Edinburgh Fringe 2026: 12 must-see comedy shows
Ahead of the world’s biggest arts festival, here’s our must-see comedy shows at this year’s Fringe.
This year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme features an estimated 3,649 total shows in over 250 distinct locations, from renowned theatres to makeshift sheds. It’s a dizzying number of attractions all happening at once in such cramped proximity. So how do you possibly go about deciding what to see? Well if laughter is your prime motive, we’ve whittled the options down to a dozen select shows for your consideration.
Kim Blythe
The show: Puzzle
What is it?
A running theme in Blythe’s shows to date is imposter syndrome, which seems incongruous until you factor in the old world order. Blythe’s rise has been meteoric when the consensus is (was) most standups require a decade to hone their craft. But what if honing your craft is where the magic happens? With Blythe we’ve seen a rare talent flourish and grow in real time. They have such a natural gift for relatable comedy and making a profound connection with the audience. Blythe is and always has been an undeniable star.
Where is it?: 19:00, Doonstairs at Gilded Balloon Patter House
John Achkar
What is it?
Using what is surely the longest title of the festival to explain the context (and audacity) of his Edinburgh run, Achkar is under no illusions as to the challenge he has set himself. Attempting comedy in another language is one thing, doing it at the biggest arts festival on the planet is quite another. Thankfully, the Arabic-speaking world already knows Achkar to be a gifted raconteur who operates best in the cracks between cultures – and appreciates the absurdity of the human condition in any language.
Where is it? 15:40, Just The Spare Room at Just The Tonic at The Caves
Ray O’Leary
The show: I Can See O’Leary Now The Ray Has Gone
What is it?
There is a purity to O’Leary’s comedy that is such a salve amidst the look-at-me gimmickry so prevalent at the Fringe. Alas the festival’s very nature demands that artists be demanding of our attention. Everyone needs a UPS to stand out from their peers. Of course O’Leary’s very lack of gimmick could in itself be seen as a gimmick. It is not. He just lets his unique observations, gloriously off-kilter logic and beautifully crafted joke structures do the talking.
Where is it? 18:50, Cabaret Bar at Pleasance Courtyard
Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin
The show: Good News! It’s Been Destroyed
What is it?
Weaving lowbrow and highbrow, the trivial and the profound, standup and spoken word, Tyzack-Carlin touches upon some of the touchiest subjects of our time, but is skilled enough and funny enough to make it work. He knows that the rise of fascism, irreversible societal breakdown and the existential dread of late stage capitalism all hang heavy but are also fundamentally absurd. In a landscape of distortion and distraction, Tyzack-Carlin is the truth.
Where is it? 23:00, Below at Pleasance Courtyard
Fatiha El-Ghorri
The show: Cockney Stacking Doll
What is it?
El-Ghorri not so much defies stereotypes as obliterates them. She is kryptonite to the bigoted psyche and that must be deeply unsettling to flag shaggers and lamp post botherers everywhere. Just by being her authentic, gobby, in-your-face, ‘Middle East Hackney’ self, she is fighting the good fight. In the fear of sounding hyperbolic, El-Ghorri’s comedy has the power to heal the nation.
Where is it? 15:35, Monkey Barrel 4 at Monkey Barrel Comedy (Aug 17-30)
Ayoade Bamgboye
The show: Small Talk
What is it?
You can say what you like about the Fringe and its many, many imperfections, but it must be doing something right if it occasionally propels talents as stellar as Bamgboye starwards. Following rave reviews at last year’s Fringe, Bamgboye has been a shining light on SNL UK. It makes you ache for the second season because you know there is so much more to come from her. This year’s show may be a fleeting WIP but Bamgboye has already made herself unmissable.
Where is it? 12:05, Monkey Barrel 2 at Monkey Barrel Comedy (Aug 16-20)
Sophia Wren
The show: The Best Girl in the World
What is it?
Part of an exciting new wave of Irish comedy – arguably the strongest cohort in the last two decades – Wren proves that diversity in the arts is not only worthy but enriching. Her neurodivergence is her superpower in a sea of tiresome homogeny. Call Wren’s comedy ‘chaotic’ or ‘twisted’ or even ‘unhinged’, but it all boils down to a truly fascinating person with a unique perspective and what is more exciting than that?
Where is it? 22:00, Nook at Gilded Balloon Teviot
Patrick Monahan
The show: I’m Not A Terrorist – I’m Freddie Mercury
What is it?
The Fringe is an endurance event and even the best can suffer from performer fatigue. Despite being one of the most energetic, frenetic and compelling comics on the circuit, there is no danger of Monahan ever phoning it in. He lives every second on stage absolutely in the moment and that is what makes him such a captivating and exciting performer. It is less a show and more a visceral experience.
Where is it? 21:00, Dram at Gilded Balloon Patter House
CRUSH
The show: Crush by Hadsan Mohamud
What is it?:
If you’re looking for some variation to a standup heavy itinerary, and fancy a little rom with your com, Crush is the play for you. Written by and starring the remarkably talented Hadsan Mohamud alongside Mohamed Hashi, Crush explores themes such as mental health, grief and identity through the prism of the British-Somali experience. It is far more fun than that sounds, especially in the hands of Mohamud who tackles such complex subjects with a deftness, wit and nuance that belie her years.
Where is it?: 15:55, Clover at Underbelly, Bristo Square
Ed Night
The show: We’ll Be Alright, Darling
What is it?
There’s an immediacy and energy to the Ed Night experience that is on the very edge of unsettling. It is captured incredibly well in his comedy special but alas there is nothing quite like the real thing. A big part of what makes Night such a welcome anomaly at Edinburgh is the lack of serious bit/funny bit dichotomy to his shows. We were never meant to see the joins. He is able to deliver a belly laugh and a gut punch in the very same sentence.
Where is it? 16:45, Monkey Barrel 1 at Monkey Barrel Comedy
Metroland Live
The show: As Seen On TV
What is it?
Metroland are Jack Robertson, Caden Elliott, John Dole, Connor Lawson and Jack Fairley. A North East collective that defied the odds and earned the plaudits at the Fringe two years ago with their anarchic, surreal and gloriously daft brand of sketch comedy. Like a Geordie Avengers they’ve each been on their own individual adventures since (winning some awards along the way) but now they’re back to save live comedy from the clutches of middle-class banality once more. Hurrah!
Where is it? 21:40, Jack Dome at Pleasance Dome
Shane Daniel Byrne
The show: Baby This Time
What is it?
It is little surprise that Shane Daniel Byrne’s rise has been so meteoric. He is such a natural and captivating stage performer. Whether it’s pithy asides or outrageous act-outs, he just emanates star quality. Baby This Time has been described as his most personal show to date, which means we are in for a treat. He is at his best when sharing his most intimate life experiences, which he does with charm, mischief and genuine warmth.
Where is it? 18:50, Lounge at Gilded Balloon Teviot