Noisy and bewildering; baffling and brilliant. It’s Edinburgh in August, and it’s just around the corner. Here’s our team’s picks for what’s worth checking out. We couldn’t possibly fit in all the amazing stuff we’d love to tell you about, so catch you in August for the complete SNACK Edinburgh Festivals Guide 2025. For now, here’s some of the things we’re looking forward to.
Dance/Physical Theatre
Bad Immigrant – Jennifer Irons, Studio Two at Assembly George Square, 18th–24th August
Is it a roller disco? Is it theatre? Is it a dive into colonialism and belonging? Yes. Yes it is. When Jennifer is told to ‘go home’ after Brexit and finds that the people of Canada don’t want her either, she embarks on a voyage of glittery selfdiscovery with a band of merry misfits. Featuring some German techno and all the top-tier dancing you can shake a skate at, why wouldn’t you check this out? Tickets.
Anatomy of a Night – Nick Nikolaou, Techcube 0 at Summerhall, 13–25th August (excl 19th)
Pitched as a love letter to the queers, the weirdos, and anyone else on the fringes, we don’t feel like much more needs said… okay, okay! It’s a show about memories made inside queer spaces and how we can draw energy from being a part of something bigger than ourselves; of being a part of a community. It could be any club. It could be any night. It’ll always be memorable. Utilising dance, runway, spoken word and lip-synching, we think this one will be really special. Tickets.
Cabbage the Clown: Cinemadrome BIGHEAD Comedy Buttercup at Underbelly, George Square, 30th July–24th August (excl. 12th & 19th)
Not content with 8 million views online, Cabbage the Clown is bringing their unique brand of dragclowning to the Edinburgh Fringe for a debut run. Everyone who’s worked a minimum-wage job knows how brilliant it is, right? Well, Cabbage gets it too. While traversing hilariously through the history of cinema, audiences will get a thoughtful discourse on life as a low-paid worker. So grab some obnoxiously loud snacks and join the fun. Tickets.
Spoken Word
Sectioned – Schrödinger’s Mental Health Poppy Radcliffe, Little Cellar @ Laughing Horse, 31st July–12th August
Combining poetry and direct stories from inside mental health wards, performer and filmmaker Poppy Radcliffe puts mental health care under the microscope. What happens when the services meant to protect the vulnerable get it wrong? What makes a person ill or well, or both at once? What happens when someone is forced to leave everything they know?
Can Poppy figure it out? You decide. This show comes with trigger warnings, so as awesome and interesting as it sounds, y’all look after yourselves. Tickets.
Self-Love with Lu in Luland Auditorium @ Gilded Balloon, 16th–24th August
Learn how to screw the rule book of life? You had us at hello! She’s starting a revolution, people! Podcaster, motivational speaker, and the human embodiment of ‘if you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?’, Lou Featherstone is an accidental 53-year-old influencer with some truths to share and time to spare. There’s tragedy, there’s hilarity, there’s life lessons and discovery. I do have one question though – who run the world? Tickets.
Cabaret
Ash Pryce: Occult LAB @ PBH’s Free Fringe, CC Blooms, 2nd–9th August (excl. 3rd)
Into some weird and creepy shit? No way, us too! Come, if thou darest, into the world of ‘bizarrist magician’ Ash Pryce as he walks between this world and the next, the seen and the unseen. With over 20 runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, audiences are lovin’ what Pryce is bringing, and this year’s show looks to be bigger and better than its predecessors. More info.
Skinny – Michelle Pearson Friesian @ Underbelly, Bristo Square, 30th July–10th August (excl. 6th)
Your body, my body, EVERY body, is what Michelle Pearson will be celebrating with her uplifting new show Skinny. Featuring stirring interviews and powerful vocals, Michelle unpacks a two-syllable word that has kept too many of us fearful of rockin’ what we’re workin’.
Expect to jiggle with glorious abandon at some pop anthems and reflect over elegant ballads. A relatable show, Skinny looks at what beauty really means in today’s world and why we still get sucked into toxic diet culture. Tickets.
Yes-Ya-Yebo! The Imibala Trust, Various venues, 1st–24th August (excl. 12th & 19th)
After receiving incredible reviews in 2023 and 2024, Yes-Ya-Yebo! are back again at Edinburgh Fringe with a show that celebrates the twelve official languages of South Africa. From smooth a capella stylings to upbeat move your feet smashers, you’ll be hard pressed not to get into the vibe. We’re told there’s a twist, too – ooh, mysterious. This show takes place at various venues during the Fringe so check that before you venture through, because this is not to be missed. Tickets.
Family
Children Are Stinky, Circus Trick Tease, Palais du Variete @ Assembly George Square Gardens, 31st July–25th August (excl. 6th, 11th & 18th)
This show has more stars than the sky, selling out an impressive three runs at Edinburgh Fringe and winning myriad awards along the way. Families can expect to be thoroughly entertained with comedy, daredevil stunts, and mischief! These marvels of movement hail from sunny Oz and are advocates for accessibility and sustainability – everyone is included. Tickets.
Live Manga, Yoshimoto Kogyo & Co. Ltd, Studio Three @ Assembly George Square Studios, 1st–10th August
Fresh from winning Best Male Performer at the Asian Arts awards in 2024, duo GABEZ are back at the fringe with more family-friendly mayhem. This non-verbal show (actions speak louder than words, amirite?) will thrill you with dance, mime, stunts, and maybe even a wee squeal. If you’ve seen their viral performance from the opening of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, you’ll know these guys take their fun seriously. Tickets.
Sing, Sign and Sensory – On Safari Effectus Theatre, Concourse @ Gilded Balloon, 18th–23rd August
Let’s be real, Edinburgh during the Fringe is a bit (a lot) chaotic. Understandably, some of you parents might be a bit wary of taking the wee ones through, especially with all of the noise and energy. Well, worry thyselves not because here is a sensorybased performance/workshop tailored to buns just outta the oven, up to two years old. You’ll all feel safe and happy on the customised inflatable pad, taking in the sights and sounds of nature with Bruce the butterfly. My kids are cats: reckon they’d let me in? One of ’em really needs to chill… Tickets.
Assembly Festival
@ The Edinburgh Fringe Venues across Edinburgh, 30th July–25th August
We swear this programme gets better every year. Now they’re just showing off (but we dig it). You’ll find food, more events than you can shake a roll of flyers at, and inclusive, accessible spaces. This year’s line-up includes comedians, magicians, cabaret acts, circus acts, musical theatre, dance shows, and I’m sure I spied a comedy wine-tasting show in there – who does that?! The Assembly folk, yo!
Several shows are performed using BSL while others promise to be relaxed or chilled. Most of the spaces are fully accessible too and for those that aren’t, the team have provided all of the information you’ll need online to help you choose events that will not only blow your mind, but that you can get into and out of without fuss.
One of our writers particularly loved the vibe in George Square Gardens last year, where she enjoyed some fantastic food and a cold beer between shows. So what are you waiting for? Avengers! Assembly! (I’m not even sorry.)
SNACK recommends: A great lead-in to the full August programme, Assembly’s Edinburgh Folk & Food Festival has been reinvented for 2025 and runs from 18th–25th July in George Square Gardens. Free to enter. Boots be filled!
