News

Tickets for a further 60 Fringe shows will be available to book at edfringe.com from 10am.

Tickets for 172 registered shows were launched last week, with further programme details set to be announced weekly in the run up to the Fringe (06 – 30 Aug). 

We've included a few of the newly announced shows below. Browse the full programme for Fringe 2021.

Theatre

IN PERSON:

Fresh from a run in Birmingham, 1902 is at Leith Arches. This piece of new writing takes an access-all-areas approach to working-class life in Scotland as it follows four, young, wannabe football fans in their quest to see Hibs win the Scottish Cup Final.

At theSpaceTriplex, Love Me is a comedic, fast-paced coming of age story following musical theatre fanatic Fran as she embarks on a self-prescribed sex training course. At the same venue, Intricate Rituals is a monologue about queer longing, catholic guilt, bugs and necromancy.

Tickbox at Army @ The Fringe is a semi-autobiographical, one-woman play, told in Scots-English and Urdu. It describes a Pakistani woman’s journey from a middle-class life in Pakistan to Govan in Glasgow.

ONLINE:

Something in the Water – winner of Best Theatre at Adelaide Fringe 2021 – is available to watch via Assembly Showcatcher. Told through video projections, puppetry and physical comedy, this production explores what happens when a normal girl transforms into a squid monster. On the same platform, We Missed You is a theatrical film about the impact of the pandemic through the eyes of clowns.

Candy is available on ZOOTV, following sell-out shows in London. It explores the love Will has for Candy: his best friend Billy in drag.

On Fringe Player, Ansel and Gretchen follows two siblings as they explore the complexities of human connection, while Dead Mother’s Underwear sees Jill R. Hildebrandt explore what she really inherits after her mother's sudden, unexpected death.

Comedy

IN PERSON:

The Best of Scottish Comedy returns to The Stand with a different lineup nightly. Past guests include Frankie Boyle, Kevin Bridges, Fred MacAulay, Des Clarke, Arnold Brown, Gary Little, Raymond Mearns, Vladimir McTavish, Susan Morrison, Joe Heenan and David Kay.

At theSpace @ Surgeon's Hall, Improvabunga is a totally improvised movie adventure extravaganza, while at theSpaceTriplex, join Doctor Whom for an adventure across time and space as they traverse the cosmos with their impressionable sidekick and talking robot dog.

ONLINE: 

At Laughing Horse Free Fringe Festival Online, audiences can catch Tom Mayhew’s show From Rags to Slightly Newer Rags. Also on this platform, hosts Colin Etches and Rachel Morton-Young are presenting Sounds Proper Comedy Showcase every Sunday, featuring a variety of stand-up comedians.

Music

IN PERSON: 

John McCusker, Kris Drever (LAU) and Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble are playing at the Brunton, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their album, Before the Ruin. It’s the first time they’ve been on stage together since 2008. 

Durham University’s award-winning mixed a cappella group are back with Northern Lights A Cappella at theSpace @ Symposium Hall. There’s something for everyone, with hits from Eurovision’s Think About Things to Bastille to Mariah Carey. 

ONLINE:

Ensemble Su is a quintet that blends traditional Korean and western instruments. Catch them on Assembly Showcatcher.

Cabaret and Variety

IN PERSON:

Kevin Quantum: The Trick That Fooled... is at Army @ the Fringe. See magic that claims to have fooled Lincoln, Curie, Einstein and others.

Miss DQ Live! at Planet Bar stars the UK’s only dwarf drag queen. The man behind the makeup, Jamie John returns with a one-woman show.

Shenanigans Cabaret on Tour is at Le Monde, and will see Foxi Blue host a night of burlesque acts from Scotland and the North of England.

ONLINE:

Performed by a cast of Korean actors, 13 Fruitcakes is a multimedia extravaganza depicting the story of mysterious drag queen, Orlando, who inspires people to start fighting against oppression by telling the story of historical gay figures. Available via Assembly Showcatcher.

Dance, Physical Theatre and Circus

ONLINE

After4 (available at Assembly Showcatcher), uses Korean dance to tell the story of an 80-year-old woman on an epic journey, while Ground Unplugged on the same platform ‘evokes the unconscious dynamics and interdependence of a social body’.

At Greenside @ GreenScreen, Burundian drummers Ruciteme Karyenda Culture de Buyenzi are performing Intambo, a traditional Burundi dance that was played for the kings.

Events

IN PERSON: 

Now in its eighth consecutive season, Nightpiece Film Festival at theSpace @ Symposium Hall is a platform for filmmakers from across the globe. This year’s programme is made up of dynamic shorts, plus the premiere of Al Carretta's feature, Saint Cecilia of Spiralence.

Music, Poetry and Silence for Healing at Greyfriars Kirk will include a mixture of silence and music, readings and opportunities to grieve and to remember.

Krua Thai Cookery School are hosting a series of Thai cooking events with executive chef Rujira Herd.

ONLINE: 

Taiwan Season Symposium on ZOOTV has a series of events, including Indigenous Artist Development – A Global Context, Transforming Circus and Shaping its Future in Taiwan, Japan, the UK and Beyond, and an International Digital Theatre Roundtable.

How this year’s Fringe will work: online, in-person and on-demand shows

This year’s Fringe will look a little different. In 2021, audiences will be able to access a wide range of amazing Fringe shows through socially distanced in-person events, scheduled online performances and on-demand digital shows. Tickets and information for all kinds of registered Fringe shows – live, online, paid and free – can be found at edfringe.com.

In-person shows: Registered live, in-person performances taking place at various outdoor and indoor venues must comply with City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Government covid-related regulations.

At time of writing, one metre social distancing will be in place (having come into effect from 19 July), masks should be worn indoors and regular hand washing and clear ventilation is strongly advised. Many Fringe venues are operating outdoors in 2021.

The Scottish Government has advised that regulations could lift on 09 August (though this is contingent on covid levels and the continued vaccination roll out in Scotland and is subject to review). 

The Fringe Society will be updating audiences and artists regularly on what changing restrictions mean for in-person performances at the Fringe.

Online shows: There will be two kinds of online events available this year: scheduled and on demand. 

With scheduled shows, audiences can buy tickets as they would to a traditional in-person event. Shows will have a dedicated start and end time and are treated as an ‘appointment to view’ event. 

For on-demand shows, audiences can buy tickets to watch at their leisure.

Some online shows will have a viewing window (where the content will be available to watch for a set amount of time). Detailed information about how each individual online event is viewed is clearly available at the point of booking.

Fringe Player and other online platforms: Audiences can view Fringe shows via the brand-new Fringe Player. Available via edfringe.com, this bespoke digital platform offers audiences an exciting new way to engage with Fringe content. 

The player will be accessible to audiences from 06 Aug, with captioning built in. Both on-demand and scheduled online shows are available on this platform.

Where other platforms (such as Zoom, YouTube and Vimeo) are being used to host online work, information on how to access these is clearly provided at the point of purchase.

Online shows will be available to watch from August but can be pre-booked from today.

Tickets and programme: This year and in keeping with reducing contact during in-person interactions, all events will be e-ticketed and shows  will be listed online, as there won’t be a printed programme this year. Audiences will be able to attend shows without using paper tickets. More information on ticketing can be found on edfringe.com.

Access at the Fringe 

This has been a challenging year, and a lot has changed about the way live entertainment is presented. But our commitment to making the Fringe accessible will always be a priority.

The Fringe Society provides free a personal assistant ticket for anyone who needs it. You can register for this by emailing [email protected]. We will also provide a bespoke access bookings service on the phone or in-person by appointment. 

This year, we are also continuing our sensory backpack scheme for autistic people, to help make the Fringe experience as enjoyable as possible. Each bag includes a fidget spinner, earplugs, water bottle, stress reliever and a social story. These items are designed to help users relax and overcome stressful or intense situations. This year, to keep things as safe as possible, we are sending the bags out to key partner organisations who will distribute them to their users.

Show announcements still to come

The landscape for live events has been incredibly uncertain for the last few months. The Fringe is nothing if not creative and adaptive, and even when faced with massively reduced timescales, Fringe artists and operators are still getting ready to announce new and innovative work.

As we all keep working to put on the best Fringe we can, we’re excited to see more shows being announced over the next five weeks. Keep an eye on edfringe.com for more.

Sponsors and supporters

As a charity, the work of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society would not be possible without the valuable support of our partners, sponsors and funders. We are delighted to be working with Johnnie Walker for the third year running as our official whisky partner. 

We are excited to be partnering with the newly opened St James Quarter, and Crowdfunder through our FringeMakers fundraising platform, supporting Fringe artists and venues with vital fundraising efforts. This will be launched in the coming weeks. We would like to thank Lothian Buses for their continued support of our Fringe Days Out programme. 

We’re thrilled to welcome Edinburgh Gin on board as a partner in 2021 and look forward to working with them. 

We are grateful for funding through the PLACE Programme, a partnership between the Scottish Government -through Creative Scotland -the City of Edinburgh Council and Festivals Edinburgh; Scottish Government for Made in Scotland through the Festivals Expo Fund -managed through Creative Scotland -and the continued support of the City of Edinburgh Council. Thanks also to Scottish Government for funds from their Get into Summer campaign.

We are grateful for funding from the Pivotal Event Business Fund, the SCVO Adapt and Thrive programme, and the UK Government to enhance our digital capabilities.

Our thanks also to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the Pump House Trust and the Turtleton Charitable Trust.

Our thanks also to our Fringe Angels, Patrons, Friends and supporters whose passion and generosity made a real difference this year.