSpaceUK

You may have made it to the final week of the Fringe, but the curtains haven’t come down just yet. Here at theSpaceUK, we’ve got a whole host of shows about to begin their Fringe runs.

So, as the festival enters its final week, it’s time for Act 3:

Musicals & Operas 

Who We Are Now
(theSpace @ Niddry St, 24-29 August)

Part rock concert, part coming-of-age drama, this gripping new musical follows young musicians haunted by their past. With a bold, genre-blending score, this electrifying show explores ambition, identity and the struggle to move forward.

The Tears of Nerakhis
(theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 24-29 August)
Written, composed and staged from scratch: this original epic fantasy musical brings a modern myth to life, telling the extraordinary love story between a human girl and the daughter of the God of the Night.

Swing Gum 
(theSpace @ Niddry St, 24-29 August)
A true story of love separated by war and reunited 75 years later. Swing Gum blends tap, swing, Lindy hop and archival broadcasts into a toe-tapping, heart-stopping musical. Experience the UK premiere of this unforgettable wartime love story.

Nuns of Fury!
(theSpace on the Mile, 24-29 August) 
The nuns are back in town! The Nuns of Fury must battle both vice and virtue in this rock-gospel extravaganza. A comedy for fans of sisterhood and having faith in yourself!

Music

To Be Arranged…
(theSpace on the Mile, 24-29 August) 
University of Exeter’s Illuminations A Cappella presents ‘To Be Arranged…’. Their Fringe show is about to begin, but they are yet to decide on a theme. Come and listen to see if they figure it out!

Cabaret

Judy Garland Is Fat at Carnegie Hall 
(theSpace on the Mile, 24-29 August) 

Sixty-five years after Judy Garland’s iconic concert, two NYC drag artists resurrect her performance via messy, virtuosic experiment. Through impressions, lip sync, monologue and rainbow cake, this show interrogates societal expectations around fatness.

Comedy 

Got Mushroom For Sketch Comedy?
(theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 24-29 August) 
Got Mushroom for Sketch Comedy? The students of Exeter Comedy Society are back with their latest sketch show!

Outlaugh: Edinburgh
(theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 24-29 August)
A comedy and social strategy competition show using the rules of the reality show Survivor. Twelve comedians compete in comedic challenges for immunity, while the losers have to vote each other out at tribal council.

Silly Goose!
(theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 24-29 August) 
We’re on the hunt for the Silliest Goose in town! Join us and three comics as we discuss your silliest stories, whether it’s saucy scandals, funny first dates or office outrages.

Theatre

Dust: The Sixth Sense 
(theSpace on the Mile, 24-29 August)

A baptism in the blood of life. Salty stains of prayer and memory. You are complicit in a sensory-led, psyche-bending world where all the angels on Earth have fallen because their mother couldn’t fall with them.

My Beautiful Brain!
(theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 24-29 August) 

Winner of Creative Corner Festival 2026! If you can read this, you’re ahead of Hannah! With a mix of humour and heart, this autobiographical play sheds light on the misunderstood world of dyslexia.

The Last Days of Liz Truss?
(theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 24-29 August) 

Join Liz, on her last morning at Number 10, in an exploration, comic and tragic, of the tensions in politics: between ambition and ability, vision and reality, going short and playing it long.

Dregs
(theSpace @ Niddry Street, 24-29 August) 

Fisch and Neck are two lost souls picking for what’s left in the Trashcan of Spirit. Dregs is a dark, absurdist comedy exploring the ugly underbelly of capitalism and greed through a series of hilarious clownish hijinks.

SQUAT!
(theSpace on the Mile, 24-29 August)
Join the Squat as they stumble through loss with too much alcohol, too many bad decisions, and absolutely no filter. SQUAT! is a dark comedy about masculine vulnerability, friendship and the f*cking weird ways men say “I love you”!

Is This Your First Crime?
(theSpace on the Mile, 24-29 August) A new comedy set within a police interrogation, showcasing the corruption and ineptitude of the force. When Tim’s brought in for questioning nothing can prepare him for what the desperate detectives have in store!

Come As You Are
(theSpace Triplex, 24-29 August)
Katherine turns 45 today! A warm, joyful celebratory dinner with all the family awaits her – until an uninvited guest sours the festivities.

It Couldn’t Get Worse; or, The Margarita Boat Tour Incident
(theSpace @ Venue 45, 24-29 August) Locked in a lighthouse, Claire and Judy form a reluctant alliance to save Maggie, Judy’s daughter and Claire’s fiancée. It couldn’t get worse. Probably.

What’s Rotting in the Office Fridge? 
(theSpace on the Mile, 24-29 August)
A seemingly regular office prepares for a retirement party, but something’s amiss. As characters unravel, they find themselves trapped by capitalism, the stages of grief and their own ambition.

I Killed My Father
(theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 24-29 August)
This darkly comedic excavation dissects a lineage of absentee fathers, explores what we inherit, and reveals the high cost of a graceful exit. A bitingly funny autopsy on masculinity.

Can You Teach Me How To Breathe?
(theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 24-29 August) Four people wake up on a sinking submarine with no idea what’s going on. There’s nothing to do but wait. And the empty feelings they’ve long ignored creep in.

Walker’s Shortbread’s “Magic Taxi” brings touch of Speyside magic to Edinburgh Fringe

Fringe magician Elliot Bibby took to the streets of Edinburgh on Thursday in a bespoke Walker’s Shortbread ‘Magic Taxi’ to surprise festival-goers with free rides, close-up magic, and buttery shortbread.

Serving as an on-the-move venue with a difference, the tartan-clad cab – which features brand ambassador Sir Andy Murray – transported busy Fringe-goers across the city between venues while keeping them entertained and fuelled with shortbread.

Local food businesses set to feed thousands of fringe-goers at iconic  Edinburgh festival venues this August

Edinburgh University Students’ Association will host a line-up of incredible food vendors across central venues this August in collaboration with Gilded Balloon and Pleasance Theatre Trust.

With a strong focus on supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of Scotland’s local food scene and suppliers, festival-goers will be spoilt for choice at the city’s most iconic Fringe venues.  

Pleasance Courtyard 

Smash & Stack, Total Meltdown, Pizza Geeks, Happy Dumplings, Mint, Mimi’s Bakehouse,  Backstage Bar & Bistro 

The Pleasance Courtyard, an original Fringe venue since the event’s first year – 1947, is one  of the most popular social areas for performers and punters alike. Come rain or shine, the  Courtyard offers that beer garden buzz, with plenty of covered seating.  

Smash & Stack, Edinburgh’s gourmet burger stall, are cooking up a range of dishes, from  its ‘Moving Mountains’ vegan burger to its beef truffle and parmesan burger. Find Smash &  Stack in the Front Courtyard.  

For pure indulgence, head to local legends Total Meltdown to try their grilled cheese  sandwiches oozing with cheddar and delicious fillings, including kimchi, nduja and  pastrami. Vegans will be spoilt for choice too, with seven options available on the menu. 

Cheese enthusiasts can also get their fix at Pizza Geeks who have been serving Neapolitan-style sourdough pizzas with a slice of geek in Edinburgh since 2016.  

Happy Dumplings are on a mission to bring their famous family recipes from restaurants  in China to Scotland. Packed with explosive flavour, dumpling options include prawn, pork,  beef or chicken.  

Mint will be serving up their signature wraps, perfectly balancing texture and taste through  their unique combination of smoked paprika, fresh tzatziki and tangy pickled cabbage.  Their famous Za’atar chicken or falafel and humous wraps are on the menu. 

And for a sweet treat, Mimi’s Bakehouse – one of Edinburgh’s best-loved bakeries – are back with their award-winning cakes, scones and coffee, alongside hot filled rolls.  

Drink amongst the stars at our various bars:

• Arthur’s Bar – a relaxed bar area tucked away behind the Pleasance Courtyard  looking out to Arthur’s Seat. 

• Cragg’s Bar – located under the famous yellow stretch tent – the perfect spot for a  drink and a bite. 

• Cabaret Bar – combining a bar and performance space inside the main Pleasance  building, the Cabaret Bar has previously attracted the likes comedians such as  Frank Skinner, Rich Hall and Jenny Éclair. The bar is operated by Backstage Bar and  Bistro serving teas, coffee and hearty food. 

Teviot 

The Loft Bar, Union Social, Gallery Cafe, Union Social Garden, Relics Coffee Co. 

Teviot is back on the Fringe scene, following its extensive refurbishment. Crowned ‘Best  Night Out’ at the 2026 Scottish Entertainment and Hospitality Awards, Teviot is the world’s  oldest purpose-built students’ union and has an array of dining spaces for visitors to refuel  in between Fringe shows.  

Inside Teviot you’ll find the spacious Union Social serving local craft beer by the award winning Stewart Brewing. On sunny days, head to the Loft Bar’s roof terrace to escape from  the bustling crowds.  

Outside, Union Social Garden is your classic beer garden, with beach hut booths and picnic benches. Alongside the bar, Relics Coffee Co. will pop up at Union Social Garden,  offering speciality brews and espresso martinis for a day-to-night caffeine hit.  

On Friday and Saturday nights, you’ll be able to pair your beverage of choice along with live music as DJ sets take over Union Social Garden – there’s no need to purchase a ticket, just  rock up and enjoy! 

Charles Street Lane  

Mac Love, Greek Street Food, Churros Truck  

Outside Teviot is Charles Street Lane. This Fringe hotspot is where to find an array of street  food staples, including Mac Love with their popular mac ‘n’ cheese, Greek Street Food offering chicken and halloumi gyros, and Churros Truck for Spanish fried doughnuts with a  range of dipping sauces. 

Pleasance Dome & Plaza  

The Dome Bar, Box Bar, Bar & Kitchen, Chicken & Fries 

The Dome Bar is the main bar in the Pleasance Dome, offering a wide selection of draught,  bottles, spirits and hot food. Situated in the lower Dome is the Box Bar complete with 

decked seating, giving the perfect summer festival feeling. If you fancy a bite, you can also  find the Bar & Kitchen serving up tasty hot dogs, sides and drinks – perfect for a proper pit stop between shows.  

Outside the Pleasance Dome on Pleasance Plaza (named as one of the Fringe’s top places to be) you can find Chicken & Fries with a delicious selection of chicken options.  

Drinks across venues 

A broad selection of drinks is available across the venues — Madri, Coors, Alpacalypse  Session IPA, Staropramen, Aspall Cyder, Caffrey’s Black Stout and Blue Moon to name a few.  In addition, you will find Alcohol 0% options, Rekorderlig Ciders, NICE Wine, Whitley Neill  Gin, Fever-Tree soft drinks and much more.

We also have some “Grab and Go” canned items  that will ensure you can quickly get served, even while you wait in your queue for the show,  so refreshments are never far away.

Week 2 at theSpaceUK: An exciting assortment of fresh shows

theSpaceUK is gearing up for a second week of Fringe, offering a hundred-plus shows ranging from theatre to cabaret to musicals

After an incredible opening week of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, we are thrilled to be going into week 2. Here’s just a taste of the exciting new shows that you can catch in Week 2 at theSpaceUK … 

Musicals & Operas

Fantasy World Adventures Mega Park! The Musical

(theSpace @ on the Mile, 17-29 August) Hot off the tracks from a 5-star debut, this hilarious original musical comedy will take you on the rollercoaster that is love, loss and being a constant disappointment to your parents.

Vote: The Musical
(theSpace Triplex, 17-23 August)

A bold new historical musical set in 1908 Britain, charting the rise of the suffragette movement. This urgent tribute confronts the past to ignite the present.

A Traitors Pantomime
(theSpace @ Niddry Street, 17-22 August)

Delight in all the melodrama we know and love, with some added panto pizzazz. A devious trio of traitors, a Romeo-and-Juliet love story, and a predictable parody (or two); this series will be unlike any other. 

Heracles: Of Men and Beasts
(theSpace @ Niddry Street, 17-29 August)

Acclaimed New Zealand theatre company’s international premiere of this powerful, original folk musical shedding new light on an ancient tale. Greek myth blended with 1940s Hollywood aesthetic through a groundbreaking live-looping musical landscape.

Trains in the Night
(theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 17-29 August)

A sapphic musical following best friends Celine and Margot, who teeter between love and fear. When life, lovers and timing pull them apart, the songs they leave unsung begin to tell the truth.

Music

Full Score Barbershop Choir Presents: Brace for Impact!
(theSpace Triplex, 17-22) 

Join Durham University’s award-winning barbershop choir for an a capella concert full of rich harmony arrangements of your favourite numbers! Featuring musical theatre, jazz, Disney and classic barbershop, there’s something for everyone!

Comedy

Not Black Enough
(theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 17-22 August) 

This show mines the depth of human identity while deftly exploring all sides. Who am I kidding? This show is just me proving how Black I am. Because I am so Black.

No Ducks Left To Give
(theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 17-22 August)

The University of York Dead Ducks are invited to a remote stately home by a former colleague. As punchlines and bodies pile up, the choice is simple: commit to the bit or die trying.

Merlesque: How an Adult Woman Became a Mermaid
(theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 17-22 August) 

Merlesque is a tale about a tail. A policy expert uprooted by America’s 2024 presidential election, Merlesque is the true story of how a statistician turned into a birthday party mermaid.

Theatre

JOSIAH 
(theSpace Triplex, 17-29 August)

Who was the real Uncle Tom? This new Canadian play dramatises the journey of Josiah Henson from the depths of slavery to the heights of freedom. One actor, 36 characters. No set. No props. Just your imagination.

The Unsolvable Case of Keir Starmer 
(theSpace Triplex, 17-22 August) 

Through imagined conversations with a therapist, Keir Starmer grapples with the transformation from lawyer to national leader – ‘Oh God, you know I don’t do this self-analysis thing very well.’

Eight Hours
(theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 17-28 August) 

Strangers, eight hours, one connection they can’t quite explain. Following two queer women through the only night they’ll spend together, it might mean everything – or nothing at all. Is eight hours long enough to fall in love?

It Happened on a Tuesday
(theSpace @ Niddry Street, 17-22 August) 

Six employees. One Tuesday in the office. £60,000 stolen. To solve the mystery, the boss asks each of his employees to walk him through their day, resulting in absurd recreations and ridiculous revelations.

Nude
(theSpace on the Mile, 17-29 August)

A university student poses nude at a life drawing class for all the wrong reasons. A funny, devastating solo play about desire, fantasy and the seductive idea that being seen is the same as being empowered.

Dead Wrong
(theSpace Triplex, 17-29 August)

Fiadh and Nolan were your normal uni students until one murderous night changes everything. Come join these best friends in hiding as they figure out their next move. Will they betray one another or accept defeat?

Halfway Home
(theSpace on the Mile, 17-22 August)

Davie, newly released from prison, moves in with his policeman-hopeful brother, Freddie, and his fiancee Laura, an overworked NHS nurse. Past mistakes resurface and clashing beliefs expose deep family fractures in austerity-hit Scotland.

Hope This Helps!
(theSpace @ Venue 45, 17-29 August) 

Five internet addicts visit The Retreat in search of an easy life fix, hoping cucumber peels and tst exercises can buy back their happiness and spontaneity. A new satirical comedy about wellness, digital connection, and touching grass.

Pigeon Syndrome
(theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 17-22 August)

When a hapless husband accidentally steps on a bee that his wife was saving, it seems their marriage finally hits rock bottom. But when he rescues an injured pigeon, he discovers a way to restore their former passion.

Nocturnal Is The New Sexy
(theSpace on the Mile, 17-22 August)

Nocturnal Is The New Sexy follows a couple fractured by NHS night shifts, post-it notes and modern labour, blending ensemble movement and dark humour to expose love, exhaustion and the cost of being seen.

The Powerpop Girls: A New Diva Religion
(theSpace @ Niddry Street. 17-22 August)

A camp workplace comedy set in a celestial bureaucracy where pop divas are treated as religious figures. Madness ensues when a rogue employee accidentally merges the religions of three modern pop icons.

Week one winners of The Besties announced

The Besties awards celebrating the best across Edinburgh’s August Festivals are now in their third year. The Award is a partnership between Radge Media, Capital Theatres and Premier Scotland.

The Skinny and Fest, Capital Theatres and Premier Scotland are delighted to announce the week one winners of The Besties.

Stanislavski Can’t Save Me From the Apocalypse: The Superpower Agency Award 

This award was selected by the young people who participated in this year’s Superpower Agency critical writing summer camp, a collaboration with the teams at The Skinny and Fest.

Five women went to teach theatre for the summer. They just didn’t know the world would end before camp did. In Stanislavski Can’t Save Me From The Apocalypse, life at a theatre camp in the northern woods of Maine takes a shocking turn when five counsellors suddenly become responsible for more than forty campers after the world ends on the final day of camp. Their artistic dreams collide with the abrupt demands of survival, forcing women who once built imaginary worlds onstage to confront a terrifying new reality offstage.

The young reviewers said, “We really enjoyed this innovative theatre production, set at a kid’s theatre camp in the aftermath of the apocalypse. This is an ambitious show that takes risks with its unconventional structure and pulls them off. They did a lot with a tiny venue, minimal set and a cast who were passionate and talented. The characters were realistic and the show’s depiction of young adult friendship was funny and relatable. A hopeful and meaningful take on a potentially dark subject.”

Ethan and Gigi present The Movement: The Radgie Award

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.’

The Skinny/Fest editorial team said: “Ethan and Gigi’s commitment to the bit is what makes this faux so-bad-it’s-good comedy stand out from the rest. A pair of revolutionaries riddled with interpersonal issues but convinced they’re on the brink of an anti-fascist revolutionary movement, the New York clown duo never let you see where they start and the characters end. There are big, insane swings in this show that wears its brashness deceptively lightly; swings that you’re only likely to see at The Fringe.” 

Xhloe and Natasha: Bigfoot Ripped My Dog In Half I Saw It – 

Fringe Legends

Two teenagers perform fake Bigfoot sightings in their Appalachian town, until a neighbour’s dog turns up torn to pieces. Aside from sparking a panic that spirals out of their control, it forces them to question what might actually be terrorizing their under-resourced and already superstitious community. From 2022, 2023 and 2024 Fringe First award-winners and ‘the Fringe’s most dynamic theatrical duo’ (Telegraph), Xhloe and Natasha, comes a Brechtian puppet show ripped in two about conspiracy, misdirection and seeing something with your own eyes.

The Skinny/Fest editorial team said: “It may be early in the 2026 Fringe to declare a legend award, but the judging team could think of no title more fitting for clown duo Xhloe and Natasha. Since their 2022 debut with And Then the Rodeo Burned Down they’ve built a devoted following amongst Fringe-goers in general and the Skinny-Fest teams in particular. This year they’ve returned with their fourth original show, Bigfoot Ripped My Dog In Half I Saw It, and it has once again lived up to the hype.”

Elf Lyons is the woman on the edge: The Heart Award

‘I’m sorry, I’ve said too much…’ Sky Arts Award-winning comedian Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge. A completely normal, autobiographical (and in no way complex) – observational stand-up show about love. A perfect show to take yourself to. Inspired by Vertigo, Apollo 13, the opera Pagliacci. Directed by Ingmar Bergman. One of The Telegraph’s 50 Funniest Comedians of the 21st Century.

The Skinny/Fest editorial team said: “The Fringe has practically belonged to Elf Lyons for a while now. Swan was mad; Raven was fit for a King. So to hear, in Elf’s new show, that she had lost herself earlier this year was heart-rending. If someone so singular can lose sight of who they are, what hope is there for the rest of us? By the end of her new hour, there’s no question that that isn’t the case anymore.”

House Fly: The Buzz Award

Bzzzz. Enter the surrealist world of a house fly. She’s come to share her story before she dies! In an astonishing historical first, a house fly has learnt human behaviour. Wanting to warn us about the worldwide insect shortage but getting lost along the way. This is Tess O’Shea’s first show after training at Gaulier clown school – it’s a theatrical exploration on the life of a fly and their cultural history. Come and see a fly’s observations on the absurdity of modern life, inspired by Kafka and the surrealism of Dali. Swatters strictly prohibited!

Fest writer Xuanlin Tham said: “the humble fly is often constituted as nothing more than a filthy pest. Yet carrying on in the grand surrealist tradition of Kafka, Dalí, and also Ratatouille (masterpiece), Tess O’Shea’s House Fly paints the life story of one fly so vividly that the last thing you want to do is swat it away … The buzz is real.” 

Eva Peroni:  Jungled – Emerging Talent Award

At 17, Eva moved from Livingston to Costa Rica on her own. She dropped out of school and moved to Costa Rica a boy-mad wee bam. She came back a bald lesbian without shoes. A fast, brutally funny debut about how you can take the girl out of Livingston, but maybe Costa Rica is too far. ‘One of the best young acts on the Scottish circuit’ (One4Review.co.uk). ‘A rising star’ (List). Support for Kim Blythe, Sam Nicoresti and Susie McCabe.

The Skinny/Fest editorial team said: “Eva Peroni is anything if not precocious. The 22-year-old’s debut Fringe hour is crammed with joke after joke, drawing on themes of identity and belonging and remaining sharp and uncompromising throughout. Taking inspiration from her coming-of-age in Costa Rica, the comic probes questions of national identity and Scottishness, with tongue firmly in cheek…”

Reflecting the broad and diverse coverage both magazines produce every summer and celebrating the breadth of Edinburgh’s Festivals, The Besties span all the festival activity taking place in the city over the month of August, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival. 

Winners of The Besties are chosen each week by the editorial teams of The Skinny and Fest, drawing on their cross-festival expertise to celebrate the best work happening anywhere in the festivals. 2026 winners will be announced at weekly ceremonies taking place at Festival Theatre in Edinburgh on 15, 22 and 29 August.

The Besties awards, designed by artist Camillo Feuchter a graduate of Interior & Environmental Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, use recyclable plastics gathered by the partners and leftover wood sourced locally.