The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has launched the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme. 

This year’s programme features work from 3,352 shows across 265 venues.

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.’

Among the big names appearing are:

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 Pleasance with 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’.

There are a number of different venues at this year's Fringe:

Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge ‘on 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’.

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’.

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 free shows 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%)

 This year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe will run from 1 – 25 August 2025. Details at edfringe.com

Picture ©Jess Shurte