The Road To Edinburgh Festival 2026: Friday 10 July
In which The Stand says a fond farewell to Vladimir McTavish, Be United lay down some rhythms, Summerhall Arts champion performers, and Lou Wall pops a tape measure on your gran
There’s less than a month until the Edinburgh Fringe gets started and a litany of performers begin their gruelling campaign of leafletting and performing. But really, we’re a mere week away from the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival firing a starting pistol on proceedings (Friday 17 July) followed by the Edinburgh Folk & Food Festival on Friday 24 July.
So, let’s appreciate Road while it lasts: this week we’re lamenting the passing of one of Scotland’s most prolific comedians, exploring Pianodrome’s expansive Fringe programme, discussing Summerhall Arts' continued support of creatives, and more.
Vladimir McTavish to be honoured at Fringe…
… in a number of commemorative shows at The Stand, which he was a crucial part of. McTavish, whose real name was Paul Sneddon, passed away earlier this month at the age of 70, and had plans to perform a Fringe show this year about his recent bout of chemotherapy.
Comedians across the country shared their condolences and memories of McTavish, citing his kindness and willingness to mentor younger stand-ups.
In a recent email, The Stand shared this message: ‘The Stand are truly heartbroken at the sudden loss of our amazing friend Paul Sneddon, known to most as Vlad McTavish and Bob Doolally. Not only was he a brilliant comedian with 30 Fringes under his belt, he helped start the club and went on to become the co-chair of our board.
‘He was a furiously kind man who was a genuine force of good on the comedy circuit both in the UK and abroad. There has been an overwhelming outpouring of grief and appreciation since the sad news broke and we want to thank everyone who has been in touch, sent flowers and kind messages. They have meant so much to us.
‘We will be honouring his memory in due course with special events at the Fringe this year. Stay tuned for more details.’
Be United plot rhythm & bass Fringe shows…
… which will feature an impressive line-up of black Scottish talent. Taking place at Leith Arches from Thursday 20-Saturday 22 August, the events will bring together established figures and emerging voices in Afrobeats, R&B, hip-hop, reggae, dancehall and samba music.
The 2026 programme features acclaimed artists including Bemz, who was BBC Introducing's first Scottish Act Of The Year; Nigerian hip-hop and Afro-rap artist Lanray X; genre-defying Afrofusion artist LikkLe bVnti; and Edinburgh-based rapper and songwriter Sarinity Jones; international reggae and dancehall DJ Deejay Kweizah; and many more acts yet to be announced.
Creative director at Be United, Collin Hills, said: ‘We are back at this year’s Fringe with our most exciting programme to date. This year’s shows are shaping up to be something really special. Over the past few years, we’ve become a familiar part of the festival and our shows continue to attract people who may not usually come along to the festival, or who may have felt there wasn’t anything there for them to enjoy or connect with. That’s something we’re really proud of.
‘This year’s line-up will showcase a diverse range of music genres and we’re hoping even more people from across all communities will come along and try something new. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to a brilliant Fringe season.’
Pianodrome mounts ambitious Fringe programme…
… Aiming to bring ‘the original spirit of the Fringe’ to Bruntsfield. Grassroots performances include Dara Dubh & Harry Higgs, who’ll provide a pop-skewed variation on folk music, aided by Dubh’s unique interpretation of harp-playing; the celebrated singer-songwriter Karine Polwart, who’ll be joined by jazz pianist Dave Milligan; emerging soul singer Kohla; Burnt Paw, a singer-songwriter and artist who’s long been a fixture on Edinburgh’s local scene; and stalwart contemporary folk musician Kris Drever.
Edinburgh Comedy Awards announce 2026 panel…
… chaired by the director of comedy series at Netflix UK, Liz Lewin. Also on the panel is Sasha Bobak, comedy and entertainment producer at BBC Studios; Sam Bryant: director of original content and head of comedy at Audible; Amar Chauhan, a public panellist; Tristram Fane Saunders, freelance arts journalist and comedy critic at The Telegraph; Isabelle Jackson, a public panellist; Dominic Maxwell, a comedy and theatre critic for The Times and The Sunday Times; Louise Robb, a public panellist; Anya Ryan, comedy and theatre critic at The Guardian, The Times, Time Out and The Stage; and Darren Smith, creative director of DLT Entertainment
Nica Burns, director of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome our highly knowledgeable 2026 panel of judges who bring broad experience from across the sector and a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to be an outstanding comedian. We would like to say a very big thank you to them for their time in Edinburgh and for the careful consideration we know they will bring to the judging process. We are particularly pleased to welcome back 2014 panellist Liz Lewin, now director of comedy series, Netflix UK, as our panel chair for 2026.’
Last year's winner of Best Comedy Show was Sam Nicoresti for Baby Doomer, while Ayoade Bamgboye's Swing And Roundabouts bagged Best Newcomer. Bamgboye has since gone on to star in SNL UK.
Though largely viewed as a kingmaker of the comedy world, the Edinburgh Comedy Awards isn’t without its detractors. Earlier this year, comic Christopher MacArthur-Boyd called it ‘a morally bankrupt enterprise that add nothing to the Fringe' in a forthright interview with Chortle.
‘I do think that it should have more Scottish representation,’ he continued. ‘I also feel that asking for reform that benefits me and my kin is a very neoliberal attitude to improving things. I think, actually, it should be burned to the ground and disregarded. Art isn’t a competition. The prize is that you get to spend your life doing it.’ Read the full interview on Chortle.
Summerhall Arts Festival announces the artists it's nurturing this year…
… further cementing its status as a venue which places artist development at its forefront. The Autopsy Award for boundary-pushing Scottish performance work has gone to Althea Young’s The Dreaming, a previous recipient of support from the Summerhall Surgeries. The Meadows Award, which is designed to support artists of colour, was presented to Fadi Murad for his show Come Back Home. The Mary Dick Award, designed to help UK-based d/Deaf or disabled artists making new performance work, was awarded to You And Me (And Whoever Comes Next). Man Sings The Same Song Over And Over For An Hour won this year's Melbourne Touring Award. Other awardees include Catania Off Fringe Festival funding for Puttana, and the Adelaide Fringe’s Edinburgh Fringe Tour Ready Award winner, Meteors.
Summerhall Arts will also run the Bragi Awards for a second year. It will be presented weekly across several Fringe venues to productions and artists that ‘embody creativity, experimentation and excellence’.
Each of these awards comes with a variety of supports for touring acts and emerging creatives. Check out the Summerhall site for further information.
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Four stars or more
Comedian Lou Wall is returning to the Fringe with the age-old question Where Are All The Tall Grandmas? They claim: ‘The show is secondary. Mainly I’m in Edinburgh to gather crowds in dark rooms and hope that at least one of them is a tall grandma.’
We were big fans of their show last year, Breaking The Fifth Wall, awarding it four stars and writing: ‘There’s irony in Lou Wall’s not entirely original observations on the similarities between (male) stand-ups and serial killers,’ wrote Jay Richardson. ‘While no-one’s accusing the gleefully renegade comic of going quite that far, the Australian’s shows have a villainous skew. Displaying wonderful tech mastery and manipulation of internet content, they meld storytelling, innumerous sight gags and even beat poetry at a rate faster than the human brain can often fully process, rapid-fire humour rhythms that reinforce and comment upon each another in an irresistible manner.’ Read the full review.
Catch Where Are All The Tall Grandmas? from Wednesday 5– Sunday 30 August at Monkey Barrel.