Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025 Programme launched

Today, Tuesday 03 June, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is delighted to launch the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme. The programme celebrates the diverse selection of work at the Fringe, with performers from across the world and work from 58 countries.

This year’s programme features work from 3,352 shows across 265 venues, with themes tackling some of the most topical issues in the world today.

From rebellious women to the paranormal; the apocalypse to nostalgia; queer joy to life with illness; rave and club culture to science and technology.

Launching the 2025 Fringe programme, Tony Lankester, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: ‘Programme launch is such an exciting moment for everyone involved making the Fringe happen.

“Thank you to all the Fringe-makers – the artists, venues, workers, producers, technicians, promoters, support staff and audiences that bring their un-matched, exceptional energy to Edinburgh in August.

‘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.

“Jump right in, book your favourites, shows that intrigue you and take a chance on something new.’

In this release

New show additions

Key themes:

Rebellious women
The paranormal
The apocalypse
Nostalgia
Queer joy
Life with illness
Rave and club culture
Science and tech

New show additions

At Traverse Theatre,Gary McNair’s ‘award-winning show’ A Gambler’s Guide to Dying returns ‘back home for a special run to mark its 10th anniversary’.

‘Four generations of Northern Irish women, reunited’ in Consumed (Traverse Theatre), ‘a tale of twisted family dynamics and national boundaries’.

‘Inspired by his involvement in the Egyptian revolution of 2011, and experience of the counter-revolution that followed, Khalid Abdalla brings together the personal and the political’ in Nowhere (Traverse Theatre).

At Scottish Storytelling Centre, join the Loud Poetsfor ‘fist-thumping, pint-drinking, side-tickling, heart-wrenching fusion of poetry and live music’ or ‘Scottish and Welsh traditional storytellers Ailsa Dixon and Ffion Phillips as they weave folk music, language and story across these isles and between worlds’ in Aderyn/Bird.

Also at Scottish Storytelling Centre, Cassandra ‘blends Greek myth, Scottish folklore and personal narrative to explore prophecy, protest and survival across time and space’.

Rebellious women

At Summerhall, Amazons is a ‘gripping new solo show about the Amazon rainforest and the generations of women who have fought to protect it’.

‘From Parisian hysteria to the glowing Radium Girls’, Fragile Creatures at theSpaceUK ‘reveals gripping stories of women’s rebellion, resilience and their relentless fight for bodily autonomy and equality’.

In Alice Hawkins – Working Class Suffragette at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre, ‘Peter Barratt gives a stirring and passionate account of his great-grandmother’s hard-fought campaign for the vote’ while VOTE the Musical at Paradise Green takes a ‘gripping look at the Suffragette movement exploring imprisonment, activism and the fight for electoral freedom’.

Three resilient Scottish sex workers, dream of escaping the lives they’ve been trapped in, but the patriarchy stands in their way in Happy Ending Street at Leith Arches.

In Well Behaved Women at Gilded Balloon, in 1888 ‘three chaotic twentysomething women decide to host a séance’ and make ‘a bit of a mess of things.’

‘Get ready for a powerful performance’ at Women in Socks and Sandals at ZOO, ‘filled with quirky stunts, mental courage and celebration of the right to be oneself’.

With ‘history, sermons and singalong’, Church of the Clitori at Paradise Green aims to ‘satirise and crash-tackle anatomy, religious ads and female sexuality politics’.

The paranormal

At Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge, Fallen Angel by Liam Rudden tells the story of Angel, who’s been ‘tortured’ by angels for ‘500 years’, while ‘startling revelations about Edy Hurst’s relations have set him on vision quest to contact his ancestors’ in Edy Hurst’s Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Himself at Assembly.

Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep? is a ‘one-man (and one puppet) musical journey through a zombie outbreak, combining live performance, puppetry and animation’ at ZOO.

‘Get to know Frankenstein’s Monster like you’ve never been able to before’ at Fatherless Monster (Paradise Green), ‘face to face with only a mic and some stage lights between you and him.’

0.1% Accurate: Magdalena the Fortune Teller Show ‘will predict the future, summon the spirits, answer your life questions and send you home smiling’ at Alchemist Cocktail Bar and Restaurant.

Listen to the tales of Haunted Edinburgh at Arthur Conan Doyle Centre ‘and discover a host of terrifying stories of hauntings from the city’s dark past’ or visit The Mother Superior to ‘unveil women’s role in shaping the history of alcohol, including sharing how some were framed as witches’ in Whisky & Witches.

A Haunted House at Assembly is a ‘hysterical, terrifying and surreal tale, about one hair-raising night in a haunted house’ ‘for those who like their laughs big and their scares spine-chilling!’

‘The world-renowned paranormal expert Baron Vordenburg and his helpers, Gothic and Grotesque, give away trade secrets and expertise on hunting the unknown’ in Baron Vordenburg’s Guide to the Paranormal at theSpaceUK.

‘A man commits the ultimate act of cowardice’ and ‘a woman’s spirit gains terrifying embodiment’ in ‘dark, twisted folk horror tale’ Tom Hiccup’s Well at Greenside.

The apocalypse

At theSpaceUK, ‘apocalyptic anti-romcom’ Horny for the End of the World follows ‘Gen Z, try-hard, pick-me Ebeth gets dumped by the man of her dreams the day before everyone realizes the world is going to end’.

Apocalipsync is a ‘high-energy solo show blending physical theatre, mime, dance and lip-sync mastery’ ‘exploring themes of isolation, hyper-connectivity and human expression’ at Assembly.

Original musical The Real Housewives of the Zombie Apocalypse at Greenside asks if the ‘OGs of reality TV’ can ‘survive the hordes, and each other, and self-produce their way to the end?’ while 4’s a Crowd (Or What Not to Do When Stuck in a Bunker During the Apocalypse) at theSpaceUK ‘follows the idiots left behind after the world ends’.

Apocalypse Cabaret: Songs for the End of the World (Underbelly) is a ‘powerhouse Fringe debut packed with original songs, pop bangers, audience interaction, and existential musings’ following ‘a lonely karaoke jockey is the sole survivor at the end of the world and decides to go out singing.’

Scenes of Unfathomable Horror brings ‘absurd, twisted and entertaining take on modernity, celebrity and existential dread’ to Just the Tonic.

Nostalgia

At Underbelly, A Small Town Northern Tale is a ‘Y2K coming-of-age story, charting life in a small Northern town as a mixed-race boy’ and WANTED tells the story of ‘two girls from opposite worlds’ ‘fated to meet on the 00s queer scene’.

At Club NVRLND (Assembly), ‘where the party goes on till morning’, ‘Wendy and Peter reunite for an unforgettable night of adventure, nostalgia and staying forever young, featuring the biggest 2000s anthems’

‘All set to the soundtrack of the 2000s’ Jake Donaldson Is The Fifth Weezer at Laughing Horse is set to be ‘packed with nostalgia, punchy jokes and stories about finding your place in the world’.

‘The perfect nostalgic show for pop fanatics and chart aficionados’, Margot and Martha’s Chart Show Mixtape at theSpaceUK will ‘take you on a journey from mixtapes to Spotify wrapped, celebrating pop music through what was in the charts on the 18th of August – the very week they’re performing at the Fringe’.

‘Party like it’s 1999’ at MASSAOKE: 90s Live (Underbelly) with ‘an epic 90s sing-along’.

‘Through everyday conversation, hilarious comedy, and music-hall style songs’ at The Steamie (Gilded Balloon) ‘we learn from four working-class women about their lives, husbands, technology and the approaching New Year in this time capsule of Glasgow in the 1950s’.

Queer joy

A ‘love letter to the queers, the weirdoes, the trailblazers, the fringes and the night-walkers’, Anatomy of a Night at Summerhall isan ‘exploration of personal identity through a reflection of memories from queer and club spaces’.

‘Queer, chic and outrageous’ – head to the Big Gay Afterparty at Just the Tonic for the ‘biggest, gayest party at the Fringe (fun straights allowed)’.

‘A queer love story but no one dies at the end? Welcome to the world of’ Blooming at Greenside.

Join a ‘plus-sized, 72-year-old lesbian’ sharing ‘intimate stories celebrating inclusivity’ at Tales From Your Queer Elder (Greenside).

At Carpet Muncher at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, ‘the contemporary folklore of the Mothman is brought to life, using vibrant surrealist costuming to explore themes of queer alienation, metamorphosis, cross-border solidarity and homoerotic hot-hub encounters’.

Follow a young trans girl as she navigates the hilarity of rural Argentina during the 1900s at Cecilia Gentili’s Red Ink at Underbelly.

‘Expect chaos, drag, stand-up, glitter, queer joy and an ever-changing line-up of LGBTQIA+ acts’ at Comedy Queers (Laughing Horse) or check out Midnight at the Palace (Gilded Balloon) for a ‘night of radical joy and glitter-encrusted anarchy’.

Living with illness

3 Kidneys No Colon at Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge is ‘the medical diaries (or rather… diarrheas) of Dave who suffers from chronic kidney disease, ulcerative colitis and has had multiple organ transplants’.

Learn about ‘narcolepsy from a true-life perspective’ at theSpaceUK, Fragments of Fatigue is a ‘coming-of-age story to transform your world and prove just how much fight is required to beat the fatigue’.

‘Artfully weaving between generational trauma and chronic illness’, Robyn Reynolds: What Doesn’t Kill You at Assembly will have you ‘roaring with laughter’.

In The Nature of Forgetting at Pleasance, ‘Tom is living with early onset dementia’ and ‘we meet him as he prepares for his 55th birthday party and past memories come flooding back’. At theSpaceUK, Ah-Ma is ‘a hauntingly beautiful new play, weaving together natural and social disasters, bodily deterioration and family sorrow’.

At Assembly, Ohio tells the story of ‘when Shaun turned his back on the church’ and ‘found a new home in music’ before he is ‘confronted now with acute degenerative hearing loss’.

Yvonne Hughes: Absolutely Riddled is ‘a fresh and bold dive into the reality of living with cystic fibrosis (CF) – a journey that’s as phlegmy as it is funny’ at Gilded Balloon.

Rave and club culture

At Summerhall, The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave is ‘the atmosphere and culture of a three-day rave condensed into an hour’ while PUMP ‘drops you in the middle of a nightclub dance floor in a desperate search for validation, intimacy and identity’.

Her Raving Mind is ‘a Greco-British rave tragicomedy unravelling the complex mind of an abuse survivor’ at Just the Tonic.

‘Loud, lawless, and laced with naughty bits’, Watch Me Die! is ‘rave theatre: performance, film, stand-up and pounding basslines, dragging Shakespeare into a civil war where star-crossed love and vengeance make their scene’ at theSpaceUK.

At Rave, Colin and Rosie ‘are battling through their own worlds of crisis using the music of the rave club to help, encourage and solve their problems’ at Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge.

Science and tech

Created by an AI researcher, AI: Save Our Souls at Greenside features ‘an immersive future world of AI, polystylistic music and a dynamic plot’ while at Paradise Green, Rise of the Solar Punks asks ‘what can we learn from ancient cultures regarding climate adaptation, and how can we fuse this with technology and AI?’

As part of the Made in Scotland showcase, MUO Live at the French Institute in Scotland is ‘a unique fusion of music, science and unseen cosmic forces.’

Head to Just the Tonic, Excel Comedy and Mathem-antics for a ‘themed stand-up show for spreadsheet experts and rookies alike’ or check out Sci-larious – Science Stand-up at Laughing Horse for ‘bi-lol-ogy or pharm-ha-cy’.

Mark Thompson’s Spectacular Science Show at Gilded Balloon is ‘science like you have never seen it before’ exploring ‘the magical properties of matter’.

At PBH’s Free Fringe, Freya McGhee: Experimental blends ‘science, comedy and dating into one unforgettable experiment’ investigating ‘the chemistry of attraction to the mechanics of mixed signals’.

Check out Hot Rubber (Gilded Balloon) to see ‘eight comedians pit their homemade remote-control cars against one another in the world’s smallest demolition derby’ or ‘form a team, select a knockoff Roomba, customise it, then pit it against a dozen rivals’ at Robot Vacuum Fight Club (Outhouse Bar).

New and interesting venues

Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge ‘on busy George Street’ is new with a number of shows this August, including well-known musicals Little Shop of Horrors, High School Musical and Footloose, as well as a range of theatre, cabaret and children’s shows.

Welcome to the Fringe, Palestine, ‘a mini-festival to celebrate Palestinian art and culture’, takes place in new venue Portobello Town Hall.

Citadel Youth Centre is ‘hosting two fundraisers for the Citadel’s valuable work with young people and families in Leith’ Storm in the Citadel and Punchline on Leith.

The Bowlers Rest in Leith is home to Beggared, ‘the story of a privileged white South African whose life collapses into homelessness’.

Easter Road Stadium joins the Fringe as a venue, hosting two shows: Dropped, in which ‘former Chelsea FC trainee Alfie Cain tells his moving story of dashed football dreams and explores the darkness and pressures young men go through trying to make it as professional footballers’ and Frankie Mack Showman – The Next Stage: The Leith San Siro ‘a high-energy, show-stopping night of swing, rock’n’roll and modern classics’.

All the way from Italy is Mirage Spiegeltent at Gyle Shopping Centre, hosting Spirit of the Favela, a ‘dynamic fusion of circus and theatre showcasing Rio de Janeiro’s vibrant culture and communities’.

Gilded Balloon have introduced a new space at Appleton Tower for twenty shows, including Frances Floats and Not My Grandmother’s Daughter.

Now in St. Andrew’s Square, The Famous Spiegeltent returns, offering theatre, cabaret, music and musicals, including La Clique – ‘the global phenomenon that redefined a genre, with its mélange of cabaret and circus’.

Famous faces

Josie Long: Now Is the Time of Monsters is ‘a new show about extinct, gigantic, charismatic megafauna from three-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee’ at Pleasance.

Gilded Balloon marks their fortieth anniversary with ‘a series of special in-conversations featuring comedy greats’ including Jenny Eclair and Michelle McManus.

Also at Gilded Balloon, Rosie O’Donnell: Here & Now ‘reflects on her life in the present, including why she moved to Ireland from the USA, and how that shift has shaped her future’ and Michelle Brasier: It’s a Shame We Won’t Be Friends Next Year is a ‘show for the theatre kids, the freaks, the queers; for anyone who’s spiralled about something they did years ago’.

Fringe favourite Nina Conti: Whose Face Is It Anyway? is back at Underbelly, with ‘an unparalleled, unscripted show that delves deep into who we are, hijacking faces to spark a bold, hysterical reality warp’.

‘Direct from a sell-out West End season’, Bill Bailey is at Edinburgh Playhouse with Thoughtifier while Miriam Margolyes brings ‘more characters, more Dickens and more fascinating stories about the man behind the classics’ to Pleasancewith Margolyes and Dickens: More Best Bits.

‘The talented comedian, writer and host of A24 late-night variety sketch show’ Ziwe brings Ziwe’s America to Pleasance.

At The Stand Comedy Club, ‘expect to hear the glorious mess of being a professional polymath – from medical school to quiz championships, comedy clubs to Parkinson’s advocacy’ at In Conversation with… Paul Sinha or ‘jokes, rants, politics, swearing and possible nudity’ at Mark Thomas: WD40.

At Monkey Barrel, there’s ‘new material from the Rose d’Or, Southbank Sky Arts and Edinburgh Comedy Award winner’ Bridget Christie. Also at Monkey Barrel, ‘the Taskmaster treasure, Live at the Apollo star and voice of Netflix’s Too Hot to Handle presents a new hour about our bodies corporeal and politic, and what remains through ascension and destruction’ with Desiree Burch: The Golden Wrath.

‘A love letter to people pleasers everywhere’, Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares at Underbelly is ‘a hilarious, heartfelt and sometimes brutally honest tribute to recovering ingenues, mothers and anybody working on themselves’.

‘Comedy veteran’ Karen Dunbar ‘returns to the Fringe for a limited run of her stand-up tour’ at Just the Tonic.

At Assembly, David O’Doherty: Highway to the David Zone has ‘has got the lot’ with ‘talking, songs, talking during songs, talking while walking around’.

Free and Pay What You Can/Want shows

There are 325 free shows and 529 Pay What You Can/Want shows in this year’s programme.

10,001 Ideas by Robyn Perkins at Laughing Horse offers a ‘uniquely different hour of critically acclaimed stand-up and storytelling’.

Huge Davies: Free Work in Progress is at PBH’s Free Fringe with ‘his wearable keyboard for a free hour-long work in progress’. Also at PBH’s Free Fringe, Escape the Rat Race is a ‘a must-see for anyone who has ever worked in an office’.

At Laughing Horse, Three Bad Sisters is a ‘cacophony of the best and darkest materials from these three female rising stars of Irish comedy: Aideen McQueen, Shinanne Higgins and Louise O’Toole’.

‘Imagine an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman in the same bar as a therapist’ and you’ll imagine 5 Mugs, No Tea at Leith Depot. At the Mother Superior, you can ‘expect a fever-dream of love, loss, and existential dread’ at Crying at the Meat Raffle.

Disco Picnic at The Three Sisters is a ‘Fringe fiesta serves up a delicious mix of toe-tapping disco tunes’.

Thanks to our supporters and partners

The Fringe Society are grateful to the many partners, supporters, funders and sponsors this year. In particular, they would like to thank the official Education Partner of the Fringe Anthropic, the official Beer of the Fringe Innis and Gunn, Cirrus Logic and Baillie Gifford.

They would like to thank the UK Government and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for their Keep it Fringe Fund support, the Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council for strategic funding support, the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund support for the Made in Scotland programme; and Screen Scotland for supporting Screen Fringe.

The Fringe Society would also like to thank accommodation partners who provide much needed affordable accommodation to artists – Queen Margaret University and the University of Edinburgh, Theatre Digs Booker. Health in Mind are also returning in 2025 to support the delivery of mental health and wellbeing services within Fringe Central, which is once again kindly delivered in partnership with Grassmarket Community Project.

Fringe in numbers

3,352 total shows
265 total venues
49,521 performances
Work from Scotland: 923
Rest of UK: 1,392
Countries represented: 58 (including UK countries)
International countries: 54 (excluding UK countries)
There are 321 freeshows and 529 Pay What You Can/Want shows.
There are 923 Scottish shows, with 657 shows coming from Edinburgh.
Shows within each section:
- Cabaret and variety – 159 shows (4.7%)
- Childrens’ shows – 140 shows (4.2%)
- Comedy – 1,214 shows (36.2%)
- Dance, physical theatre and circus – 130 shows (3.9%)
- Events – 49 shows (1.5%)
- Exhibitions – 42 shows (1.3%)
- Music – 370 shows (11.0%)
- Musicals and opera – 165 shows (4.9%)
- Spoken word – 154 shows (4.6%)
- Theatre – 930 shows (27.7%)

The Great Edinburgh May Day Cabaret

THURSDAY 1st MAY at the WAVERLEY BAR

The Great Edinburgh May Day Cabaret returns for the third year running. There’ll be comedy, music and poetry to celebrate International Workers’ Day.

Compered by Jim Monaghan, and featuring a fantastic line-up of poetry from Stirling Makar, Kevin P Gilday, comedy from Vladimir McTavish and music from Calum Baird, Elsie McDonald and award-winning English folk-punk, Joe Solo.

Supported by Fair Pley, The STUC, Allan McDougall Solicitors and The Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders May Day Committee.

Doors open 7:30pm.

Backlash as BBC announces River City to come to an end in 2026

EQUITY LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO SAVE SCOTTISH SOAP

Sign our petition now to reverse the cut and save jobs.

BBC Scotland will be saying a fond farewell to long-running drama series, River City and the residents of Shieldinch next year after more than 20 years on screen. The drama, which has entertained audiences since 2002, will air its final series in Autumn 2026.

Reflecting a ‘significant change in audience behaviour away from long-running series and towards shorter runs’, the BBC will make a considerable boost in major drama productions set across Scotland, moving the River City investment, starting with three new series – Counsels, Grams and The Young Team.

As well as these new titles, popular drama Granite Harbour will return for a third series, filming in Aberdeen and Glasgow in the coming months. Also making a return is Shetland for its tenth series and Vigil for a third series, while the previously announced eight-part drama, Mint, is filming in Scotland. Combined, these dramas will bring a greater range of stories written by Scots, about Scotland and made in Scotland for a UK-wide audience.

Forming part of the single biggest investment in drama from Scotland in the past decade, these new dramas – along with existing commissions – will create new opportunities across the independent sector. Total investment in BBC drama from Scotland over the next three years is expected to rise to over £95m cumulatively (2026-28).

Counsels, Grams and The Young Team were ordered by Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning for BBC Scotland and Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama.

The BBC will also work with industry partners on a new talent training plan in Scotland. A new framework for training will build on River City’s successful training academy and the ongoing work on other series to elevate individuals in to senior creative roles as well as supporting and developing production crews. Further details will be announced in the autumn.

Sign our petition now to reverse the cut and save jobs.

Hayley Valentine, Director, BBC Scotland says: “River City has been a wonderful adventure and of course we’ll all be sad to see it go. The team have done a brilliant job and I know they have some big plans for the finale next year.

!But as viewing patterns change and competition intensifies, this is the right time to invest in the next generation of high-impact drama series from across Scotland showcasing storytelling across the UK.

“Our goal is to grow Scotland further on the global drama map – with a slate of world-class productions that set the standard not just here but internationally too.”

Louise Thornton Head of Commissioning at BBC Scotland: “We are incredibly proud of River City and it is with great sadness that we have come to this difficult decision.

“I want to thank the River City team in front of and behind the cameras for their dedication to the show over the years, past and present.

“For more than two decades, River City has brought drama to life on screen as well as offering industry training at grassroots level, and we know that fans of the programme will be really sad to see it go.

“The show leaves a tremendous legacy behind and the new productions we’ve announced will offer further opportunities. However, the media landscape is changing at pace and, as audience viewing habits change, it’s vital we respond to this.

“Our three new dramas, alongside the returning drama favourites, reflect the increasing shift in audience demand for series rooted in Scotland which play to audiences across the UK … and beyond.

“We’re delighted to be working with such great production teams and remain steadfast in our commitment to invest in Scotland’s creative industry.”

The new Scottish drama titles are:

Counsels (Balloon Entertainment)

8×60’ – BBC iPlayer / BBC One / BBC Scotland

Counsels is an original high-stakes legal drama co-created by Scottish writers Bryan Elsley (The Crow Road, Skins) and BBC Writers’ Drama Room graduate Gillian McCormack.

Set and filmed in and around Glasgow, Counsels follows five young lawyers who once trained together at one of Scotland’s elite law schools but are now scattered across the profession and find themselves facing each other in the courts of Glasgow.

Some will rise to the top, while others risk losing everything as their careers teeter on the edge when they lock horns in their biggest cases yet.

The ambitious lawyers must navigate a legal battlefield where their friendships begin to fracture, love affairs crumble, and the fight for justice threatens to tear them all apart.

Read more: BBC announces new Glasgow-set legal drama Counsels

Grams (World Productions)

6×60’ – BBC iPlayer / BBC One / BBC Scotland

Grams is a darkly comic thriller created, written and directed by the RTS award-winning James Price (Dog Days, Boys Night), Grams is set in Springburn, Glasgow, where James was born and still lives.

Following the death of her beloved grandson Michael, widowed Glaswegian Thana becomes the target of a violent local gang, who Michael apparently crossed.

Thana finds salvation in the form of Connor, a volatile friend of Michael’s with serious anger issues. Grams will see Thana and Connor form an unlikely partnership, as they seek the truth of what really happened to Michael.

Read more: BBC commissions new drama Grams from award-winning writer and director James Price

The Young Team (Synchronicity Films)

6×60’ – BBC iPlayer / BBC Three/ BBC Scotland

The Young Team is the scripted debut from one of Scotland’s most exciting voices in literature, Graeme Armstrong.

The series is adapted from Graeme’s best-selling and award-winning debut novel of the same name and is set and filmed in North Lanarkshire.

Fifteen-year-old Azzy Williams and his pals roam the streets of Airdrie on a Friday night, bottles of Buckfast in hand and techno playing from tinny speakers. Azzy is ready. Ready to smoke, pop pills, drink wine and fight.

He longs to become fully initiated into local gang the Young Team Posse (YTP). But when Azzy, determined to prove himself, makes a bold move, a brutal gang conflict ensues with Azzy very firmly at its heart.

The Young Team will follow Azzy on his journey from boyhood to manhood as he and his mates become postcode warriors in a toxic cycle that threatens to consume them. An unflinching look at the realities of addiction and gang violence, this ambitious series will tell a powerful, visceral story about the realities of life for young, disenfranchised people and the fight for a different future.

Read more: BBC commissions new drama The Young Team adapted from Graeme Armstrong’s best-selling novel

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama says: “Audience habits are changing and we are responding to that with these plans for three brilliant new dramas made in Scotland.

“BBC viewers love truly authentic stories and we are committed to creating high-impact content from across the UK, so that we can better reflect and represent every part of the country.

“The success of the long running Shetland, coupled with the return of Vigil and Granite Harbour, is a testament to the strength of talent we have in Scotland and we look forward to seeing our three new shows come to life alongside these hugely popular returners.”

The BBC says these new commissions ‘will build on the BBC’s strong track record in drama production in Scotland including award-winning series Guilt and Mayflies, and ratings hits Rebus and Nightsleeper’.

Richard Gadd’s new series Half Man has also started shooting in Scotland while the psychological thriller The Ridge starring Lauren Lyle will hit screens later this year. Filming on the new titles is expected from later this year and into 2026, with casting to be announced in due course.

Plans are underway to ensure River City goes out on a high next year, celebrating the show’s legacy. River City is a BBC Studios Drama Production.

Sign our petition now to reverse the cut and save jobs.

Equity, the UK performing arts & entertainment trade union, is urging the BBC to think again and has launched a petition to save the Scottish soap:

The BBC has shockingly announced they plan to cancel River City, one of Scotland’s most viewed and best loved TV shows.

River City attracts half a million viewers per episode and has an iconic status in Scottish TV culture. This decision is an attack on Scottish-made TV drama, Scottish TV workers, and the soap’s 500,000 loyal viewers.

Sign our petition to reverse the cut and Save River City!

Sign our petition now to reverse the cut and save jobs.

Paul W Fleming, Equity General Secretary, called the move “short-sighted” and a “disaster for Scottish television”, saying the move would have a disproportionately negative impact on Scottish performers – many of whom get their first TV job on River City – and the wider Scottish to production landscape.

‘The £9 million annual budget is excellent value for money given the hours of programming produced throughout the year for a successful show pulling in a regular audience of 500,000 per episode.

‘The Glasgow-based show is well-loved by Scottish audiences, enjoys strong ratings, and won ‘Best Drama’ at the RTS Scotland 2023 awards. It is the only domestic Scottish soap running on TV and outperforms other TV series by more than 2.5 times. It provides work for dozens of Scottish actors every year. River City is thriving and successful in its current format.

‘There is no way that the BBC can replace the level of investment and job creation that River City provides to the Scottish economy and Scottish culture sector. Any alternative proposals the BBC offers will inevitably hurt Scottish culture workers and and TV production.

Sign our petition now to reverse the cut and save jobs.

Sign our petition now to reverse the cut and save jobs.

UKRAINE FOREVER!

TONIGHT: Concert at Usher Hall 7pm

Tonight Usher Hall is hosting UKRAINE FOREVER! A fundraising performance featuring various Ukrainian and Edinburgh-based artists. Tickets cost £12 and all proceeds go to supporting humanitarian relief in Ukraine

Purchase tickets here: https://usherhall.co.uk/whats-on/ukraine-forever…

Hibernian Community Foundation is unwavering in its support of New Scots from Ukraine, aiming to provide support and a place of comfort and safety.

Burns Night Community Ceilidh: Tickets go on sale tomorrow

Coming soon! Our 11th Annual Burns Night Community Ceilidh!

Saturday 25th January 5-8.30 at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre.

Tickets on sale from tomorrow – Monday 13th January.

With Pilton Community Health Project

Royston Wardieburn Community Centre

Tinderbox Collective and many more..

Two Weeks ’til Edinburgh’s Hogmanay First Footin’

FREE NEW YEAR’S DAY MUSIC TRAIL RETURNS THROUGHOUT CITY CENTRE

ARTISTS INCLUDING KARINE POLWART, THE VASELINES, HAYLEY ZALASSI, VALTOS, DEAD PONY AND MORE SET TO PLAY NEW YEAR’S DAY LIVE MUSIC EVENTS

edwinterfest.com/hogmanay/whats-on/first-footin

The countdown to the New Year has begun as Edinburgh’s Hogmanay prepares for four days of events to ring in 2025, running from 29 December to 1 January.

With only two weeks to go until New Year’s Day itself, this year’s First Footin’ programme boasts a packed line-up of free and ticketed gigs to kick off the New Year in iconic venues across the city.

Funded by the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund, January 1st 2025 sees the First Footin’ programme go even further than before, with artists playing live sets in Portobello Town Hall and Leith Arches as well as historic landmarks St. Giles’ Cathedral and Greyfriars Kirk, and contemporary venues Greyfriars Hall and Eve at Virgin Hotel, Fruitmarket Warehouse and bars throughout the city centre, including Cold Town House.

This year’s programme includes an incredible line-up of Scottish artists including Valtos, DJ Hayley Zalassi, Zoe Graham, Dara Dubh, who gathered today at First Footin’ venue Cold Town House to mark two weeks to go until the gigs. First Footin’ also features Karine Polwart, NATI, Spyres, Mama Terra, Bee Asha, Broken Chanter, Eyve, Lewis McLaughlin, Grayling, Afterlands, and more.

On being part of First Footin’, Glasgow anti-punk band Dead Pony said; “We’re super excited to play this year’s First Footin’. We can think of no better way to start the New Year than to crank our amps up and blast some tunes at – possibly – weary revellers.

“Everyone’s hangover is about to get blown to smithereens by the Dead Pony Doof Wagon. Strap in!”

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay co-Director Al Thomson said: ‘We are so pleased to present another spectacular First Footin’ event on New Year’s Day.

“This year’s programme is bigger than ever and packed full of incredible artists from across Scotland and beyond. Audiences can explore the expanded event footprint, discovering their favourite new artists in spectacular venues, and start 2025 in the company of friends old and new. With so much to see, make sure you plan your day well to catch your favourite acts’

Acclaimed folk singer-songwriter Karine Polwart will host a stunning performance to mark the turning-of-the-year with ‘Come Away In’, a commissioned project welcoming special guest musicians Lori Watson and Corrina Hewat, along with 200 community choir singers, celebrating crossing the threshold of the New Year in the embrace of massed voices and song. Alongside Choir Director Stephen Deazley, Karine Polwart and the community singers will fill the stunning St Giles Cathedral with music on the 1st January.

The tranquil surroundings of Greyfriars Kirk will once again transform into a vibrant hub of Scottish music, featuring Skye natives Valtos, who have taken the Trad and Electronic music worlds by storm, artist and composer Kate Young, Edinburgh born indie artists Lewis McLaughlin and internet sensation NATI (solo).

A showcase of the very best in contemporary Scottish music at Virgin Hotel, presents artists nominated for the SAY Award 2024, featuring Dead Pony, Spyres, Broken Chanter and Edinburgh rap and spoken word artist Bee Asha.

Scottish musical duo Norman&Corrie will welcome audiences to the St. Andrew Square Speigeltent, challenging traditional notions of folk and jazz with new pieces translated from ancestral melodies. Shetland pianist Amy Laurenson, winner of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2023, and Glasgow artist Harry Gorski-Brown performing fiddle, pipes and vocals, are special guests.

For classical music-lovers, Fruitmarket Gallery presents a diverse programme of music for viola and cello performed by acclaimed Canadian cellist Christian Elliott and Fiona Winning, Principal Violist of the Royal Philharmonic and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras.

New venue Leith Arches presents some of Scotland hottest new acts including Mama Terra; Glaswegian Pianist, Composer & Producer Marco Cafolla & Saxophonist Konrad Wiszniewski, Mama Terra are hotly tipped by JazzFM, Loch Lomond folk-pop singer-songwriter Liv Dawn, Edinburgh rock band Low Tide, and grunge-fuelled rock from Dutch Wine.

Portobello Town Hall is home to a free afternoon of ceilidh dancing with Bella McNab’s Dance Band, with Brazilian and Cuban big-band flair from community street band Shunpike Social Club.

In the evening, BBC Radio Scotland’s Vic Galloway and Andy Wake (The Phantom Band) bring their spectacular club night Vitamin C out to Portobello Town Hall on New Year’s Day featuring alt-rock legends The Vaselines, infectious indie-dance from Sacred Paws and Django Django’s Dave Maclean for an epic DJ set.

Meanwhile, Leith Arches hosts a celebration of House and Old Skool, with an all-female line-up led by DJ Hayley Zalassi, and special guests SWATT TEAM and Disco T*TS, Leith Arches is guaranteed to keep you dancing into 2025.

In the evening, the music continues with the First Footin Sessions with Cold Town Beer, live events throughout the Grassmarket and New Town bars, featuring a feast of music from foot-stomping trad from Eamonn Coyne & Friends, to a special set from SAY Award nominees Afterlands’ in Cold Town House.

First Footin’ is just one of the offerings available from the four-day Edinburgh’s Hogmanay programme. Local residents and visitors from across the globe will come together to bid farewell to the final few days of 2024 and welcome in the New Year with an unmissable programme of live music and exceptional entertainment, including the world-class Midnight Moment fireworks and a celebration like no other at Edinburgh’s Street Party.

The celebrations kick off on the 29th December with the spectacular Torchlight Procession and the 30th sees a host of events including Idlewild headlining the Night Afore Concert at Assembly Rooms, and Hot Dub Time Machine warming up New Year’s partygoers with the Night Afore Disco Party in West Princes Street Gardens.

On Hogmanay night itself New Year Revels and its all-night ceilidh makes a welcome return to Assembly Rooms, while Princes Street and Princes Street Gardens will host 55,000 party goers at the world-famous Street Party featuring Hot Dub Time Machine, BBC Radio 1 DJ Arielle Free, Peatbog Faeries, Valtos and much more.

The iconic Concert in the Gardens Hogmanay show this year will welcome Texas for a 35th anniversary greatest hits show joined by special guest Edinburgh’s own Callum Beattie and Carla Easton. There’s plenty for the whole family across the four-day festivities with the Bairns Revels, Sprogmanay Family Ceilidh at Assembly Roxy, Sprogmanay at Portobello Town Hall and more.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2024/25 is supported by Principal Funding Partners City of Edinburgh Council and Major Partners the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund and Essential Edinburgh, all working together to create spectacular Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations for Scotland.

Further information and tickets for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 4-day celebrations are available now from www.edinburghshogmanay.com.

What’s Showing at Assembly Hall

Edinburgh’s Christmas: 6 December – 4 January

SWAMPLESQUE (06 Dec – 04 Jan)

After wowing audiences across Australia and smashing box office records at Edinburgh Fringe 2024, everyone’s favourite ogre-inspired burlesque and drag parody is coming to Edinburgh to celebrate Christmas! Swamplesque is the award-winning, critically acclaimed, burlesque parody show from Far Far Away! This ‘outrageously fun’ (The Advertiser, Adelaide) show offers its audience a smorgasbord of performance styles.

Tickets from £21.00

Time 21:00

Age 16+ (Restriction) – Nudity, Strobe Lighting, Scenes of Sexual Nature

JASON BYRNE: NO SHOW (06 Dec – 07 Dec)

There’s no show like a Jason Byrne NO SHOW. NO SHOW is a show with no comedy safety net. By the end of NO SHOW you’ll have experienced a once in a lifetime show or NO SHOW. Jason, along with the audience, will begin NO SHOW with no show whatsoever. Witness Jason use his infamous audience interactions with a sprinkle of props, both on and off the stage, to create NO SHOW! Your ‘full-on, double-up, gasping-for-oxygen hilarious’ (Chortle.co.uk) NO SHOW will never be repeated.

Tickets from £25.50

Time 19:00

Age 14+ (Guideline) – Strong language/swearing, Babies are not allowed in the venue – Children under 2 years

Val McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon in The Company of Books (15 Dec)

Book lovers can join Val McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon for a special festive inconversation event on Sunday 15 December at Assembly Hall, for In the Company of Books. The two will be joined by special guests Alan Cumming and Paula Hawkins to explore the joys of reading, and a few glasses of mulled wine.

Tickets from £24.00

Time 16:00

THE BUBBLE SHOW (21 Dec – 22 Dec)

This is no ordinary bubble show; it’s an original, interactive adventure, where the fusion of magic, storytelling, and science converge in a breathtaking display of bubble artistry. And leading the charge is none other than the legendary Highland Joker, actor, storyteller and Guinness World Record Holder, renowned as one of the foremost bubble artists in the world!

Whether you’re a wide-eyed child or a child at heart, prepare to be captivated by the spellbinding wonder of bubbles! So come one, come all, and let your imagination soar as we dive headfirst into the spectacular world of bubbles!

Tickets from £14.00

Time 14:00

‘Warm words do not support our vital cultural life and creativity’

Fringe Society publishes its review of the year 2024

Today, Tuesday 26 November 2024, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society publishes its review of the year 2024, outlining its activities over the past 12 months. These include the Society’s core services to artists, as well as the work it undertakes year-round to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat.

This year the Fringe maintained its unique position in the world as one of the most important performing arts expos on the planet. Over 1,800 arts industry delegates came to the festival to see, book and buy work for opportunities such as onward touring and broadcast potential.

Artists from 60 countries performed across 3,746 shows in 262 venues and some 900 accredited media wrote about the festival and reviewed work.

Along with the success of this year’s festival there continue to be significant concerns regarding the cost and availability of affordable accommodation in Edinburgh, pressures on the supply chain, and an unhelpful policy environment; all exacerbating the already fragile cultural economy of the Fringe.

At the close of this year’s Fringe, Fringe Society Chief Executive Shona McCarthy penned an open letter outlining the many challenges faced by the sector and its thousands of artists, supporting the no art without artists campaign by Scottish creatives.

The Fringe Society also supports the current #InvestInCulture campaign from Scotland’s cultural sector, which seeks to increase the Scottish Government’s budget contributions of national spend on culture from 0.5% to match or exceed the European average investment in culture of 1.5%.

The challenges facing the Fringe Society, the Festival Fringe and the Scottish arts sector can only be overcome with long-term collaborative, sustainable action and investment.

As such, in a new development for this annual publication, the 2024 review of the year has been designed as a launchpad for further discussion.

In Shona McCarthy’s last review of the year before stepping down as Chief Executive, the Fringe Society invites potential funders, partners, sponsors and those who benefit from the economics of the Fringe to engage with them now and help ensure the sustainability of this unique event into the next 77 years.

Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: ‘This year’s review is an invitation for discussion and to find solutions for the future of this amazing festival and expo.

“The whole sector needs action and investment and so does the Fringe. As the most influential and important performing arts marketplace in the world, the Fringe is crucial for the whole cultural ecosystem, not only for local, UK and international artists, but for the thousands of arts industry and media delegates who come here every year to view work, and source content for their own theatres, festivals and platforms.

“Warm words do not support our vital cultural life and creativity. Warm words do not provide platforms for Fringe artists on a global stage. Warm words do not help communities and audiences experience an event of global significance, on an Olympic scale, on their own doorstep.

“Now is the time to step up and work collaboratively to secure the future of this signature event for Scotland. After nearly ten years at the helm of the Fringe Society, I urge our public funders, our potential sponsors and partners, and those who have the influence, to turn words into action and sustainability for the sector and for this iconic event for the next decade.’

Benny Higgins, Chair of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: ‘Against an increasingly difficult policy environment and ongoing financial pressures, I congratulate Shona and the entire Fringe Society team on all that they have achieved this year.

“Artist support remains at the core of the work of the Fringe Society and the team work tirelessly to ensure this festival can continue.

“This isn’t easy work but is vital to ensure artists can continue to create and share their creativity that we all benefit from.’

2024 Fringe Society Review of the Year Download

Fantastic family films headline this October half term at Vue venues in Edinburgh

A mixture of old and new faces are heading to Vue venues in Edinburgh this October Scottish half term – offering plenty of opportunities for audiences of all ages to enjoy a trip to the big screen.

Families and film fans are invited to Cybertron in Transformers One, which rolls out at Vue sites just in time for the Scottish school holidays on 11 October. Learn the untold origin story of the iconic Autobot hero Optimus Prime and the villainous Megatron – and discover how these two sworn enemies were once close friends.

The first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie to appear on the big screen, Transformers One will be an action-packed adventure with everyone’s favourite Robots in Disguise.

Also for the Scottish half term, film fans eager to catch Dreamwork’s The Wild Robot will be able to enjoy Scotland only exclusive screenings at Vue on the 16^th & 17^th October, promising a beautiful, wild ride for all the family.

Following the charming tale of Roz, a futuristic robot who finds themselves on a deserted island filled with adorable animals, The Wild Robot is set to be a hugely emotional journey packed with discovery when it hits the big screen this month.

One of 2024’s most popular family favourite is also returning to the big screen this October, screening everyday of the school holidays as part of Vue’s Mighty Mornings with our favourite emotions in Pixar’s Inside Out 2 – available from just £2.49 when booked online.

Providing a short and sweet set of screenings for younger audience members, Vue’s Big Shorts will invite audiences to spend time with some of their favourite TV characters, with Bing & Friends: Birthday Celebration showing each day from 11 October.

From just £3.99 when booked online, these screenings offer a relaxed big screen environment with dimmed lights and reduced sound, tailor-made for younger film fans aged one to four.

Robert Smith, General Manager at Vue Edinburgh Omni, said: “We’ve got a great selection of new films and family favourites heading to the big screen this October half term, offering an ideal way to enjoy quality family time together this school holiday.

“Parents and children can come along, switch off and immerse themselves in great stories.”

Tickets are available at www.myvue.com

Family Fun this October Half Term at Vue line-up

Transformers One – from 11 October
Vue’s Big Shorts – Bing & Friends: Birthday Celebration – w/c 11 October
Mighty Mornings: Inside Out 2 – from 11 October & 18 October
The Wild Robot – from 16 October

The Besties’ winners week two announced

The Besties is a new series of awards celebrating the best across Edinburgh’s August Festivals. The Award is a partnership between The Skinny & Fest, Capital Theatres and Premier Scotland.

The Skinny and Fest, Capital Theatres and Premier Scotland are delighted to announce the winners of the second round of the weekly new Festival Awards, The Besties, in the following categories:

The Movement Award – Mele Broomes for through warm temperatures, Custom Lane (Edinburgh Art Festival)

The Narrative Award – Adania Shibli for Against Forgetting, Edinburgh Futures Institute (Edinburgh International Book Festival)

The Radgie Award – Piotr Sikora for Furiozo: Man Looking for Trouble, Underbelly Cowgate (Edinburgh Festival Fringe)

The Debut Award – Wonder Fools for Òran, Pleasance Courtyard (Edinburgh Festival Fringe)

[the gender euphoria award] – Wet Mess for Testo – Here and Now Showcase, Zoo Southside (Edinburgh Festival Fringe)

The Collaboration Award – The Giant Company and The Distant Voices Community for A Giant on the Bridge, Assembly Roxy (Edinburgh Festival Fringe)

The Solo Award – Yolanda Mercy for Failure Project, Summerhall (Edinburgh Festival Fringe)

The award ceremony took place on Saturday 17^th August at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh, hosted by comedian Josephine Lacey whose show Autism Mama is at the Pleasance Courtyard, with performances from Orkney musician Catriona Price who performed earlier this week at Queen’s Hall and Edinburgh New Town Church, celebrating her debut album, Hert.

The Besties award, designed by artist Camillo Feuchter who has recently graduated fromInterior & Environmental Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, uses recyclable plastics gathered at the Festival Theatre Café and leftover wood sourced locally.

Reflecting the broad and diverse coverage both magazines produce every summer and responding to the need for a pan-festivals award, The Besties span all the festival activity taking place in the city over the month of August, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival which started on Thursday 15 August, and others, making them the one of the only awards to celebrate the full spectrum of culture in the city.

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. The categories will reflect the diversity of the magazines’ coverage and might be different every week.

The third and last ceremony will take place on Saturday 24^th August.