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A Cat in A Box

Celtic Tales

Solo from the Pit

Reaching the C

Waving

& taxes

Auld Lang Sing

Magical Maestro

The Extraordinary Life of a Rat Racer

dregs

I Almost Died for This?

Who We Become: One-Act Plays by Lanford Wilson

Daughter of Sweden

Mother Goose Shiva

JOSIAH

Two Halves

SABOTAGE

Milkdrunk

boobytrapped

Mountains and Seas: A Rock Musical

Parkies

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Latest Listings

The Girls Are Fighting

The Girls Are Fighting is a piece of new writing set in the women’s bathroom of a bar. The show plays with the idea that a toilet is a place of multitudes and extremes: a safe haven on an overstimulating night, a congregating spot, a crime scene and a place of exposed shame, vulnerability and passion. This is a story of betrayal, tragedy and beauty, and of girls just trying to have a good time - unfortunately there are some things a toilet stall door just can’t conceal.

Hen & Chickens Theatre • 29 Aug 2026 - 30 Aug 2026

I WILL BE QUEEN

I Will Be Queen is a dark magical realist drama that imagines a psychological confrontation between the young Elizabeth Tudor and an ancient Creature in the woods near Hatfield House, on the day she is unknowingly about to be proclaimed Queen of England. The Creature is less a monster than a primal force, older than kingdoms and as ancient as succession itself. Fluent in hunger and patient with time, it speaks Elizabeth's name as though it has been waiting centuries to do so. What follows is a tense and hypnotic encounter, where spoken word and movement combine in a dangerous dance of power, destiny and desire.

The Courtyard Theatre • 24 Aug 2026 - 26 Aug 2026

Eigengrau

Eigengrau is a dark, sharp-witted contemporary drama about four young Londoners whose intertwined relationships expose the gap between the identities they project and the uncomfortable truths they hide about love, power, loneliness, and self-deception. Penelope Skinner’s Eigengrau premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in March 2010. Following acclaimed productions of An Intervention at The Space in 2025 and 2026, Mop and Bucket Theatre return with Penelope Skinner's Eigengrau.

The Space • 25 Aug 2026 - 28 Aug 2026

Macbeth

What happens when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are no longer two people, but two sides of the same mind? This new solo adaptation of Macbeth presents Shakespeare's tragedy through the perspective of a single performer. A female actor embodies both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, imagining them not as separate characters but as conflicting parts of one fractured mind. Performed using Shakespeare's original language, the production combines minimalist staging with Korean-inspired music and movement.

Pip @ Rotunda Theatre • 13 Aug 2026 - 16 Aug 2026

Hi, Camp! Fun and Gaymes

Back by popular demand, it’s Hi Camp: Fun and Gaymes!!Couldn’t get enough of us yelling rules at you in a pub garden? Missed out on the first few shows because you’re a massive loser?Don’t you fret. We forgive you and will gladly welcome you into our loving collective bosom for another night of campery, tomfoolery and PRIZES!!!Hosted by your favourite game playing idiots, THAT GIRL and Shar Cooterie with extra special guest BLA BLA GABOR, expect silliness, performances and outrageous flirting! (Seriously, Thatalie can’t help herself!)See you there! Be there or…well…don’t? We can’t really do anything about it. But we’d love to see you. Alright. Bye!

The Bridge House Theatre • 30 Aug 2026

Voices of Canada

Rediscover Richard Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, alongside new vocal works paying tribute to Canada’s Indigenous peoples and work by Gabriela Ortiz.In the second concert of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM), Rafael Payare invites audiences to a conversation across time with a powerful programme of music culminating in Richard Strauss’s sumptuous tone poem Ein Heldenleben. With a stirring battle episode, ardent love music and playful quotations from the composer’s earlier works, it is a musical self-portrait both mischievous and deeply moving that takes full advantage of the possibilities of a large orchestra.This monumental staple of the late Romantic period is paired with carefully selected contemporary pieces. Indigenous Canadian sopranos Emma Pennell and Elisabeth St-Gelais join the orchestra for two powerful new vocal works confronting history, memory and the lived experience of Indigenous communities in Canada today.Alongside these, Gabriela Ortiz’s cello concerto Dzonot summons an evocation of the subterranean rivers, caves and stunning wildlife of Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula. Ortiz, also featured in the LA Phil’s programme, described it as a ‘form of protest’ responding to our neglect of these valuable ecosystems. It was written for cello soloist Alisa Weilerstein, who plays with ‘directness and insight… technical prowess and depth of feeling’ (The Guardian).Together, they encourage audiences to approach Strauss anew, inviting questions on voice, identity, and our relationship to the natural world.Supported by Léan Scully Endowed Fund with additional support from The Québec Government Office in London

Usher Hall • 20 Aug 2026

Colin Currie Group plays Steve Reich

The experts in Steve Reich’s minimalist music celebrate more than half a century of his work.Pioneer of minimalism, Steve Reich is a living legend in contemporary classical music. Colin Currie – ‘the world’s finest and most daring percussionist’ (Spectator) formed his hand-picked ensemble expressly to explore Reich’s music. Currie returns to the Festival after his thrilling 2025 concert with the King’s Singers, to celebrate more than half of a century of Reich’s work.The diverse programme ranges from the iconic Clapping Music (1972), based on traditional West African rhythmic patterns, to the larger-scale Radio Rewrite (2012), inspired by two songs by Radiohead. Other treats include the vibrant Quartet (2014), written for the Colin Currie Group, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Double Sextet (2007).  The ensemble’s performances have been described as ‘technically impeccable and musically overwhelming’ (The Guardian) and ‘the musical equivalent of a high-wire act’ (The Telegraph). It‘s no wonder that Reich has chosen them to perform the world premiere of Festival co-commission In All Your Ways.  

Usher Hall • 28 Aug 2026

The Global Ideas Stage

Join us for an unconventional, inquisitive and convivial conversation, inspired by our Festival theme.The Global Ideas Stage features intimate dialogues followed by a panel discussion between Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, filmmaker Ken Burns, lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson and journalist Amy Goodman.Edinburgh has long been a crucible for ideas. Two and a half centuries ago, pioneering thinkers like Adam Smith and David Hume mingled in coffeehouses, openly debated theories, and envisioned leaps forward in how we understand markets, morality, and the threads that bind human society.Today, the world faces challenges that demand the same combination of insight and imagination, and Edinburgh has become a festival city, spawning ideas and creativity that will shape our future.In collaboration with Professor Adam Dixon and Panmure House, the last home of Adam Smith, we are proud to present a bold new form of public discourse. Curated and hosted by Harvard University professor and award-winning author Sarah Lewis, alongside Festival Director Nicola Benedetti, the inaugural Global Ideas Stage will unite extraordinary thinkers and cultural leaders on stage at the newly redeveloped King’s Theatre. Expect surprise performances from stars of the 2026 programme.Supported by James and Morag AndersonAdditional support for the Festival's return to the King's Theatre is provided by Sir Ewan and Lady BrownCreated in collaboration with Panmure House and Heriot Watt University.Details of the live performances from stars of the 2026 programme will be shared on this page following the event on 11 August.

King's Theatre • 11 Aug 2026

Come and Sing Bach Chorales

Join us for a day of shared music-making, where you’ll learn and perform chorales from JS Bach's St Matthew & St John Passions.Sign-up is now closed.Experience the power of singing and performing as a group, in the second year of our Come and Sing events. Together, you’ll learn and perform chorales from Johann Sebastian Bach's St Matthew & St John Passions, with organ accompaniment from Michael Bawtree.In the morning workshop, Edinburgh Festival Chorus Director James Grossmith will guide you through the score, which you’ll receive in advance. In the afternoon, you’ll perform in a sharing for family and friends, filling the hall with the sound of your collective voices.This free workshop is for those who can read music. Supported by Scobie Dickinson WardChorales from Bach's St Matthew & St John Passions. Sung in German with English surtitles. We'll provide printed music booklets on the day.Please arrive from 9:30am at Usher Hall for registration.

Usher Hall • 22 Aug 2026

Trainspotting Live

Acclaimed immersive rewiring of Irvine Welsh's classic, performed in a unique venue beneath EICC. The audience are literally part of the action, including the notorious 'worst toilet in Scotland' scene. Tenth Fringe season after nine sell-outs: early booking recommended! Choose life. 'The most uncompromising and controversial show you are likely to see anywhere' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'Will chew you up and spit you out, and you'll thank it for the privilege. It's more than theatre – it's a celebration of Edinburgh's grit, wit and humanity' ***** (TheArtsBusiness.com). 'Better than either the book or film in my opinion' (Irvine Welsh).

Pleasance at EICC • 6 Aug 2026 - 30 Aug 2026

Auld Lang Sing

A new take on old words, Auld Lang Sing features a series of old Scots poetry, including works by Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson, Mary Queen of Scots and Thomas Campbell as you have never heard them before. The show promises new songs and music, coupled with drama to bring history and folklore alive on stage, in celebration of some of Scotland's finest writers. The show is conceived and composed by Siobhan Argyle, directed by Steve Lauder-Russell and the book written by Ryan Little. The show is performed by a talented cast of young professional actors.

theSpace @ Symposium Hall • 7 Aug 2026 - 15 Aug 2026