The Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe 2026 are set to showcase a stunning array of dance and circus performances, featuring world-renowned choreographers, ballet cabaret, and fluffy clowns for toddlers. Here is a curated list of the hottest shows to watch.
Mere Mortals
San Francisco Ballet’s major new commission from 2024 receives its European premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival. This ambitious production, choreographed by Aszure Barton, offers an AI-themed retelling of the Pandora’s box myth, accompanied by live music from British producer Floating Points and an orchestra. Edinburgh Playhouse, 28-30 August.
Ihsane
Belgian Moroccan choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui presents a meditation on his Moroccan roots, exploring cycles of destruction and rebirth, grief and hope. The performance features live music by Tunisian viola d’amore player Jasser Haj Youssef. Festival Theatre, 18-20 August.
Good Enough?
Danish company Himherandit returns to the Fringe with a completely different show from their previous hit Mass Effect. This piece features three performers, each with a chair and microphone, sharing their life stories through physical theatre infused with queer joy and vulnerability. Summerhall, 19-30 August.
Under Mask
Taiwanese choreographer Lai Yun-Chi, a former member of Hofesh Shechter’s junior company, makes her Edinburgh debut with her company Mailantia. The work draws on her family’s history as leatherworkers, incorporating intricate steampunk-style masks. Assembly @ Dance Base, 6-30 August.
Ballet Nights
A staple of the London dance calendar, Ballet Nights embarks on a national tour, including its first Fringe shows. This gala or cabaret-style format features a lively compere and a variety of acts, from top-level classical ballet pas de deux to brand new contemporary dance, with live music. Music Hall at Assembly Rooms, 24-30 August.
The Palestinian Circus
Based in Birzeit, north of Ramallah, the Palestinian Circus performed at Glastonbury last year and now brings its acrobatics to the Fringe. Their show Step and a Half is inspired by the rhythms of the Palestinian folk dance dabkeh, blending traditional culture with contemporary circus. Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows, 8-29 August.
Flamenc Oh!!
A comedy flamenco show from Spain, co-produced with London’s Sadler’s Wells, that lovingly sends up flamenco clichés. Billed as an “irreverent tribute” rather than a parody, it features proper flamenco dance and music from quality performers, with knowing humour. Music Hall at Assembly Rooms, 6-30 August.
Exit
Belgian circus artist Piet Van Dycke’s Exit features a seemingly simple set of walls and doorways that becomes a maze of revolving platforms for four performers, each specialising in a different circus discipline: teeterboard, aerial belts, trapeze, and acro-dance. The piece explores continual arrival and departure, appearance and disappearance. Zoo Southside, 18-30 August.
Boys Don’t Dance
Australian dancer Marc Brew presents another autobiographical work, reflecting on his childhood love of dance and society’s response. The performance features dance on foot and on wheels (BMX, wheelchair) with an 80s soundtrack. Assembly @ Dance Base, 7-23 August.
Twelve: Going the Distance
New York choreographer Marisa F Ballaro makes her Edinburgh debut with a dance piece set in a boxing ring. Five women attempt to go the distance over 12 rounds as allegiances and rivalries play out, with raw physicality meeting American modern dance. Summerhall, 6-16 August.
Glob
For winsome, whimsical French-Canadian circus, Les Foutoukours present Glob, winner of the young audience award at Avignon’s festival fringe. The show stars two sweetly comical fluffy creatures with clown noses, offering a peaceful break for children aged five and over. Underbelly, Bristo Square, 5-30 August.
Everybody’s Got a Bomb
Riley Fitzgerald, who has danced with Sydney Dance Company and Ballet National de Marseille, presents his own work inspired by a documentary about Woodstock 99. The piece captures the frustration, rage, and chaos that erupt when society ruptures. Zoo Southside, 7-16 August.
