The Edinburgh festival 2026 is set to dazzle audiences with a diverse array of theatre productions, ranging from provocative comedies to epic dramas. Among the standout shows is Roleplay, produced by Francesca Moody, known for her knack for spotting fringe hits like Fleabag and Baby Reindeer. This new play by Australian writer Hannah Reilly follows a feminist podcaster who becomes an online 'slutfluencer' for easy money, only to face unforeseen consequences. It runs at Summerhall from 6-31 August.
Notable Productions
Mayflies
Andrew O'Hagan's coming-of-age novel about 1980s youth gets a site-specific adaptation by Edinburgh's Grid Iron, set in a former metalworks doubling as a Manchester gig venue. Ben Harrison adapts and directs. Venue: Brown's of Leith, 7-30 August.
After Party
Paines Plough's Katie Posner directs Morna Young's epic drama where family secrets erupt during an actor's 80th birthday party. Billed as a darkly comic exploration of personal freedoms and life-defining choices, it later runs at the Belgrade, Coventry. Venue: Traverse, 6-30 August.
116 Grams: A Play to Lose Weight
Letícia Rodrigues sets herself the task of losing 116 grams per performance in a wry commentary on the beauty industry. Part of the São Paulo Showcase, it examines pressure to conform to idealized body shapes and the psychological damage of fatphobia. Venue: Zoo Southside, 7-30 August.
Angels in America
Complementing the Edinburgh International Festival's US theme, Tony Kushner's epic 'gay fantasia on national themes' is revived by Ivo van Hove for Internationaal Theater Amsterdam. This stripped-back staging, featuring David Bowie songs, runs for five hours. Venue: King's Theatre, 15-20 August.
Cathy
Elaine C Smith stars as a sharp-tongued widow facing Christmas without her husband, written and directed by Eilidh Loan. Venue: Traverse, 31 July-30 August.
The Jolly Fisherman
John Dinneen's play follows two east London teenagers drawn to political extremes, starring Alex Hill and Jonny Khan. Venue: Underbelly, 5-31 August.
Prophets
Jack MacGregor's new play is set in a tiny British overseas territory in the south Pacific where a religious sect grows in popularity. A researcher arrives to find faith and power colliding in a psychological thriller. Venue: Assembly Roxy, 5-31 August.
Blackbox
Rickerby Hinds tells the story of Henry 'Box' Brown, who escaped slavery by mailing himself to freedom, using magic, hip-hop, and poetry. Venue: Underbelly, 5-30 August.
Bigfoot Ripped My Dog in Half I Saw It
Xhloe and Natasha return with a show about conspiracy theories and misdirection, following their cult success and Fringe First award. Venue: Summerhall, 6-30 August.
The Singer
KT Tunstall provides music and lyrics for a gig theatre piece about a deaf artist who 'sings' with his hands. Cora Bissett directs. Venue: Traverse, 4-30 August.
Concerts of the Future
Ciaran Frame's virtual reality experience lets you play Beethoven's Symphony No 7 as part of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Venue: Summerhall, 6-31 August.
Hang Time
Zora Howard's play against racialised violence in America features three Black men hanging in space as if lynched, exploring dehumanization. Venue: Royal Lyceum, 20-23 August.
A Trial – After An Enemy of the People
Wagner Moura stars in a sequel to Ibsen's play, relocated to modern-day Brazil where a jury decides the fate of an environmental whistleblower. Director Christiane Jatahy returns. Venue: Royal Lyceum, 7-10 August.
The Captain
Adam Riches portrays Matthew Webb, the first person to swim the English Channel, in a physical theatre piece. He also sends up reviewers in The Critic's Way. Venue: Summerhall, 6-31 August.
Supposing
Zinnie Harris's new play uses Greek myth to explore a woman wrestling with a curse, blurring truth and falsehood. Venue: Traverse, 31 July-30 August.
Foriegner
Sohrab Haghverdi, an Iranian asylum seeker in the US, performs a risky act involving drinking his own urine to secure a visa. This clowning piece tackles immigration, identity, and politics. Venue: Summerhall, 6-31 August.
Clown Show
Geoff Sobelle finds a metaphor for modern America in a clown troupe trying to hold together a crumbling circus empire. Venue: King's Theatre, 27-30 August.
How Strange It Is (The Neutral Milk Hotel Show)
Salty Brine mashes up Neutral Milk Hotel's album with Anne Frank's diary in a cabaret performance. Venue: Summerhall, 6-30 August.
Fuccbois: Live in Concert
Bridie Connell's drag comedy sends up modern dating culture as the world's biggest boyband splits up. Venue: Assembly George Square, 5-31 August.
