Edinburgh Festivals 2026

Edinburgh Festivals 2026

Tony Lankester, chief executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society

Going concern status risk for Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society

Actor Brian Cox warned the Fringe could “implode”. (Jane Barlow/PA)

Exclusive Brian Cox: Fringe is in danger of 'imploding' without 'unification'

Acrobats take part in a display in front of Assembly.

Edinburgh Fringe dates 'urgently' need to be moved forward next summer

Edinburgh Fringe 'needs to reflect on what it wants to be'

Maggie O'Farrell

Edinburgh Book Festival round-up: Empire podcast | Maggie O’Farrell

Ali Smith

Edinburgh Book Festival round-up: Ali Smith | Douglas Stuart + more

Artists 'let down' by Edinburgh Fringe forced to cancel shows

Chris Cantrill won Audible Best Comedy Show.

Here are the winners of this year's Edinburgh Comedy Awards

Hannah Maxwell in her Fringe First winning show Turn Your F*cking Phones Off

Scotsman Fringe Firsts: we reveal our final award-winners of 2026

Illustration: Lesley-Anne Barnes Macfarlane

Festival of Murder by Ross Macfarlane KC, Chapter 14

The Scotsman's festivals team in Gilded Balloon's Library Bar.

Edinburgh Festival Diary: Festival is nearly over and I'm in mourning

Here are all of the 2026 winners of The Scotsman's Fringe First awards.

The full list of winners from The Scotsman Fringe First Awards 2026

Illustration: Lesley-Anne Barnes Macfarlane

Festival of Murder, by Ross Macfarlane KC, Chapter 13

Richard Gadd speaking at the Screen Scotland event

Richard Gadd: 'Everything I have in life, I owe to this festival'

Lynda Myles was the co-creator of the Edinburgh TV Festival.

New event revealed to replace departing TV Festival

Richard Gadd was the last Scot to win the Best Show Award in 2016. (Jane Barlow/PA)

Edinburgh Festival Diary: No Scots in Comedy Awards shortlist

Màiri McAllan said she would not “encroach” on Edinburgh Council visitor levy funding decisions.

Festivals 'should be fulsome part' of visitor levy funding

Andrey Kurkov

Edinburgh Book Festival Round-Up: Lyse Doucet | Andrey Kurkov

Clown Show: 'a portrait of America as a falling apart circus'

I found my favourite Edinburgh Festival show - tickets are just £15

Michael Lloyd created the documentary.

How world's biggest arts festival was created by eight 'gatecrashers'

Illustration: Lesley-Anne Barnes Macfarlane

Festival of Murder by Ross Macfarlane KC, Chapter 12:

Nica Burns and Emma Brünje

Edinburgh Comedy Awards: Scottish comedians lose out to global talent

Aszure Barton on unboxing Pandora for the AI generation at EIF

Michael McGoldrick, Donald Shaw and Charlie McKerron

The Scotsman Festival Sessions: Donald Shaw and friends

Ali Smith on stage with musicians from the New European Ensemble during a performance of Seasonal Quartet

Novelist Ali Smith on the composers turning her books into a concert

David Lutken in Woody Sez

My Festival – David Lutken

Jack Docherty: Butterfly

My Festival: Jack Docherty

Afronauts cast John Mputu and Hassan Gwai
with David Byrne, creative director of the Royal Court and Gift Chansa, artistic director of Circus Zambia.

Edinburgh Festival Diary: John Grisham struggle with Ian Rankin accent

Molly Taylor proposed to her partner near the venue where they first met.

Fringe play revived after 14 years to create elaborate poster proposal

Illustration: Lesley-Anne Barnes Macfarlane

Festival of Murder by Ross Macfarlane KC, Chapter 11

Ayo Adenekan: Homeland Insecurity

My Festival: Ayo Adenekan

Alaa Shehada

My Festival: Alaa Shehada

Åsne Seierstad

Edinburgh Book Festival round-up: Åsne Seierstad | Frank Dikötter

Star inflation: Fringe posters covered in four and five star reviews

Stellar coverage: how star ratings changed the Edinburgh festivals

Mateo Chavez Lewis flew from Canada to perform in Heated Rivalry The Unauthorized Parody.

Edinburgh Festival Diary: The actor learning emergency choreo on plane

The panel were speaking at Shedinburgh.

Departing TV Festival 'will not deter industry coming to Edinburgh'

Illustration by Lesley-Anne Barnes Macfarlane

Festival of Murder by Ross Macfarlane KC, Chapter 10

V. E. Schwab & Cat Clarke (aka Evelyn Clarke)

Edinburgh Book Festival round-up: Evelyn Clarke | David Olusoga + more

Omar Musa

Author Omar Musa on his environmentally conscious epic Fierceland

Edinburgh Festivals Diary: How hate has become a theme of this Fringe

Cabbage the Clown and her cat Window Squeaky Melvina Moonchild

Edinburgh Festivals Diary: Clowns with cats and diva dogs
In her Fringe diary Ashley Davies reflects on the Fringe performers getting support from their pets and grief from their audiences

Illustration: Lesley-Anne Barnes Macfarlane

Festival of Murder by Ross Macfarlane KC, Chapter 9

Bilal Zafar: Rubicon

My Festival: Bilal Zafar

Sarah Perry

Edinburgh Book Festival round-up: Sarah Perry | Lorraine Kelly + more

Stephen Gordon - Notes: The Comedy B-Sides

Stephen Gordon: Comedy should be allowed to fail again.

Jonno: Here Comes Mr Funny

My Festival: Jonno

The Gilbert twins in Under the Influence

Fringe theatre reviews: Under the Influence + more

Arts correspondent Jane Bradley played the part of a cow in Betsy and Patty Find Out

I made my Fringe debut as an extra cow in a show at the Bedlam Theatre

Performers from Tom Waits War Songs before the flood. Russell MacSorley at RM Photography

The show must go on for Fringe performers hit by mould and floods

Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points

Musician Floating Points on reinterpreting the Pandora myth for ballet

Mari Moriarty performs under the name Fempaths.

Edinburgh Fringe performers tell of homophobic and transphobic abuse

Valeria Luiselli

Author Valeria Luiselli on motherhood, memory, myth and a world aflame

Ben Norris in The Distance

Scotsman Fringe First awards: week two winners revealed

Tom Holland

Edinburgh Book Festival round-up: Tom Holland | John Kampfner + more

Edinburgh Festivals Diary: Fringe show for Joyce and rain stops play

The Scotsman Top Stories

Scotland has failed to meet its latest target for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the latest official figures show. Picture: John Giles/PA Wire

Fail: Scotland misses climate target

Pro-independence protesters with Scottish Saltire flags (top) march for Scottish independence. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

Yousaf: Growing popular support for Yes the only way to Scottish independence

Nadine Dorries. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

SNP MP cleared of bullying Nadine Dorries