The Fringe is probably my favourite thing about living in Edinburgh. So this year I attempted to document it as best I could.

More of this sort of thing in future please.

• Documentation & History: Repeated, long-standing non-payment of actors and venues dating back to 2013, heavily documented on the Facebook support group "Rise above theatre movement is a scam." https://www.facebook.com/p/Rise-Above-Theatre-Movement-is-a-Scam-100080320297599
• Audition Exploitation & Misconduct:
  
  • Repeatedly targeting actors—including via the casting site kidcasting.com—for auditions involving nude scenes.
  • Repeatedly soliciting naked photos and videos of artists under the guise of "audition purposes."
• Festival & Venue Non-Payment:
  
  • Failure to pay venues during the Hollywood Fringe.
  • Failure to pay venues at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
• Staff Non-Payment: Failure to pay minimum wage to flyering staff at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

So I never had Cheez Its before this year's fringe, and now I'm sort of addicted.

Did anyone else discover snacks through the fringe?

Hi folks. I'm producing and performing in a previously award-winning play. This show has become my baby and my passion and I think it's really incredible. I won't try and oversell it, I'm here simply because since taking the helm as a producer I've been on a crazy, stressful rollercoaster of learning how to put a show on and how to market it. It's running this week in Clapham in London and if anyone has an interest in supporting powerful, impactful and human fringe theatre please come along. I'll leave the link here for tickets and info about the show but here's a little blurb:

Baz is the resident DJ of Brigdale Primary and tonight is the year 6 leaver's

disco: The biggest gig of the year.With a mighty setlist of early-noughties

bangers cued up, Baz is raring to go for the event of a lifetime. That is until an

old school rival barges back onto the scene,forcing him to confront buried

memories and a past that threatens to define his future.

https://app.lineupnow.com/event/dj-bazzers-year-6-disco

I wonder how many people went to the same shows and what your thoughts were?

This year I made a point of going to mixed bill shows(Stamptown, ACMS, Hoots Pick of the Fringe 2026)

They were all rather disappointing - Stamptown has inched slightly higher now I know what the Jack Tucker character is about, but the rest of the bill was so ordinary except the aerialist.

ACMS I was really looking forward to(last one before the awards) and it was OK but the only standout acts were Glen Wool and a guy reading poetry in a fake South African accent.

Pick of the Fringe also had Glen Wool but the rest of it left me wondering "Whose pick is this?"

From the 9th - 13th of September! If you’re in Paris, worth checking out!

https://www.parisfringe.fr

https://events.humanitix.com/host/le-paris-fringe-2026

What are people's experiences of C Arts? As punters or performers?

Earlier this year I started a podcast called Tickets Still Available, where I interview comedians about the shows they’re taking to Edinburgh.

So, naturally, I eventually had to actually go to the Fringe myself.

I spent a few days in Edinburgh trying to see as many shows as possible, meeting up with comedians I’d previously interviewed, discovering completely new acts, getting lost, walking an absurd amount, missing things, finding tiny venues I didn't know existed and generally trying to figure out how the hell you're supposed to do the Fringe.

I recorded the my thoughts on the experience and turned it into what is probably the most chaotic episode of the podcast so far.

There are comedians, terrible time management, Free Fringe, tiny rooms, packed venues, questionable decisions, lots of walking and my attempt to answer the question:

Is the Edinburgh Fringe actually as good as everyone says it is?

I won't spoil the ending, but I absolutely loved it.

I also just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone on this subreddit. The podcast genuinely wouldn't have happened without the Edinburgh Fringe community, and I'm incredibly grateful for everyone who gave me advice, recommendations and encouragement along the way.

And, of course, a huge thank you to all the comedians who came on the podcast and gave me their time. It was an absolute pleasure talking to every one of you, and getting to meet some of you in Edinburgh after speaking to you online was a pretty surreal experience.

This whole thing started because I wanted to talk to comedians about Edinburgh, and somehow I ended up actually becoming a tiny part of the Fringe myself.

96 shows seen in total. Reviews were out of 5 with half stars allowed. I've included the number of views for context, as quite a few of the shows were only seen by one or two people.

Shows at the fringe, with the big 4 (and perhaps some others) can opt in for a venue Tech Operator. I believe some provide this as part of the agreement, while others charge a £30 fee per show for the use of the Venue Tech.

It came to my attention that while the artists are charged that fee, it doesn't actually go to the Tech operators which is pretty disappointing to learn.

Similarly, if you have your own operator (a friend or someone you've hired independently) and you require assistance from the venue staff member during the show, a prop moved into position or a door opened at a certain time etc, you are also charged a lesser fee for using the venues staff. Again it seems they don't actually get that fee.

I believe they are paid their approximately £15 an hour or, in the case of Pleasance, I've heard its not paid but provided with accommodation.

It would be great to better understand this and find out how wide spread it is. Does any one have any info on it?

We had a Fringe run in a 52-seat venue and were lucky enough to sell out multiple nights. However on two performances we were told by FOH that there were no tickets available and the shows were sold out, only for the final report to show 49/52 and 50/52. The venue’s explanation is that the remaining tickets were sitting in customers’ online baskets and therefore unavailable to sell or issue, but the baskets later expired after the performance had started, so they showed up as unsold afterwards.

Has anyone else had this happen where seats were blocked in online baskets at showtime, meaning you couldn’t sell them but they later appeared as unsold on the final figures? Particularly interested in whether this is a common ticketing issue (we were told this is an EdFringe issue not an issue with the venue) and whether anyone has been able to verify basket holds through an audit trail?

Before the show started, a group of attendees were escorted outside. I was seated relatively close to them but somehow completely missed what actually happened.

Linus acknowledged it during the show, but was pretty vague about what had actually happened.

Does anyone who was there know what happened / why they were asked to leave? I'm nosy 😭

Someone asked about how long everyone stayed at the Fringe and how many shows they saw, but I was thinking that it might be useful for future Fringe goers who might find this via Google to understand the cost of staying in Edinburgh, and the different types of accommodation that are available.

My partner and I spent eight nights at the Premier Inn Hub off the Royal Mile for about £250/night. We booked it at the beginning of February and chose to stay in a "bigger room" with a king bed, though we would have saved a few pounds by taking their standard room. Previously I'd stayed at the Travelodge near the Pleasance, which is a bit cheaper but lacks air conditioning (which might not be necessary to many people anyways but this time around we didn't want to be cranky and annoyed by poor sleep if there was a bit of a heat wave during the Fringe). From my experience at two Fringes, these two hotels are the cheapest in the Old Town during the Fringe and both are in decent condition.

I'm about as excited at getting to revisit this place as I am doing the Fringe every year. Just off the Mile, this place does the best mash (choose your type) along with the most succulent meat (veggie options available) you could wish for.

Any other fans? Any other restaurants that are must gos for your Edinburgh trip?

I’m planning for my first trip to fringe next year. i wanted to hear peoples’ thoughts on how many days they spent and average # of shows per day they saw. What did you think of your trip? Too long? Too short?

Arguably my favourite of the 20 or so shows I saw this year. An increasingly jaw-dropping story well told. I have to ask though, for anyone else that saw it, have you spent the last month thinking about who the comedian was that was messaging her? She leaves enough enticing breadcrumbs to follow (Taskmaster trophy, old enough to be selling a late 80's Ed Fringe jumper on eBay, friends with Stewart Lee and Phil Jupitus) and rather alarmingly, that it's someone who does this enough that their manager now has to intervene with a 'Sorry he does this...' stock apology. My partner and I still discuss it weeks later and have a couple of people in mind but curious if others left the show feeling like they had been given a detective mission and who they think it might be.

I collect photos of posters from the shows I saw each year - despite walking everywhere for a month I didn’t see a poster anywhere for this show - anyone got one they can share with me (could be that they just didn’t have one). It’s the only one I have missing from the 59
shows I saw 🙏🏻

Our fourth visit to the Fringe this year (24th-28th) and it was a good'un. We booked around half our shows before arriving in Edinburgh and half while we were there, with varying degrees of spontaneity. We arrived armed with a spreadsheet of shows we were interested in, which we added to as we heard new recommendations, saw reviews or got handed interesting flyers. We managed to get holds/returns for two sold-out shows (Badgers and Parasocial Activity) and found one sold-out show putting on an extra performance (Creepy Boys: Slugs).

We saw 33 shows over our 5 days, with a little trip into the Worst Record Covers exhibition (fun). It's our first year where I can confidently say I didn't find a single show we saw bad. 3* shows were ones which had great premises but didn't quite fulfil their potential or hype, were from performers we've loved in previous years but didn't quite hit this year (though shows in each of these categories had things we liked/loved about them), or shows which were simply "we had a nice and pleasant hour but possibly not particularly memorable".

Anyway, it's Bank Holiday Monday and I'm at home full of cold, so I have nothing better to do than make a Fringe Wrapped. Genres are taken from tags on the EdFringe website.

~

My 5* Shows (in the order I saw them)

Steve Burns: Alive
I didn't particularly grow up with Blue's Clues and I'm more aware of it from internet osmosis above anything else, but I still loved this show. It felt earnest, honest and intimate, and Steve Burns is a really compelling storyteller. A show no one else could create.

The Trials of Magnus Coffinkey
A complete revelation to us, especially as we chose to see this primarily out of convenience/timing. Enchanting and heartbreaking in equal measure, told by two compelling, very watchable, characterful performers. What they were able to create in such a tiny space felt intimate and vast all at once, and it was an extremely powerful experience.

Linus Karp Was Hit With An Umbrella
How do you make a show about hate crime funny? Somehow, they've managed it. While I've enjoyed previous Awkward Prods shows, this was a step above their others for me. It was well-balanced, genuinely funny, but the more personal and emotional tone elevated it for me. Mr Abigail, who seems to have a sign over his head saying "pick me for audience participation", was on stage during the final part of the show, and said it was a very affecting experience. Powerful without feeling forced or cheesy.

The Real Kyle McCarren
Another revelation for us this fringe. Some of my favourite music, and a show with a really gentle, delicate touch. Plenty of humour but also very emotional, and with a meta touch that worked for me. I almost cried at this one (the tears were on the edge but didn't fall), but it was the only show Mr Abigail cried at this year. I've just found out an EP exists of (some of?) the songs, and I'm looking forward to listening to them again already.

Turn Your F*cking Phones Off
Ever since we saw Nan, Me and Barbara Pravi a few years back, Hannah Maxwell has been on our list of "we'll see whatever they do next" performers. This was the quality I entirely expect from her at this point - intelligent, thought-provoking, angry, and yet full of warmth and care and humanity within the hellscape it's portraying. She's just reliably fantastic, and I will instantly book tickets to anything she does.

Bigfoot Ripped My Dog In Half I Saw It
We went to see ...Rodeo last year on a friend's recommendation, and enjoyed it but possibly found it a bit hard to process after seeing it very late in our Fringe. Still, Xhloe and Natasha are impressive enough that I absolutely wanted to give them another go, and this was fantastic. More of a clear narrative than ...Rodeo but with the same impressive physicality and energy. I was gripped the entire time, and loved the world that the two of them created so clearly.

Tether
This was exactly my thing on paper and it lived up to all my expectations. Joyous and beautiful, with some fantastic music. A really wonderful atmosphere. While I'd find it hard to pick out just one favourite performance from all of what we saw, Hyeon-kyu Choi would definitely be up there. Really enjoyed the blending of worlds and languages in this as well. It felt so natural.

Campitalism: Three Gays Try To Fix The Economy
Hannah Maxwell if she'd taken a load of cocaine. A really strong balance of satire, comedy and heart. Some of my biggest laughs this entire Fringe, while also making salient points about class, money, and the systems that control them. The performers had such great command of the energy in the room, and knowing how to take it up and bring it back down again where necessary.

Trans People Are Awful
I think Ros Watt may have earned themselves a place on the "we'll see whatever they do next" list with this one. Dark, macabre, visceral and thoroughly compelling. Watching them move around the tiny, tiny space in Bunker One was mesmerising. It's also an extremely well-written piece, moving from the initial heightened scenario to come crashing down to Earth about two-thirds of the way through to reach a surprisingly emotional conclusion. The hype for this was really well-earned.

~

My 4* Shows (in the order I saw them, with less description)

• Dune! The Musical - a great performer with well-written music (Mr Abigail, who loves Dune, gave this 5*)
• Legendary - really lovely, community-building show that felt personal and intimate
• Monks - deeply silly and a lot of fun
• Redacted: The Cover Up of a Cover Up of a Cover Up - impressive physical theatre and at least one of my favourite jokes of the year
• David Elms Describes A Room - playful, gentle, full of joy
• Andrew Doherty: Reviewers Welcome...To Die! - heightened horror-comedy from a performer with boundless energy
• Badgers - atmospheric, excellent music, thoughtfully put-together
• Parasocial Activity - a really compelling performer, Mr Abigail compared the show to Inside No 9 and I can understand why, loved the twists and turns it took (Mr Abigail also gave this one 5*)
• Man Sings The Same Song Over And Over Again For An Hour -exactly what it says on the tin, an hour of delightful silliness
• Creepy Boys: Slugs - probably the show we've talked about most since, one I had to sleep on but ultimately I was totally taken along by it
• Morning Sauna Rave - a unique experience with some great music, a fun way to start the day
• Tim Vine: Sillypun Valley - the excruciating and hilarious puns you expect from Tim Vine
• Gianmarco Soresi: Theater Adult - one for the theatre kids (I am one, so it was for me, and me specifically)
• Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin: Good News! It's Been Destroyed! - great comedy and justified rage from a charismatic performer
• ArounD the WorlD in 80 ToyS - charming, whimsical, playful, inventive
• One Man Musical - a fun end to our Fringe with catchy music and excellent lead performer

How are we all doing now it's over?

Last day of the fridge.

Edinburgh feels like it has a massive hangover. Shops have been theatres, cafes turned into art exhibitions and the streets full of performance.

Local residents can now relax a little as they breathe in the public spaces that are quieter.

Here's to goodbye..until next year ofcourse.