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Telegraph
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The ultimate guide to Edinburgh Festival – and the top shows to book
The largest arts festival on the planet is back. Every August, thousands of performers from around the world descend on Edinburgh's cobbled streets. Pubs, libraries and even occasionally buses turn into pop-up theatres. The Royal Mile becomes an obstacle course of jugglers and magicians. The atmosphere is quite unlike anything else on earth: exhausting, ridiculous, sublime. Kick off this year is Friday 1st August. After watching hundreds of performances in Edinburgh over the years, the buzz still hasn't worn off for me. I have been writing about Edinburgh Fringe shows for The Telegraph since 2015, and attending the festivals for most of my life, in various guises – awards judge, journalist, director, spotty teenage performance poet, etc. I've seen the likes of Richard Gadd, Tim Key and Rose Matafeo give dazzling performances in tiny, sweaty rooms, long before they found success on screen. Although every summer brings a new spate of headlines asking whether the Fringe can survive another year – is it too large for the city? Are costs simply too high? I'm convinced there's still no better place to discover the stars of the future. The festival can be overwhelming – particularly if you're experiencing it for the first time. In this guide, I've gathered together everything I wish I had been told before my first visit. Skip to: Overview Conceived by the great impresario Rudolf Bing to prove that the arts could rise again from the ashes of the Second World War, Edinburgh's first International Festival of Music and Drama was held in 1947 – and was immediately met with grumbling from those artists who hadn't been invited. Not to be outdone, they set up their own unaffiliated, informal performances around the city. This 'fringe' very quickly outgrew the official festival, and today dwarfs it. In 2024, there were around 160 performances at the official Edinburgh International Festival (or EIF for short) but more than 50,000 at the Fringe. Confusingly, when people refer to 'the Edinburgh Festival', they might mean either the EIF or the Fringe – or both. Both festivals span the performing arts, from music to theatre. (The city hosts a television festival in August, too, but it's largely for people in the TV industry, rather than the general public.) Aiming for quality rather than quantity, the EIF has a more high-brow reputation and more expensive tickets (albeit with generous discounts). As the name suggests, it emphasises work from international companies, and has a particularly strong track record in opera. At the Fringe, meanwhile, the largest and liveliest part of the programme is comedy. Many new comedians heading up to Edinburgh have their eye on the Edinburgh Comedy Awards. The most prestigious prizes in the stand-up world, since 1981 these gongs have helped to launch the careers of dozens of household names – Steve Coogan, Sarah Millican and Stephen Fry among them. This year, incidentally, will be my third time judging the awards, and throughout the festival I'll be updating this guide with my verdicts on the best shows I see. Where does it take place? The Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) Compared to the Fringe, which sprawls across around 650 venues (all listed in the official Fringe Programme), the EIF has only a small handful of venues. There are classical concerts in the Usher Hall and Queens Hall; lectures in the Hub; opera at the Edinburgh Playhouse; dance and major plays at the Festival Theatre; and more experimental theatre at the Church Hill Theatre and the Lyceum. There are also a couple of outdoor EIF shows this year: Dance People, a promenade dance piece in the Old College Quad (Aug 7-10); and music in the bandstand of Princes Street Gardens (Aug 3). The Fringe Major Fringe venue companies often oversee more than one venue. The Pleasance, for instance, has three, each very different, and a significant distance apart: the Pleasance Courtyard, a nice spot for outdoor drinks on a sunny day; the EICC or Edinburgh International Conference Centre, huge and expensive; and the Pleasance Dome, which has the distinct atmosphere of a student union bar – unsurprisingly, since it is one, outside August. So, if someone says a show is at 'the Pleasance', ask them to specify which venue they mean. 'The Big Four' Four of the largest and longest-established venue companies – Pleasance, Gilded Balloon, Underbelly and Assembly – are sometimes referred to as the 'Big Four'. Their tickets can be more expensive than those for smaller venues, but they often attract better-known performers. Some individual theatres within the Big Four maintain a distinctive look and feel. At Underbelly for instance, the Circus Hub on the Meadows is a classic big top, while the Udderbelly is a huge purple tent shaped like an upside-down cow. For the most part, they're interchangeable in terms of the kinds of work they programme. Comedy dominates, followed by theatre, with a decent spread of cabaret, dance and children's shows. But these four venues don't have a monopoly on quality: many of the best shows will take place in one of the venues below. Best venues for comedy The Stand – in the 'New Town' north of Princes Street – used to be seen as the leading comedy venue, and still draws a number of celebrated older performers (Mark Thomas, Jo Caulfield, Simon Munnery). But in this critic's opinion, the Monkey Barrel is head and shoulders above the rest: it consistently attracts the most acclaimed younger acts. Its venues are tightly clustered on the streets around South Bridge, including the titular year-round comedy club, and the less-delightful Hive, a sticky-floored nightclub notorious for staying open till almost dawn. I've rarely seen a bad show at the Monkey Barrel – although a few have been too strange even for my outré tastes. If you're wary of anything advertised as 'contemporary clowning' and prefer comedy with proper gags, Just the Tonic may be a safer bet. It runs four Fringe venues, has reasonably priced tickets and attracts lively crowds; here the emphasis is on mainstream stand-up, often with plenty of crowd-work. You get the occasional household name (Simon Evans) but performers tend to be rising stars from the club circuit. Duck into the lively Caves, at the foot of Niddry street, for a spontaneous hour of stand-up. Best venues for theatre Summerhall, one of the Fringe's southernmost venues, is my favourite place to go for new writing: it has a lively, eclectic programme (slightly skewed towards experimental theatre), and some unusual spaces – including a hundred-year-old anatomy lecture theatre. The grand old Traverse – a year-round venue, west of the Castle, off the main Fringe drag – has the best reputation for new plays, but a relatively small Fringe programme of around a dozen shows. Shedinburgh is a brand-new venue for 2025, run by Francesca Moody, the sharp-eyed producer behind such Fringe-to-screen successes as Baby Reindeer and Fleabag. Each show is here for a single performance only, so tickets are likely to disappear quickly. Highlights include Or What's Left of Us (a show about grief and British folk music that brought a tear to my eye) and Haley McGee's five-star one-woman show Age is a Feeling. ZOO has two large venues – Southside and Playground – and a strong track record in physical theatre. Their offerings can be quite bonkers (see Up Your Ass, below), but I like their anarchic spirit, and the quality is usually pretty high. Two large venue companies you ought to know about have confusing names: C Venues/C Arts (it uses both) and theSpace (which, ironically, refuses a space after 'the'). Quality in both venues is more variable, and shows here can feel amateurish, but they have nurtured some outstanding companies: theSpace has the charismatic Xhloe and Natasha – see A Love Letter to Lyndon B Johnson, below – while C Venues was home to the much-missed Belt Up. Both are popular destinations for theatre students, as are (slightly slower down the pecking-order) Paradise and Greenside. Speaking of students, I'd warmly recommend the Bedlam Theatre, a gorgeous 90-seater in a neo-gothic church. It's run by Edinburgh University, and home to its reliably good comedy troupe the Improverts: they are to improv what the Cambridge Footlights are to sketch comedy. Best venues for free shows There are two major Free Fringe companies – Laughing Horse (with 16 venues across the city) and PBH (with 26). As the name suggests, Laughing Horse's line-up is almost entirely comedy, but with a good offering of children's shows, particularly at The Three Sisters and The Counting House. (At the latter, I'd warmly recommend the kids' show from Best Joke of the Fringe winner Olaf Falafel.) PBH has a slightly more eclectic line-up, with a bit more theatre and spoken word, and some very cool spaces, especially the Banshee Labyrinth (a kind of medieval dungeon-cum-dive bar, with a cinema), and the Voodoo Rooms (a cabaret club with a speakeasy vibe). How to book tickets Officially, the Fringe runs from August 1 to 25, but some shows actually begin their runs as early as July 28. The EIF, meanwhile, takes place from July 30 to August 24. For EIF tickets, I strongly recommend booking in advance, by calling 0131 473 2000 or going online to For Fringe tickets, the simplest way to book is through the Fringe Society, whether via their website ( their well-designed app (EdFringe), or their phone line (0131 226 0000), or simply by popping into their box office on Edinburgh's Royal Mile (180 High St, EH1 1QS), which is also now the home of the long-running Half-Price Tickets Hut. Alternatively, you can book through individual Fringe venues – but with hundreds of different theatres (see the venue guide, above), it can be difficult to keep track of your tickets. Do you need to book Fringe tickets in advance? Not always. It's possible to have a packed day of entertainment by just wandering from one show to another. Embracing spontaneity can save you money, too: 'flyerers' doing last-minute promotion on the street for their shows will sometimes hand out two-for-one coupons (or offer other discounts) along with their leaflets. Prices have crept upwards in recent years – alarmingly, some Fringe tickets now break the £20 barrier – but there are a number of 'Free Fringe' organisations which aim to keep shows affordable for performers and punters alike. In fact, many of the best shows here are free. For instance, when Baby Reindeer's Richard Gadd won his Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2016, it was for a Free Fringe show at the Banshee Labyrinth. The oldest of the rival Free Fringes is PBH, named after its founder, comedian Peter Buckley-Hill. PBH shows are unticketed – performers just pass around a bucket at the end of the show. To guarantee a seat at their most popular shows, turn up very early and brace yourself for a long wait in the queue. Other venues (such as Just the Tonic and the Monkey Barrel) have a two-tier system. They sell full-price tickets ahead of the show to punters keen to guarantee themselves a seat, but also offer free entry on the door for performances that haven't sold out. The Laughing Horse Free Fringe has a similar system, though its advance tickets are sold for a 'pay what you can' amount, with suggested donations starting at £2.50. Dos and don'ts Do: Get hold of the official Fringe Programme. The size of an old Yellow Pages, it's an invaluable guide, and can be picked up for free at shops and venues across the UK. Alternatively, for £7.50, the Fringe Society will deliver a copy to your door. Do: Tip performers. If you haven't paid for a ticket, and you see the cast plaintively waving a bucket at the end of the show, it's a real faux pas not to give them something on your way out. Thanks in large part to Edinburgh's eye-watering accommodation costs, even successful performers will often make a loss at this festival. Throw the starving artists a bone. Do: Dress carefully. It's impossible really to anticipate the ideal attire for Edinburgh in August – I've known it to go from blazing sunshine to freezing sleet and hail in the space of 15 minutes – but a lightweight waterproof coat and comfortable shoes will save you from a great deal of suffering. Do: Take risks. Watch a performer you haven't heard of, or a piece of new writing (edgy theatre hub Summerhall is especially good for the latter). Chat to strangers – word of mouth is everything in Edinburgh. 'Seen anything good today?' is a good ice-breaker in a queue. Don't: Take geography for granted. Some of Edinburgh's streets could have been designed by MC Escher. Your map might tell you a theatre is in front of you, when in fact it's 40ft above you on a different street. Unless you know the city intimately, allow an extra 15 minutes of getting-lost time for any theatre-to-theatre walk. (Cabs in the city aren't too expensive, but it's usually easiest to walk if you can.) Above all, don't arrange to meet a friend at the entrance of Underbelly Cowgate – one of the main venues – without specifying which entrance you mean; one is five storeys higher up than the other. Don't: Forget to eat and drink. Bring a water bottle and (non-noisy) snacks. Some under-ventilated venues are sweltering, and you'll burn a lot of calories trekking from one theatre to the next. Don't: Get up too early. There's relatively little worth watching before noon, and many of the best shows begin after 10pm. Having a guilt-free lie-in will help you to avoid Fringe burn-out. You don't want to fall asleep and start snoring in the middle of someone's soul-baring one-man show, do you? Don't: Leave booking your accommodation until the last minute. In Edinburgh in August, affordable hotel rooms are rare as hen's teeth. I know some very well-organised Fringe-goers who make a point of always booking a flat in September for the following summer, a decision which looks more sensible with each year that passes. So start thinking about 2026 now. Insider's tips Seek out 'secret' shows and alternative programmes Despite clocking in at almost 400 pages, the official Fringe Programme doesn't actually list everything there is to see. Some performers, particularly on the Free Fringe, would rather not pay the hundreds of pounds it costs to get an official listing. To find out about these 'off-menu' shows, check the listings at individual venues, or pick up one of the rival mini-programmes: the PBH Free Fringe produces a guide known as the 'wee blue book' (available in its venues), while the Alternative Comedy Memorial Society makes a brochure of recommended shows, handed out at its terrific cabarets in the Monkey Barrel. Snack on some late-night 'comedy tapas' Mixed-bill gigs are a great way to sample of lots of different acts, and choose which performers you'd like to see more from the following day. The best mixed-bill shows happen late in the evening: my top recommendation is ACMS (charmingly ramshackle alternative comedy), followed by Stamptown (boisterous cabaret), Late'n'Live (mainstream stand-up) and Piggy Time (transatlantic weirdness). Escape to another (much quieter) festival Taking place at the same time as the Fringe and EIF, the Book Festival is the Cinderella of Edinburgh festivals, drowned out by its more famous (and noisier) siblings. But it has a terrific programme to rival Hay-on-Wye's: guests this year include Ali Smith, Geoff Dyer, Maggie Nelson, Mark Haddon and Jonathan Coe. Its best events often take place in the morning or early afternoon, when there's less to see at the Fringe, reducing clashes. Eat like a king Several larger venues have outdoor pop-ups with excellent but expensive street-food vans (the best are at the Pleasance Courtyard, followed by those dotted around the George Square Gardens). But the city's permanent establishments tend to offer better value. For a modern take on Scottish haute cuisine, Montrose does a three-course set lunch for £30. If you're hungry, on a budget and in a hurry, I can recommend a quick curry at Mosque Kitchen. If it's 4am, your feet hurt, it's raining and you desperately want a sit-down restaurant meal with proper cutlery and service, Pizza Paradise on South Bridge has you covered. And for breakfast, Snax Cafe does a full Scottish fry-up in a bun that can raise the dead, or at the very least cure your Fringe hangover. Drink like a fish For a traditional pub away from the festival hubbub, the Halfway House is a lovely matchbox-sized nook on Fleshmarket Close, the near-vertical street immortalised by Ian Rankin's novel of the same name. For craft beers, the Brass Monkey has a decent selection and enormous beds to sprawl on while you sip your stout. The Telegraph's top 30 shows to see this year Our picks: Edinburgh International Festival More prestigious and glamorous than the Fringe, the EIF has returned with fewer events than 2024, but still boasting a handful of very exciting premieres. Make It Happen A new play from James Graham (Quiz, Dear England, TV's Sherwood) is always a major event. His latest ripped-from-the-headlines drama looks at the collapse of RBS in the 2008 financial crash. Sandy Grierson stars as disgraced banker Fred 'The Shred' Goodwin, while Succession's Brian Cox – treading the boards in Scotland for the first time in a decade – will appear as the ghost of economist Adam Smith. Festival Theatre, until Aug 9, 2.30pm/7.30pm Mary, Queen of Scots The team behind 2022's EIF hit Coppélia return with a new, punk-tinged dance piece about the Scottish monarch's troubled relationship with Elizabeth I. Festival Theatre, Aug 15-17, various times Orpheus and Eurydice 'The greatest musician in the world' is a tricky role to cast. But if anyone can fill Orpheus's mythical sandals it's terrific counter-tenor Iestyn Davies. He's joined by Australian soprano Samantha Clarke as the doomed Eurydice. Performed in a white box with circus trapeze-work, Opera Australia's striking production of Gluck's haunting tragedy seems to owe a debt to Peter Brook's famous staging of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Edinburgh Playhouse, Aug 13-16, 8pm Faustus in Africa! Christopher Marlowe is having a moment this summer: his influence on Shakespeare has inspired both a major biography by Stephen Greenblatt and a forthcoming RSC play with Ncuti Gatwa. The most promising piece of international theatre at the EIF also has a Marlovian flavour: this is William Kentridge's radical 1995 re-imagining of Dr Faustus, revived with help from Handspring, the puppetry wizards who staged War Horse. Lyceum, Aug 20-23, 7.30pm Figures in Extinction Two of the most exciting talents in contemporary theatre – Complicite's Simon McBurney and Kidd Pivot's Crystal Pite – have collaborated on this new piece for Nederlands Dans Theater, which takes an alarmed look at the state of the world, from melting icecaps to insufferable social media influencers. Festival Theatre, Aug 22-24, various times Our picks: Famous faces Performing at the Fringe is a rite of passage for young artists. There's not much in it for established stars – so when they do choose to appear, it's often as a way of giving something back to the festival that made them famous. (Although in the case of some of this year's unexpected Fringe comebacks – I'm looking at you, Bobby Davro – it's hard not to think of the old music-hall joke: They say you play this place twice in your life. Once on the way up… Well, it's nice to be back!) Alan Davies: Think Ahead A long overdue return to the stage for the charmingly rumpled, puppyish Jonathan Creek star and QI panellist, kicking off what will be his first stand-up tour in a decade. After the harrowing personal revelations of his 2020 autobiography, might he show a more vulnerable side here? Orchard at Gilded Balloon at Appleton Tower, July 30-Aug 10, 7.15pm Motorhome Marilyn Soap star Michelle Collins (Eastenders, Coronation Street) makes her Edinburgh debut as an obsessive Marilyn Monroe fan who moves to Hollywood to emulate her idol, in this 1980s-set dark comedy, inspired by a true story. Gilded Balloon Patter House (Downstairs), July 30-Aug 25 (not Aug 13), 5.30pm Bill Bailey: Thoughtifier The bearded wonder (and former Strictly champion) returns with more ingenious musical comedy and whimsical flights of fancy. Nobody makes intelligent nonsense look quite so effortless. Edinburgh Playhouse (Auditorium), Aug 23-24, 3pm/8pm Smack the Pony Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips – the creators of Channel 4's classic all-female sketch show – reunite after more than 20 years apart for this chummy in-conversation event hosted by Kirsty Wark. Gilded Balloon at the Museum (Auditorium), Aug 17-20, 2.45pm Margolyes and Dickens: More Best Bits After trotting through Dickens's best-loved characters in an acclaimed 2024 Fringe show, the mischievous, potty-mouthed character actress returns for an encore. Pleasance at EICC (Pentland Theatre), Aug 9-24 (not Aug 18, 21), 6pm Our pick: Comedy stars of tomorrow Already well-known among committed comedy fans, each of these acts is on the cusp of breaking through to the mainstream. This year might be your last chance to catch them in an intimate venue, so don't miss it. Ahir Shah: Work in Progress Shah has one of the sharpest minds in stand-up; even his half-written shows are better than most other people's finished work. The last time he brought a work-in-progress show to the Fringe, in 2023, it won the Edinburgh Comedy Award. Monkey Barrel Comedy (Monkey Barrel 3), Aug 14-24, 12pm Gianmarco Soresi: The Drama King Tour An Edinburgh debut for one of the most buzzed-about names in American stand-up, whose snappy crowd-work has won him a large following online – and ensured that his Fringe run sold out long in advance. Keep your fingers crossed for last-minute returns. Monkey Barrel Comedy (Monkey Barrel 3), Aug 18-24, 2.50pm Jacqueline Novak Ninety minutes of exquisitely written gags about sex, Novak's Netflix special Get on Your Knees ingeniously balanced low-brow filth with high-brow literary flourishes. Hopes are high for this New Yorker's follow-up hour of stand-up. Monkey Barrel Comedy (Monkey Barrel 4), July 30-Aug 23 (not Aug 12,19), 5pm Lorna Rose Treen: 24 Hour Diner People Treen is fun on the radio (as creator/star of Woman's Hour spoof Time of the Week) but far better on stage; her previous Fringe show was a masterclass in sketch comedy, with shades of French and Saunders. Pleasance Courtyard (Beneath), July 30-Aug 24 (not Aug 12), 6.20pm Jazz Emu: The Pleasure Is All Yours The funniest musical comedy act in the country, preening pop star Jazz Emu is the wonderfully odd alter-ego of character comic Archie Henderson. He returns with more of his smoother-than-smooth funk-pop. Pleasance Dome (Queen Dome), July 30-Aug 24 (not Aug 12), 9.50pm Our picks: Guaranteed Gold A number of shows The Telegraph has recommended in the past are returning to this year's Fringe for a victory lap. I've seen each of these myself, and would pay to watch any of them again in a heartbeat. How to Win Against History This exceedingly witty little musical biography of Henry Cyril Paget, the eccentric Marquess of Anglesey, makes a welcome return to the Fringe, where it was a word-of-mouth hit nine years ago. Underbelly George Square (Udderbelly), July 30-Aug 24 (not Aug 4, 11, 18), 7.15pm Julia Masli: ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Trained at École Philippe Gaulier (the fearsome French clown school where Sacha Baron Cohen learnt his tricks), Julia Masli is a mercurial comic talent. In this brilliant, semi-improvised show she tries her best to solve the problems of every person in the room, one at a time. It's a magical experience – although perhaps not for people who are terrified of audience interaction. Pleasance Dome (Queen Dome), Aug 11-24, 11.15pm Trygve Wakenshaw and Barney Duncan: Different Party The drudgery of office work is given a surreal spin in this inventive hour of physical comedy from two of New Zealand's top alternative comedians. At the 2017 Fringe, it had me doubled-over with laughter. The pair are also staging a new show, Hot Chips, which they describe as 'verbose mime'. Assembly George Square Studios (Studio Two), July 30-Aug 17, (not Aug 6, 11), 5.10pm A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson Or God: Whoever Reads This First Xhloe and Natasha – the Fringe's most dynamic theatrical duo – revive their beautifully choreographed 2023 play about childhood and the Vietnam war, in rep with their two previous award-winning two-handers about American archetypes: What if They Ate the Baby, a Lynchian nightmare about 1950s housewives; and And Then The Rodeo Burnt Down, an early-Stoppard-ish, fourth-wall-breaking fable about rodeo clowns. The Space @ Niddry St (Upper Theatre), Aug 2-3, 5-6, 8-9, 12-13, 15-16, 19-20, 22-23, various times Elf Lyons: The Bird Trilogy The mercurial comic – whose work ranges from stand-up to clowning – revives three shows: her breakthrough ballet spoof Swan, her cabaret-lecture on economics Chiffchaff; and Raven, a Stephen King tribute which earned her five stars from The Telegraph. Pleasance Dome (King Dome), Aug 12-25, 8pm Our pick: The Future of Theatre Edinburgh has always been the place to go for new writing. In 1966, audiences who took a chance on the first play by a twenty-something writer discovered the genius of Tom Stoppard; his Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead premiered here. These new plays all look more than worth a punt. Aether A 'disillusioned illusionist' and a physicist hunting for dark matter get mixed up with a murdered mathematician, in the intriguing-sounding second show from TheatreGoose, the company that made a memorable Fringe debut in 2023 with gripping jungle-survival story Her Green Hell. Summerhall (Anatomy Lecture Theatre), July 31-Aug 25 (not Aug 11, 18), 7.15pm Ohio A musician grapples with faith, hope and hearing loss in this piece of autobiographical gig-theatre by award-winning folk duo (and married couple) The Bengsons, from the producers of Baby Reindeer and Fleabag. Assembly Roxy (Upstairs), July 30-Aug 24 (not Aug 11, 18), 3pm Ordinary Decent Criminal Comedian Mark Thomas made an impressive swerve into serious acting at the Fringe with England & Son in 2023. He reunites with its writer, Ed Edwards, for a new prison drama set in the aftermath of the 1990 Strangeways Riot. Summerhall (TechCube 0), July 31-Aug 25 (not Aug 5, 12, 18), 11.50am Monstering the Rocketman by Henry Naylor Elton John's feud with the tabloids is given what sounds like a darkly satirical treatment in this new play from comedian and author Naylor, following his acclaimed Afghanistan Isn't Funny (2023). Pleasance Dome (Ace Dome), July 30-Aug 24, 4.10pm Philosophy of the World The bizarre true story of the Shaggs – three musically challenged girls who were forced to form a 1960s rock band by their father, in order to 'fulfil a prophecy' – looks set to be given a fittingly odd treatment by anarchic theatre troupe In Bed With My Brother. Summerhall (Red Lecture Theatre), July 31-Aug 25 (not Aug 11, 18), 10.45pm Our pick: Only at the Fringe… The Fringe isn't just about discovering the stars of the future; it's also about the bonkers 'happenings' that would never be staged anywhere else. I've had some of the strangest experiences of my life at this festival. I've sat in a cinema at 3am watching a man eat a medically inadvisable amount of cheese. I've been to the infamous gorilla show (or, to give it its full, Ronseal-esque title, A Young Man Dressed as a Gorilla Dressed as an Old Man Sits Rocking in a Rocking-Chair for Fifty-Six Minutes Then Leaves), a cult hit now in its 16th year. Out of the shows below, I have seen and can sincerely recommend Mythos and The Gummy Bears' Great War. As for the others, well, I'm just glad to know they exist. Mythos: Ragnarök The entire canon of Norse Mythology – from the creation of the universe to the world-ending battle of the Gods – is reimagined as a series of chest-thumping, ring-shaking, WWE-style slam downs by a troupe of pro wrestlers. Must be seen to be believed. Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows (The Lafayette), Aug 1-23 (not Aug 11, 18), 8.40pm Attila the Stockbroker's Early Music Show If you were a young punk who now prefers a bit of Purcell at the Proms, you'll probably enjoy this unlikely lecture on musicianship, from the middle ages to the Renaissance, delivered by a punk poet who found a fanbase alongside the likes of John Cooper Clarke in the 1980s. Expect to hear a demonstration of the dulcet tones of the crumhorn, the rauschpfeife and the sausage bassoon. St Cecilia's Hall (Concert Room), Aug 12 & 22, 2pm The Gummy Bears' Great War A bite-sized 30-minute satire on the madness of war, performed by edible ursine confections on a tabletop, and set to the heart-soaring strains of Tchaikovsky. In Italian, with subtitles and plastic dinosaurs. It left me equally charmed and confused. Zoo Playground (Playground 3), Aug 1-24 (not Aug 13), 3pm Up Your Ass A curio for art-history fans. We remember that Valerie Solanas shot Andy Warhol, but we forget the source of her grudge against him: he refused to produce her avant-garde play 'Up Your Ass', a shockingly filthy comedy about prostitution. The script was lost for decades, then rediscovered in 1999, and now finally makes its UK premiere. It's being staged at brunch-time, and possibly best seen on an empty stomach. Zoo Southside (Main House), Aug 12-24 (not Aug 18), 11:30am Robot Vacuum Fight Club Love Robot Wars? Hate Roombas? This is the show for you. Off-brand motorised vacuum cleaners are hot-wired and rebuilt as Mad Max-style murder-vehicles, forced to battle each other for the amusement of a baying crowd. When the AI revolution arrives, ChatGPT will surely cite this show as a justification for wiping us out. Outhouse Bar (The Loft), Aug 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 8pm
BBC News
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Arts festival to return to Derby city centre after pause
An arts festival in Derby is set to return in September after being cancelled in 2024 due to rising Feste sees dance, theatre, circus, parkour and aerial performances take place in the city free outdoor event will return on Saturday 27 September, featuring performances by local artists including Derby-based Maison Foo and Hubbub Theatre. Leader of Derby City Council, Nadine Peatfield, said: "The event is a celebration of our city that highlights the passion, energy and commitment of the people of Derby and we all missed its dynamic presence last year." "It promises to be a day to remember," she City Council said the event will include family-friendly performances and will be accessible to deaf audiences and those who do not use English as a first event has received project grant support from Arts Council England National Lottery funding, and is delivered in partnership with FABRIC, the Midlands strategic dance development organisation, with additional support from Derby Museums and Knott, Midlands area director at Arts Council England, said: "We're delighted to be supporting Derby Festé 2025 with £47,000 of National Lottery Project Grants funding, and look forward to welcoming this much-loved event back to the city."Festé always brings a sense of excitement and exhilaration to Derby, as the community comes together to celebrate arts and culture. We're already looking forward to this autumn's edition of the festival."
Irish Times
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Forest Fest 2025: Daily line-ups, stage times, ticket information, weather and more
Forest Fest , a boutique independent music and arts festival, returns to the village of Emo in Co Laois this weekend for its third year. The event was established in 2022 by solicitor and indie-rock fan, Philip Meagher, when he envisaged a festival primarily targeted towards a more mature audience. The three-day festival has several music stages, a funfair with rides for all ages, circus shows, workshops, various art installations and a host of street entertainers. With about 20,000 people expected to attend the festival, a bit of planning can do no harm. Here is everything you need to know. READ MORE When and where is it on? The festival runs from Friday to Sunday in the village of Emo, Co Laois. Early entry for campers is available on Thursday. Are there any tickets left? At the time of writing, whole weekend, individual day admissions and camping tickets were still available. These can be purchased through the Forest Fest website . Buy tickets from accredited sources only and add yours to your phone's wallet before you leave home to keep it handy. Who is performing and when? Festivalgoers are spoiled for choice with a variety of acts scheduled to perform over the weekend. Headliners for this year include Franz Ferdinand , Manic Street Preachers , Orbital and The Stranglers . A host of Irish music acts are lined up across the other stages, including Pillow Queens , Ryan Sheridan, Dylan Flynn & The Dead Poets and Motionsickness. A number of tribute bands will feature too if you fancy a sing-a-long, with Live Forever Oasis, Qween, Daft Punk Tribute and The Complete Stone Roses all set to play. Check out the full line-up below. Friday, July 25th Franz Ferdinand's angular guitar music still wows crowds Main Stage Something Happens – 5pm-6pm Tom Meighan – 6.40pm-7.40pm Franz Ferdinand – 8.20pm-9.50pm The Dandy Warhols – 10.30pm-11.30pm Live Forever Oasis – midnight-1am The Village Stage Harvest – 5.30pm-6.30pm Cry Before Dawn – 7pm-8pm The 4 of Us – 8.30pm-9.30pm The Farm – 10pm-11pm Alabama 3 – 11.30pm-12.45am Daft Punk Tribute – 1am-2am The Perfect Day Stage The Jury – 4.40pm-5.25pm Shark School – 5.45pm-6.30pm The Jobseekerz – 6.50pm-7.35pm Intercom Heights – 7.55pm-8.40pm Seattle Grunge Experience – 9pm-9.45pm The Luna Boys – 10.05pm-10.50pm Risky Business – 11.10pm-11.55pm The Deadlians – 12.15am-1am Thin As Lizzy – 01.15am-2am Fleadh Stage Madra Salach – 4.20pm-5pm Meadhbh Hayes – 5.20pm-6pm Alltacht – 6.20pm-7.10pm CUA – 7.30pm-8.20pm Laura Jo – 8.40pm-9.30pm Moxie – 9.50pm-10.40pm Stocktons Wing – 11pm-midnight Ibiza Stage Lauren (Saxophone) – 4pm-2am Danny Kay Ibiza – 4pm-5pm Alan Professor – 5pm-6pm Gee Moore – 6pm-8pm Terry Farley – 8pm-10pm X-EXPRESS-2 – 10pm-midnight Gee Moore – midnight-2am Saturday, July 26th Sean Moore, Nicky Wire and James Dean Bradfield of the Manic Street Preachers. Photograph: Alex Lake Main Stage Thumper – 12.40pm-1.40pm Aoife Destruction & The Nilz – 2.20pm-2.50pm Therapy? – 3.20pm-4.20pm Peter Hook & The Light – 5pm-6pm The Stranglers – 6.40pm-7.40pm Kula Shaker – 8.20pm-9.20pm Manic Street Preachers – 10pm-11.30pm Orbital – 12.15am-1.45am The Village Stage Dylan Flynn and The Dead Poets – 12.15pm-1pm The Coathanger Solution – 1.20pm-2.05pm These Charming Men – 2.30pm-3.30pm Dirty Blonde – 4pm-5pm Coach Party – 5.30pm-6.30pm Pillow Queens – 7pm-8pm Kerbdog – 8.30pm-9.30pm Reef – 10pm-11pm Teenage Fanclub – 11.30pm-12.40am The Riptide Movement – 1am-2am The Perfect Day Stage Houston Death Ray – 12.20pm-1.05pm Southern Freud – 1.25pm-2.10pm The Magic Mod – 2.30pm-3pm Kiera Dignam – 3.20pm-4.05pm Dopamine – 4.25pm-5.05pm Fake Friends – 5.25pm-6.05pm The Classic Beatles – 6.25pm-7.25pm Apollo Junction – 7.45pm-8.25pm The Manatees – 8.45pm-9.30pm Dutch Criminal Record – 9.50pm-10.35pm Post-Party – 10.55pm-11.40pm Walk The Line – midnight-1.30am Fleadh Stage Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra – noon-12.45pm Chris Comhaill – 1.15pm-2pm Cormac Looby – 2.15pm-3pm The Oars – 3.15pm-4pm Kevin Coniff and The Dublin Trio – 4.15pm-5pm Buille – 5.15pm-6pm Eric De Buitléir – 6.15pm-7pm Mary Coughlan – 7.30pm-8.30pm The Sharon Shannon Trio – 9pm-10pm Beoga – 10.30pm-11.30pm KAN – midnight-1am VIP Stage The Magic Mud – 7pm-7.30pm The Legendary Drama Kings – 7.45pm-8.30pm Ibiza Stage Lauren (Saxophone) – noon-2am David H (Percussion) – noon-2am Danny Kay Ibiza – noon-1pm Nick Coles (Live Keys Hybrid Set) – 1pm-2pm Alan Prosser (12 Inch Thumpers) – 2pm-3pm Gee Moore – 3pm-5pm Mr C – 5pm-7pm Gee Moore – 7pm-9pm Jam El Mar (Jar and Spoon Classics) – 9pm-11pm DJ Pippi – 11pm-1am Gee Moore – 1am-2am Sunday, July 27th Main Stage Travis. Photograph: Steve Gullick Rattle and Hum – noon-1pm Nick Lowe – 1.30pm-2.30pm Bad Manners – 3.10pm-4.10pm Jack L – 4.50pm-5.50pm Tony Hadley – 6.30pm-7.50pm Travis – 8.30pm-10pm Qween – 11pm-midnight The Village Stage Ryan Sheridan – 12.15pm-1.05pm Paddy Casey – 1.35pm-2.25pm B–ngo Loco – 2.55pm-4.25pm Andrew Strong – 4.55pm-5.45pm Robert Finley – 6.15pm-7.15pm Hermitage Green – 7.45pm-8.45pm Billy Bragg – 9.15pm-10.30pm The Magic Numbers – 11pm-midnight The Perfect Day Stage MOA – 12.15pm-12.45pm Fizzy Orange – 1.05pm-1.45pm Thanks Mom – 2.05pm-2.45pm Strength in Numbers – 3.05pm-3.45pm Basht – 4.05pm-4.45pm Glasshouse Performs: The Velvet Underground – 5.05pm-5.50pm The Youth Play – 6.10pm-6.55pm Motionsickness – 7.15pm-8pm Pogueology – 8.20pm-9.05pm Grooveline – 9.25pm-10.10pm Sack – 10.30pm-11.20pm The Drive – 11.40pm-12.20am Fleadh Stage Set Dancing W Maureen Culleton & Irish Dancing from Scoil Rince Ni Anglais – noon-12.40pm Eva Coyle and Band – 1pm-2pm Sean Lyons and Eva Carroll – 2.30pm-3.15pm Frankie Gavin and De Dannan – 3.45pm-4.45pm Buioch – 5pm-5.45pm Niall McCabe – 6pm-7pm Freddie White – 7.30pm-8.30pm Hunger of the Skin: Brian Finnegan – 9pm-10pm The Complete Stone Roses – 10.20pm-11.30pm Ibiza Stage David H (Percussion) – noon-midnight Danny Kay Ibiza – noon-1pm Alan Prosser (12 Inch Thumpers) – 1pm-3pm DJ Sean – 3pm-3.40pm Nick Coles (Live Keys Hybrid Set) – 3.40pm-4.40pm Lange and The Morrighan – 4.40pm-6pm Gee Moore – 6pm-7pm Mr C (The Shamen) DJ Set and Live PA with David H – 7pm-10pm Gee Moore – 10pm-midnight What else is there to see and do? Apart from live music, Forest Fest has a variety of experiences on offer. Festivalgoers will have access to a drop-in circus workshop for children, a replica archeological dig site, food vendors offering cuisines from around the world, stands selling crafted goods and other items and shows by street performers. There will also be art installations from global artists. What time should I arrive? Early access for those camping and glamping will open on Thursday at 2pm. General camping opens at noon on Friday. For Friday day ticket holders the gates will open at 4pm. For Saturday and Sunday ticket holders the gates will open at noon. The festival arena will remain open until 1am each night. How do I get there? As with many festivals held in remote rural locations, it takes some planning to get there. By bus: Day return buses to Forest Fest will run from Dublin, Tullamore (via Geashill), Mountmellick/Portarlington, Kilkenny (via Carlow, Athy and Stradbally), Portlaoise and Cashel (via Horse and Jockey, Thurles, Urlingford, Cullahill, Durrow, Abbeyleix). You can buy a ticket on any of these day return buses from Forest Fest's website . By car: Forest Fest is easily accessible by car as it is only 5km away from the M7. Take Exit 15 and then follow signs for Emo and Mountmellick. There will be a free car park for all patrons of the festival. The walk from the car park to the venue is approximately 15-20 minutes. The organisers have said that there will be a shuttle bus from the car park to the venue available for patrons with mobility or accessibility needs. By train: There are regular hourly train services to Portlaoise and Portarlington railway stations and the festival will be served by local taxi and shuttle bus services. What if I'm camping? Unlike other festivals there does not seem to be an option to rent or buy your camping gear for the weekend, so it is best to come prepared. If you fancy paying more for accommodation you can book to glamp instead of camp and sleep in one of their pre-pitched tents. You can book them here . Toilets are dotted around the festival grounds and the campsite has a number of hot shower blocks. There will also be a designated concrete cooking area at the top of the campsite. This is the only area where stoves are permitted and the festival has a total ban on disposable barbecues. There will be a regular shuttle bus service for all campers to and from the campsite to the festival gate and all general amenities. What's security like? Forest Fest is open to people of all ages and all bags, cars and items are subject to search upon entry. There will be 24/7 security at the festival arena and campsite. Strictly no liquids are allowed into the festival arena, alcohol and other liquids will be confiscated or disposed of at the gate. The organisers have a list online of all items that will be confiscated if found and have said that gardaí will be notified about any illegal items and you may be removed from the festival as a result. Anything else? There will be spaces available to store medications which require refrigeration and there will also be free drinking water available on site, so make sure to bring a reusable bottle There will be phone charging points around the festival site and in the Glamping and VIP areas. How is the weather looking? It is forecast to be a cloudy start to Friday with scattered showers. As the day goes on these showers are expected to become more isolated with sunny spells developing. Highest temperatures of 16-20 degrees with moderate, occasionally fresh, westerly winds. There will be a good deal of dry weather on Saturday with sunny spells and showers. There is a chance of more persistent rain on Sunday, Met Éireann has said.
Irish Times
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Sabotage review: Joyously chaotic festival opener has all the fun of the circus
Sabotage Galway International Arts Festival, Nimmo's pier, Claddagh Quay ★★★★☆ The central, delightful contradiction in NoFit State's show is that the aesthetic is raggle-taggle, harum-scarum, scatty, chaotic, anarchic travelling circus, but the reality is that this is a very highly-skilled troupe, performing with precision and perfect timing. And with a lot of heart and fun to boot. The Cardiff-based company of international performers arrive in town with their tent seating 700 in the round, plus snack-bar tent and living quarters, so there's a real sense of circus about proceedings as audiences rock up. This is the opening spectacular for the city's arts festival and it sets a joyous, awe-inspiring tone, triumphing over the temporary November-like conditions outside. Action starts well before showtime, as assorted players gather their wits and their bits about them and engage the audience. The mayor's gold chain in the audience seems like a magnet for several performers, who involve him in 'help' or card tricks. A soldier with a wilting bunch of flowers and a plaintive air waiting for his amour, a tall muscular man with false eyebrows, a frock and lots of charm, a woman with a basket of wigs – all are getting into gear, setting the mood for stage business and busyness. The shambolic vibe is deceptive; this is far from chaotic. It is technically adept in both stagecraft and performance skills. READ MORE Thus it bursts forth, starting with a virtuoso spin by a little person in shades, cool and sexy, all hip swivels and acrobatics using small crutches. Aerial is almost ubiquitous these days, but this is a wow: suspended by long hair, or enfolded in giant skirts composed of multiple smaller ones, or draped languorously over a trapeze, using arms only for action. There is rarely only one thing going on: as well as aerial, your eye is drawn to multiple actions or tableaux simultaneously below. It's hard to keep track, but there are perhaps 13 or 14 performers onstage plus about six musicians in the excellent band; the live original music is intrinsic, mixing rock, folk, Celtic and poppy sounds. They're all multitasking, moving from the heavens to playing in the band, to shimmying up and down towers of the impressive rig, swarming the ground prone on skateboards, performing on the huge circle truss as it moves down from the tent roof or bombing through the action on roller-skates. There is no let-up. All the skills of new circus are on display, with various twists. Tightrope dancing, or more like flopping-bouncing about on the rope; fine hoopwork; juggling from a pit in the ground. Twirling, grace, and anarchic, silly pratfalls. There are calmer interludes too. A trio of widows in black holding bunches of flowers enter with dignity, explode in a moment of wild dancing, then move on. The big guy and the little guy traverse the stage in long black dresses and have a moment of interdependent balance – on giant platform shoes. [ As Galway's arts festival opens, the city's long-expected cultural space inches slowly towards planning this year Opens in new window ] NoFit State was founded in 1986, 'a politically charged time, in a recession, and as a creative reaction to the world around them'. The title Sabotage seems a loose concept, tying together visuals evoking war, conflict, exclusion, protest, riots. An illuminated ambulance beetles about. An oblong shape morphs, via changing projections, from army tank to bus to shipping container. It's imagistic rather than narrative. While thematically it's vaguely dark and evocative of our disturbing world, there's also a whole lot of humour and jollity, a sense of community and connection, and the show is exhilarating, breathtaking, infectious and hugely entertaining, rather than ponderous. A gorgeous, chaotic, playful, joyous, accomplished start to a festive fortnight. Until July 27th at 8pm plus several matinees.
Irish Times
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
As Galway's arts festival opens, the city's long-expected cultural space inches slowly towards planning this year
Galway International Arts Festival artistic director Paul Fahy described the city's arts infrastructure as 'an embarrassment', as this year's two-week-long festival opened, throwing into sharp relief the poverty of arts venues in a city with a reputation for artistic excellence. Plans announced more than four years ago for a long-awaited civic arts space on an An Post city centre site, have inched forward slowly. An Post is 'working through legalities with a preferred bidder', head of corporate communications Anna McHugh confirmed this week. 'We know how much everyone wants to see this development get under way.' In March 2021 An Post tendered to redevelop a large brownfield site, including a former telephone exchange, sorting and storage offices behind Galway's existing GPO. It involved refurbishing the post office, creating a civic cultural space, plus retail and commercial units. READ MORE Since 2019 An Post has generously allowed the festival to use the 640sq m former telephone exchange as a gallery, tucked behind the GPO, a city centre 'secret space' accessed via William Street. From the start, Mr Fahy says An Post has been 'hugely supportive', both locally and at head office. The festival's two main city-centre visual arts venues have been in temporary, borrowed buildings for several years. A partnership with University of Galway has been key, with its venues on campus expected to host 54,000 at performances, exhibitions and talks this fortnight. But Fahy has said it's 'nothing short of shocking' that the city hasn't created a permanent performance and gallery space in nearly 50 years. The planned cultural space at the GPO is 'one of several elements in a complex development project involving significant construction and refurbishment', said Ms McHugh. Originally it expected construction to be well advanced by now, but 'third-party matters and technicalities' impacted the timeline, 'frustrating for everyone'. The project is expected 'to progress to the planning stage by Q4 of this year'. An Post again loaned the festival the space for a temporary gallery for its large-scale site-specific and provocative installation. This is Burning Down the House, built within the space by artist David Mach and the festival team: a life-size stone cottage with flames bursting out the windows. The festival's wider visual arts programme focuses on the climate crisis, environmental degradation, and human relationships with nature and each other. Opening the exhibitions, Mr Fahy pointed out how 'dreadfully inadequate Galway is in terms of cultural infrastructure'. The multidisciplinary festival, a significant magnet for artists and visitors, has a line-up of theatre, circus, dance and opera. This year it has introduced several accessibility initiatives, and is also running a climate transition laboratory as part of a European project researching carbon footprints at large-scale events. [ Galway Film Fleadh 2025: The big winners at the hottest festival in memory, including Gerry Adams basking in adulatory sunshine Opens in new window ] The festival's 50th anniversary is in 2027. 'The first festival in 1978 had a very small tent and a converted shop, and here we are 48 years later with two extraordinarily big tents and a converted building. So, some things don't change. And exciting as it is to respond to a space and make things work,' Fahy says, gesturing to the imposing Mach installation, 'and that thrill will never go away, but it is an embarrassment' that the city lacks venue and gallery space, he says, to applause and cheers of agreement. Catherine Connolly TD, who will declare for the presidential election this week, has said progress on the project was 'unacceptably slow', and that the new civic space would be 'transformational' for Galway. The tents Mr Fahy mentioned are the large blue big top, now a festival staple on the city's skyline, hosting gigs for 3,000 standing, or 1,800 seated. This year a mini village has sprung up around Nimmo's Pier at the Claddagh, where international acrobatic and circus company NoFit State has pitched its own 700-seater bell-shaped performance tent, alongside several accommodation trucks for performers and crew, and a bar-café for audiences, for Sabotage , a spectacular show with live music. The festival's skilled team first transformed the former telephone exchange, unused for 30 years, from dereliction into a gallery in 2019, costing the publicly funded festival more than €50,000. The large-scale sculptures and installations there since have consistently attracted huge audiences. Ms McHugh said An Post remains 'fully committed to a world-class development of this very special site'.
