The Road To Edinburgh Festival 2026: A Scotland special
We’re championing Scottish acts in this special edition of Fest-filled news
Despite rocketing rents, overtourism and fraught sponsorship deals, Edinburgh’s Festival season remains the most vibrant arts blowout on the planet, welcoming performers from every inch of the globe. But do the acts who ply their trade in Scotland all-year-round get a raw deal during Fringe time? When marketing budgets for transatlantic talent vastly outstrip that of locals, how can the little guy compete?
It’s a debate that rears its head every August in Edinburgh, and not one we plan to poke at in this column. Instead, and in a one-off change to our usual weekly round-up of Festival news, we’re going to fly the flag for as many Scottish acts as we can across the next 1100 words or so.
Below you’ll find shows from big-name comedians, grassroots musicians, vibrant theatre groups and more, all of whom enliven Scotland's art and culture scene. They’re the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Scottish-based acts, so don’t forget to support local talent this August.
The Stand sponsors new comedy acts for the Fringe…
… with a pledge to cover costs, provide creative mentorship and marketing support, and ensure that none of its performers will make a loss. The five selected, who are regular acts at the club, are Ifrah Qureshi, Matthew Gallagher, Chris Rutter, Amanda Dwyer and Jack Brookmyre.
Mike Jones, The Stand’s chief executive, said: ‘These five acts are exciting examples of how strong, diverse and incredibly funny the Scottish stand-up scene is. We are delighted that they are part of our Fringe programme and we want to give them the best possible platform to play on by putting the spotlight on these acts at the world’s biggest arts festival.’
Dwyer said of the funding: ‘To get the backing of my favourite comedy club is a huge opportunity and I can’t quite believe it’s happening! I’m so, so bloody grateful!’
Brookymyre said: ‘The Fringe is an international festival, but I think it’s important that Scottish comedy has a place there. Not just because Scotland hosts the festival, but because Scotland has a long history of punching above its weight culturally, especially in comedy. The Fringe is a chance for us to share our own favourites with the rest of the world.’
Comedians aff the telly to perform at the Fringe…
… as part of The Stand’s Scottish Comedy Legends season. It’s a stacked bill featuring Still Game and Chewin’ The Fat co-creator Greg Hemphill; Scot Squad’s Jack Docherty; Two Doors Down and Only An Excuse’s Jonathan Watson; Still Game’s Jane McCarry; and patter merchant and fellow Still Game star Sanjeev Kohli. Expect these to be fond wanders down memory lane to a time when BBC Scotland was bashing out great sitcoms without fear or favour.
Outside of the Legends strand, former Burnistoun star Iain Connell will visit the Fringe for a work-in-progress show sans his writing partner Robert Florence, with a promise to ‘deliver comedy straight out of his mad dish.’ And Scot Squad’s Chris Forbes will launch a live version of his successful podcast Stop Watering Dead Flowers, and hit Monkey Barrel with his new show Father Christmas.
And so are plenty of comics not aff the telly…
… including many we’ve raved about in the past. Edinburgh’s own Amy Matthews will be hitting Monkey Barrel with Definitions Of Toast, another excursion through her neuroses that marries deft observational comedy with highly personal reflections on her life. Some Laugh’s Marc Jennings will visit Monkey Barrel with If & When with material on relationships and current events. Meanwhile, his fellow Some Laugh hosts Stuart McPherson and Stephen Buchanan are teaming up for a work-in-progress.
Comedic wunderkind Eva Peroni will pay Gilded Balloon a visit for Jungled, in which she discusses moving to Costa Rica and becoming a ‘mad wee bam’. The ever-prolific Stuart Laws will perform a series of late shows that he promises will be different every night. And Rosco McClelland (who soared to the top ten of our Hot 100 last year) returns with The Bones, which is apparently about ‘human evolution, brain and body connections and hamsters.’
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Scottish theatre sets out its stall…
… with Prophets ,a dark psychological thriller written by Fringe First-winning playwright Jack MacGregor, directed by John Byrne Award recipient Fraser Scott, and produced by NTS Producing Fellow Leah Byrne. It already comes with a heady pedigree, having been awarded the 2026 ART Award from Assembly Festival.
Meanwhile, the Scotland-based Isabelle Blanche's Shatter Resistant is tackling AI chatbots, shit jobs and bad flatmates in a one-woman-show with modern resonance. The Faustus Project will provide an interactive spin on Christopher Marlowe’s classic tale of Satan and sin. At Traverse Theatre, the Scottish institution Elaine C Smith will star in Cathy, Eilidh Loan’s new comedy based on the life of her grandmother. And The Singer will unite the talents of KT Tunstall, Cora Bissett and Jamie Rea for a story about a deaf artist who ‘sings’ with his hands.
Scottish indie music gets a good showing at the Fringe…
… including Siobhan Wilson's adaptation of her Flowercore trilogy of albums for a series of immersive shows about nature’s resilience. Lost Map’s Howlin’ Fringe will be mounting three gigs at Leith FAB Cricket Club, featuring Pictish Trail, Suckle and Sulka, as well as a bevvy of special guests.
For a fuller hit of Scottish music, the Made In Scotland showcase (programmed by small music champions Wide Days) will feature a showcase of acts from across Scotland, with gigs at La Belle Angele, Sneaky Pete’s and Bannerman’s. This year’s line-up features Azamiah, Bikini Body, Cathal Murphy, Dara Dubh, Fright Years, Haiver, Helicon and Tom Campbell Trio.
Scottish acts at Edinburgh International Festival…
… are dotted throughout the programme, particularly in the contemporary music strand, which features a selection of Gaelic, trad and jazz acts. First up, Dàna are an all-female folk band based in Glasgow, They’ve previously won Up And Coming Artist Of The Year at the 2025 BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, and a Danny Kyle award at Celtic Connections 2025. Gnoss will perform an Up Late show to showcase their folk-inflected combination of guitar, fiddle, flute, bodhrán and vocals.
In jazz, the up-and-comer Corto.alto will present his expanding repertoire of Mercury Prize-winning tunes. Trad’s leading light Brìghde Chaimbeul will be joined by the Scottish Ensemble for her experiments on the bagpipe. And a tribute to the trumpeter John Wallace will be led by brass players from across the country.