The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival, takes over Scotland’s capital every August, transforming it into a vibrant hub of creativity with thousands of performances across comedy, theatre, music, and more. In 2024, comedy remains a cornerstone, with standout acts like Andy Parsons, whose sharp-witted Bafflingly Optimistic tackles the absurdities of modern life, and Susie McCabe, whose Femme Fatality blends hilarious storytelling with poignant reflections. Rising star Eric Rushton brings his self-deprecating charm in I Don’t Get It, and many more including Ivo Graham, adding to the festival’s diverse, laugh-packed lineup.
IVO GRAHAM – EDINBURGH 2025
ORANGE CRUSH
Pleasance, The Grand
12th – 24th August at 9.20pm
Where is Ivo Graham from? And where exactly is he going? And will he please just slow down?
The Taskmaster promise-squanderer, published author and gig pig welcomes you to the latest chaotic chapter of his career. A show about hats, haters and hometown heroes, from a man who promised everyone he loved that he wouldn’t do Edinburgh in 2025, but then came back anyway, because he simply had to do this show. You’ve seen him on panels and podcasts and pegging it through train stations: now come and see his new orange threads in the flesh.
GRAHAM BACK IN THE GREEN
Theatre work in progress:
Pleasance, The Green
13th – 24th August at 2.15pm
After 2023’s rambling overshare in this prefab sprouted into 2024’s ‘Carousel’ (“a devastatingly beautiful show” *****, The List: “an exquisitely judged confessional” ****, Times), which is currently on a sellout UK tour, Ivo Graham begins to plot its sequel, once more in the theatre section, once more not to be confused with his stand-up show in the Grand.
New topics, new tunes, same tears. Get ready, get ready to say, he’s found his niche at last: a prisoner of the past.
Come and lock yourself away with him for an hour.
Comedians’ DJ Battles
La Belle Angele
Saturday 23rd August at 11pm – 4am
Once more, Ivo Graham, the superintendent of the sesh, the high commissioner of having it, pits a heaving guest-list of comedians against one another, in a ruthlessly administrated tournament format, to see who can bring the biggest and best noise to the last Saturday night of the Fringe.
A raucous night of bangers and bravado, as won by Ania Magliano and Sophie Duker in 2024. But who will be coming for their crown this year? This will go late and large, so book early and cancel all plans for the following morning.
Tickets:
Orange Crush: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/ivo-graham orange-crush
Graham Back In The Green: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/graham-back-green
Comedians’ DJ Battles: On sale 7 May
SUSIE McCABE: BEST BEHAVIOUR Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025
Assembly George Square Theatre, Gordon Aikman Theatre
30 July – 24 August at 8.35pm
The Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow award winner (2024) Susie McCabe is back at the Edinburgh Fringe for 2025! Following a sellout run at this year’s Glasgow International Comedy Festival, Susie brings her brand new show Best Behaviour.
The past year has been a life-changing one for Susie. Following a heart attack last Summer, Susie has taken a long hard look at what led her to this point and where she goes from here.
Every year Susie sells out at the Edinburgh Fringe and this year she’s in and even bigger venue – Assembly George Square Theatre, Gordon Aikman Theatre
Tickets & further information:
https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/912-susie-mccabe-best behaviour
https://susiemccabe.com
Christopher Macarthur Boyd: Howling At The Moon
Edinburgh Fringe 2025
Monkey Barrel 1
28 July – 24 August at 9-10pm (not 6 or 13)
Following his sold out, debut tour last year and becoming a host on the smash-hit podcast Here Comes The Guillotine (with Frankie Boyle and Susie McCabe) Christopher Macarthur-Boyd is back at the Edinburgh Fringe with his brand new show Howling At The Moon. He brings an hour of nocturnal stand-up about grappling with notions of neurodivergence, sexuality and lunacy. Arooo!
It’s been a busy year or so for Christopher having broken up with his longterm girlfriend and moving back in with Mum and Dad. He’s in a new relationship and coming to terms with himself. Is he bi sexual? Does he have ADHD? Should he be helping himself to his girlfriend’s meds?
Christopher literally has to embrace nocturnal standup in his day to day life, as he has a condition – Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD) – which strongly determines how his body and mind copes with sleep. He becomes immediately unwell if he gets up too early which works well with stand-up but can be extremely challenging when taking on other tasks in life.
Tickets:
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/christopher-macarthur boyd-howling-at-the-moon
Andy Parsons: Please #@!$ Off To Mars Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025
Pleasance Cabaret Bar
Wed 30 July – Sunday 10 August (not 4th) at 6.50pm
Following the sell-out success of Andy’s 2023/2024 tour and Edinburgh run Bafflingly Optimistic, he is back at the Pleasance Cabaret Bar this year with his brand new show Please #@!$ Off To Mars. Life is hard – come and have a laugh about it.
This year Andy brings his usual ‘terrific satirical stand-up’ Independent and tackles the world in 2025. Please can Elon Musk #@!$ off to Mars – and set up his own SpaceX community with R2D2 C3PO and all his other children. And please can he take Jeff Bezos, Donald Trump, Rachel Reeves and Nigel Farage with him.
Andy has done five comedy specials: Bafflingly Optimistic, Britain’s Got Idiots, Gruntled, Slacktivist, Live & Unleashed [but Naturally Cautious]. He has toured the UK many times to sellout audiences up and down the UK and his new show hits the road this Autumn.
Tickets:
https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/andy-parsons-please-mars
Eric Rushton: Innkeeper
Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025
Hive 2 at Monkey Barrel Comedy
Previews: 30 & 31 July
1-24 August (not 12) 3.20pm
Eric Rushton returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with his brand-new, electrifying, stand-up show, Innkeeper. This run is off the back of the successes seen by his last show Real One, which attracted critical acclaim and sold-out crowds both at the Festival and across a national tour.
In 2004, Eric was cast in his primary school Nativity. Despite absolutely smashing it, he immediately retired from being a child actor. Now he’s found the correct antidepressants to give show business another go.
TICKETS:
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/eric-rushton-innkeeper
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