Everything to know about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Learn all about the annual arts festival in Scotland, plus which of this year's Fringe theatre shows are coming to London.

It runs in the Scottish capital for the bulk of August, spilling out of theatres and into tents, pubs, hotels and other repurposed buildings. It takes over the streets too, with artists and creatives handing out show flyers all along the Royal Mile, and colourful, costumed performers jostling to pitch their acts. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is unfolding every which way you look, but how does it actually work? Here’s a top-line guide.

What is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe – often shortened to Edinburgh Fringe, or simply the Fringe – is the world’s biggest arts festival. It attracts hundreds of thousands of punters every year, who between them purchase millions of tickets. The 2025 festival runs from 1-25 August, with almost 4,000 shows offered as part of the official programme, spanning circus, comedy, dance, theatre, and more.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is a registered charity and the main body behind the Fringe, the month-long run of which coincides with several other arts festivals too: the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), the Edinburgh Art Festival, the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

When did the Edinburgh Fringe start?

As the now legendary story has it, the Fringe was founded as an act of rebellion in 1947, when eight troupes turned up uninvited to the inaugural EIF, performing on the fringes of the official festival. They kickstarted a movement, which saw more and more artists follow in their lead every summer until Edinburgh Fringe was officially formalised in 1958.

Today, the Fringe is actually a much bigger entity than the EIF, as the latter only stages around 100 shows each year.

Why is the Fringe such a big deal?

Not only is Edinburgh Fringe the biggest arts festival in the world, it remains democratic in that it continues to run on an open access basis (although the rising costs of mounting a show, accommodation in Edinburgh, and transport to and from the Scottish capital are all significant). It attracts everyone from students taking their first steps on stage through to seasoned professionals trying out new material in a supportive environment.

Boasting a large number of venues, each with the capacity to stage multiple hour-long shows every day, the Edinburgh Fringe offers easier access to performance space than is typically available elsewhere, or at other times. And with industry titans including agents and producers milling about, many creatives see it as a chance to get their work noticed.

Will I be able to see any Edinburgh Fringe shows in London?

In short: yes. However the majority of London transfers will be dependent on a successful Fringe run first – and only announced once the Festival has culminated.

The most successful pickings from the Fringe (‘success’ being measured in sold-out performances and positive reviews) will typically transfer down to an Off-West End venue, or embark on a UK tour. Occasionally some, like 2023’s breakthrough hit Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!, head into the West End.

Edinburgh Fringe success stories

The Fringe has helped establish the careers of many performers and writers over the years, from Steven Berkoff to Tim Minchin. Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, one-person plays eventually turned into internationally acclaimed TV shows, are the current shining examples of what Fringe success can look like at its most fruitful.

Pop-tastic Tudor musical SIX, performed at the 2017 Fringe by Cambridge University students and now a West End staple, is another famous breakthrough.

Edinburgh Fringe shows transferring to London

Three Chickens Confront Existence, Underbelly Boulevard Soho 31 August

Living out their days in a factory farm, three chickens channel some serious Waiting for Godot ennui in this madcap allegory exploring purpose, class inequality, mythology, and more. If it fulfils its mission, you just might leave questioning the nature of existence.

Really Good Exposure, Soho Theatre Dean Street 2-13 September

Megan Prescott was exposed to fame at a young age, playing Katie Fitch in the E4 series Skins. Her subsequent struggles to sustain an acting career into adulthood, and widespread exploitation in the entertainment industry, provide the inspiration for her debut solo show, which she herself performs. In it, her character Molly is a former child star now making a living in the porn industry.

Murder, She Didn't Write, Duchess Theatre 29 September and 24 November

This Fringe favourite has been improvising Agatha Christie-style mysteries based on prompts from the audience for 11 years. It’s set to sleuth its way onto the Duchess Theatre stage for two nights this autumn, following another summer stint in Edinburgh. Seen it already? See it again! After all, no two shows are the same.

Book Murder, She Didn't Write tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

My English Persian Kitchen, Soho Theatre 16 September – 5 October

Written by playwright Hannah Khalil, and based on a story by Iranian food writer Atoosa Sepehr, this is the heart-in-mouth tale of a woman who has escaped an abusive relationship in Iran and started a new life in England. Thrillingly, it’s also a play that’s smelt before it’s seen, opening with performer Isabella Nefar chopping a mouthwatering medley of herbs for a soup she cooks while telling her story.

The City for Incurable Women, Camden People's Theatre 22-25 October

This shocking tale of medical misogyny takes audiences back to 1880s Paris, where a psychiatric hospital had its female patients perform “hysteria” to the public in order to prove its doctors’ theories about the four stages of madness. With traces of their findings still accepted in the present, the play looks to examine and debunk some sexist myths, offering a queer, feminist perspective on history. Bin those smelling salts and get relearning.

Kanpur: 1857, Pleasance London 5-6 November

Niall Moorjani’s dark comedy is a satirical interrogation of colonial history, set to a live soundtrack. Winding back the clock to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, it imagines a rebel answering to a British officer for the crimes of Kanpur – while strapped to a cannon. It sounds incredibly tense, but it promises to explore conflicts around gender, colonial violence and art-making in challenging environments with humour.

The Unstoppable Rise of Ben Manager, Pleasance London 7-8 November

Described as “a dark satire for anyone who’s worked in an office”, and a David Lynchian take on The Office, Bunkum Ensemble’s award-winning play follows a young man initially eager to impress in his workplace, but who ends up questioning who he works for and what he really does. Live music, meaningless corporate jargon, and a plot involving the death of an employee are all swirled into the mix in a story that just might make you question your nine to five.

Horse of Jenin, Bush Theatre 20 November – 20 December

Written and performed by Palestinian comedian and actor Alaa Shehada, this story of a boy growing up in the Occupied West Bank explores resistance and resilience through the symbolism of a sculpted horse, built by the children of Jenin following an invasion of the city in 2002, then destroyed in 2023. Here, Shehada questions what became of it.

Book Horse of Jenin tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Revenge After the Levoyah, Soho Theatre Dean Street 8 December – 24 January 2026

A hit at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe, this bonkers satire from playwright Nick Cassenbaum imagines a pair of adult twins getting sucked into a gangster’s plot to kidnap former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Directed by Emma Jude Harris, it explores antisemitism and the diversity within Jewish identities with humour and bite.

Age is a Feeling, Soho Theatre Walthamstow 5-7 March 2026

Hayley McGee’s Fringe First-winning and Olivier Award-nominated show runs at Soho Theatre’s new Walthamstow outpost after returning to the Edinburgh Fringe to play Francesca Moody’s new venue, Shedinburgh, on 15 August. Pioneering in its choose-your-own-adventure format, it follows a woman (played by McGee) from early adulthood through to old age, with the audience choosing which chapters from her life to hear her tell. Funny, frank and deeply moving, it’ll leave you wanting to hear more.

Photo credits: © Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Pamela Raith Photography, Mihaela Bodlovic, Lexi Grabokski