It’s nearly that time of year again! The Edinburgh Festival Fringe returns from 7 to 31 August 2026, bringing thousands of performers and shows to Scotland’s capital for three exhilarating weeks of theatre, comedy, music and wonderfully unexpected entertainment.
But with so much to choose from, deciding what to see can sometimes feel like a performance in itself. Alongside the big names and hot tickets are the newcomers, hidden gems and word-of-mouth discoveries that make the Fringe so special.
Whether you’re visiting Edinburgh with the family, looking for an unforgettable night out or hoping to discover the stars of tomorrow, here is HELLO!’s pick of the shows to have on your radar in 2026.
Best family-friendly show
The Hobbit
For families heading to the Fringe, this imaginative new production of The Hobbit should be right at the top of the list.
Staged by Emanuel Theatre Company, the young company behind previous Edinburgh productions of The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Hound of the Baskervilles, the show follows Bilbo Baggins as he begins his adventure in Middle-earth.
The production promises music, puppetry and plenty of action as Bilbo encounters dwarves, goblins and one particularly unforgettable dragon.
Adapted for the stage by Greg Banks, it is a good opportunity to introduce younger audiences to JRR Tolkien’s much-loved story in a fun and unexpected way. There’s definitely enough to keep parents entertained too!
The Hobbit, Upper Theatre, theSpace @ Niddry St, 12.30pm, 50 minutes
Best for younger children
BATSU! Presents: GANBA!!
Calling all budding ninjas! This high-energy interactive comedy experience invites the whole family to enter the dojo, awaken their warrior spirit and take on a series of delightfully ridiculous challenges.
Young audience members will need to test their focus, teamwork and determination while the mischievous Spirit of Batsu does everything possible to disrupt their training.
Created by the team behind international comedy hit BATSU!, this is a show that puts kids in the heart of the action. But be warned: parents may find themselves taking part too!
BATSU! Presents: GANBA!!, Friesian, Underbelly Bristo Square, 11.05am
Best new comedy discovery
Francisco de Nata
A giraffe in a G-string, a Portuguese custard tart and a ceiling in urgent need of painting may not sound like the obvious ingredients for a tender comedy – but it’s exactly the type of thing we’ve come to expect of the Edinburgh Fringe.
Created and performed by RADA and École Philippe Gaulier-trained performer Francisco Labbe, Francisco de Nata is a largely silent clown show filled with puppetry, audience interaction and gloriously playful nonsense.
The show was warmly received during its debut Edinburgh run and subsequently transferred to London’s Soho Theatre. Catch it while it’s back in town – an hour of absurdity, vulnerability and wonder unlike anything else you see that day.
Francisco de Nata, Underbelly Bristo Square, 8.30pm
Best improv show
Shoot From The Hip
Already a sensation on social media, award-winning improvisational comedy group Shoot From The Hip is stepping onto one of the Fringe’s biggest stages for a handful of unmissable performances.
With three million followers and an enormous online audience, the quick-thinking performers have become known for creating brilliantly unhinged scenes and stories entirely on the spot.
The performers create every scene, character and storyline from audience suggestions, meaning no two shows are ever the same. They are appearing for only a limited number of dates in the enormous McEwan Hall, so this is likely to be one of the Fringe’s livelier comedy nights.
Shoot From The Hip, McEwan Hall, 7pm
Best comedy theatre
Bigfoot Ripped My Dog in Half – I Saw It
The title alone is enough to make this one stand out in the Fringe programme, but Xhloe and Natasha have become one of Edinburgh’s most exciting theatrical partnerships for very good reason.
The multiple Fringe First winners have built a reputation for combining bold physical performance, compelling storytelling and darkly funny ideas. Their latest show follows two teenagers who stage fake Bigfoot sightings in their Appalachian town – until a neighbour’s dog is found torn to pieces.
It’s a puppet show with a difference that is sure to delight.
Bigfoot Ripped My Dog in Half – I Saw It, Summerhall, 9.10pm
Best drama
Woodhill
Certainly not lighthearted, but promising to be deeply powerful, multi-award-winning theatre company LUNG brings Woodhill to Edinburgh for 2026. A documentary where theatre and dance combine to investigate the deaths of three men at HMP Woodhill and the families who continue to demand answers about what happened to them.
Known for using the testimony of those directly affected by major social issues, LUNG has previously highlighted failings in the care system and the controversy surrounding the Trojan Horse affair in their productions.
This production uses families’ own words alongside choreography and music to paint what will be a haunting and moving examination of Britain’s prison system. One for the older demographic.
Woodhill, Main House, ZOO Southside,2.25pm. Suitable for ages 16 and over.
Best famous face
Jack Rooke: Good Grief
There are all manner of big names in town for the Fringe but we think Jack Rooke, back at the Fringe ten years after it all began for him, is one worth highlighting.
His Edinburgh run of Good Grief led to his current successes – Jack is now best known as the creator of Channel 4 and Hulu’s acclaimed comedy Big Boys. But his debut comedy-theatre show was originally written with his grandmother and inspired by his experiences of losing his father.
This new updated retrospective features elements of the original show alongside fresh material reflecting on grief, success and what happens when something deeply personal becomes the foundation of a television career – a fascinating revisit to the show that first introduced Edinburgh audiences to one of Britain’s most distinctive comedy voices.
Jack Rooke: Good Grief, McEwan Hall, Underbelly Bristo Square, 27 to 29 August, 7pm
Best musical
Bliss
Fairy tales are having a major moment at the 2026 Fringe, but Bliss looks set to be one of the biggest and most spectacular new musicals in town.
Produced by the Olivier Award-winning teams behind Cabaret and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and featuring 17 West End performers, large-scale pop-rock comedy turns the traditional princess story on its head.
Bliss tells the tale of four sisters who have spent their lives locked away in a tower. When they finally escape, they discover an outside world obsessed with perfection, princesses and supposedly happy endings
Bliss, the Grand, Pleasance Courtyard, 1pm
Best unexpected experience
Tiny Planet
Sometimes the smallest Fringe productions create the biggest impact – and Tiny Planet has the potential to do just that.
Created by Half a String, the company behind the acclaimed puppet production Breathe, the show transports audiences to a planet no bigger than a house, yet positioned at the very centre of its own galaxy.
When an intergalactic space baker crash-lands, the mysteries of this tiny world begin to unfold through breathtaking puppetry, live camera projection and a soundtrack mixing folk music with big 1990s synth sounds. A mesmerising hour.
Tiny Planet, King Dome, Pleasance Dome, 12.25pm
Best feel-good show
House of Life
The fringe can be hectic – but make sure you schedule your dose of pure collective joy in the form of House of Life, best described as part part, part group therapy.
The show is led by the glitter-clad, beat-dropping RaveRend, who promises to cure the audience’s existential dread through music, movement and communal celebration.
The show has already earned a reputation for turning a room full of strangers into friends. It is uplifting, joyous and the perfect antidote to an overly serious world. Be prepared to join in and open your mind. You are guaranteed to leave feeling happier than when you arrived.
House of Life, Udderbelly, Underbelly George Square, 9.45pm
Other Edinburgh Fringe shows worth checking out
There are, of course, far too many intriguing shows to fit into one list. Musical improv fans should look out for returning favourites Baby Wants Candy, Showstopper! The Improvised Musical and Shamilton! The Improvised Hip-Hop Musical, while The Librarians: A Very Serious Comedy! promises an entertaining combination of satire and farce.
Also on our radar are the acclaimed physical-comedy show Police Cops: The Original; intriguing dramas Alone, Is It Too Late Now to Say Sorry? and Mayflies; and EIGHT: The One (Wo)Man Drag King Musical Parody, which offers a rather different take on the wives of Henry VIII.
For another immersive experience, One Hundred Voices draws upon testimonies from Scotland’s care-experienced community, while musical theatre fans can also investigate fairy tales with a twist in Apparently Ugly: A Stepsister Story and Disenchanted! The Hit Musical.
Those searching for a familiar comedy face will have plenty to choose from, with Julian Clary, Frank Skinner, Ed Gamble, Daniel Sloss, Rosie Jones, Sara Pascoe and Fatiha El-Ghorri among the established performers appearing at this year’s festival.
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