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Comedy, Science and Technology

A Cosmologist's Guide To Life and Love

A multi-media mash up of comedy, cosmology and chat. Dr Julian Mayers asks if studying the cosmos gives us any useful insight into life, death and all those awkward moments in between on Earth? Down to earth, accessible, funny and ultimately uplifting, he explores: parallel universes, how far you have to travel to find yourself in an infinite universe, how you can time-travel, why a physicist should speak at your funeral and does love exist out there in the cosmos. Laugh, cry and go 'ooh that’s interesting.' Sold out in 2024.

Location The Royal Scots Club

subvenue The Hepburn Suite

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Experimental, Historical

A Meditation on Memory

A 45-minute visual, sound and spoken word meditation on the nature of place, experience and memory.

Location theSpace @ Niddry St

subvenue Studio

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Solo show, Artist(s) of Colour

ADEY

Having graduated from drama school in 2023, Bethlehem is now navigating one of the toughest industries by herself – but she's never truly alone. Living at home with her traditional Eritrean mother Tsehaynesh, Bethlehem doesn't know what privacy is! Being a stoic woman of culture, Tsehaynesh struggles to understand Bethlehem's career in the arts. To make matters worse, something drastic happens to Bethlehem, meaning she'll have to work harder than ever. ADEY is a heartfelt semi-autobiographical play which combines spoken word, music and movement to transport us from vibrant West Green Road, Tottenham to palm tree covered Asmara, Eritrea.

Location theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall

subvenue Theatre 1

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Traditional, Poetry

Address to a Haggis

(Fri 7-Sun 30 Aug) Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face... Where better to hear Robert Burns' famous poem Address to a Haggis than at The Haggis Box Café in the Scottish Storytelling Centre! Drop in to hear a different surprise performer each day deliver a rousing rendition of Burns' ode to the Great Chieftain o’ the Puddin-race. Traditional, vegan and vegetarian haggis, neeps and tatties will be available to purchase all day with gluten-free options available. Haggis for all!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe

subvenue Storytelling Court

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historical, true-life

Alice Hawkins – Working Class Suffragette

Great-grandson Peter Barratt with sister suffragette Ruth Pownall give a stirring and passionate account of working-class suffragette, Alice Hawkins, and her hard-fought campaign for the right to vote. Mother of six, lifelong socialist and shoe machinist by trade, Alice was arrested, imprisoned and almost forgotten, until now. As the UK approaches the centenary of working-class women gaining the vote, hear the suffragette history you were never taught and see her very own ‘Votes for Women’ sash, hunger strike medal, prison notes and more. Urgent, political and deeply human.**** (The Student Newspaper).

Location Paradise in The Vault

subvenue The Vault

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Spoken word, Contemporary, Discussion, In conversation, Verbatim, True-life

An Audience with Marvin Herbert

Hear the incredible real-life stories of Marvin, and others who have faced challenges and turned their lives around. Find out why a near-death experience led him to turn his back on his criminal past, and what motivated him to become the reformed person he is today. Now working as a crime-prevention activist, his motivational talks aim to reduce re-offending by inspiring youth and changing lives. With guest interviewees whose lives have involved challenge, change, change and transformation. Followed by a no-holds-barred Q&A. Presented by | Marvin Herbertfacebook.com/MrMarvinHerbertNew/ instagram.com/mrmarvinherbert/tiktok.com/@mrmarvinherbert

Location C ARTS | C venues | C aurora

subvenue studio

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Historical, Horror

Burke and Hare: Body Snatchers, Serial Killers, Ulstermen

Dark historian Andrew Johnston of Alternative Ulstours returns to the scene of the crime with his 2025 Fringe sell-out show. Scotland's notorious grave robbers William Burke and William Hare weren't Scottish and never robbed a grave, but the diabolical duo were arguably the first modern serial killers, half a century before Jack the Ripper. Dig in, as Andrew reclaims the Ulster-born ghouls for the north of Ireland in this informative and entertaining talk. Come back to the whisky-soaked, blood-stained slums of Georgian Edinburgh, where no body was safe from Burke and Hare!

Location Greenside @ Riddles Court

subvenue Pickle Studio

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Poetry, Storytelling

Echoes of Self

In Echoes of Self, Yzaura unearths ancestral memory through taste, touch and confession. Dulce de coco wrappers, simmering sofrito, a wounded record circling remorse. As she opens her lineage, something begins to stir in the room. Through food and grief, memory flickers. The mind strains to hold what time is trying to erase. Sound gathers like wind beneath the words, building breath into rhythm until poetry becomes invocation. What unfolds is a living act of remembrance, intimate, visceral and stirring long after the final echo fades.

Location Greenside @ Riddles Court

subvenue Pickle Studio

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Multimedia, Alternative Comedy

Elvis in Chaos

Hallucinatory PowerPoint raves on: Elvis' branching timelines, romance in the multiverse, the top five gods of all time, the politics of the Oreo cookie, the quantum physics of baseball pitching and how bagpipes caused the Black Death. A fire hose of images powering Michael Anderson’s ecstatic rants, a manic series of hilarious TED Talks that will overload your senses and rumple your mind! Michael Anderson is a two-time winner of the Festival of Bad Ad Hoc Hypotheses, performing at MIT and Imperial College London. All proceeds go to immigrant-defence networks in Boston, USA.

Location Greenside @ George Street

subvenue Lime Studio

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Spoken word, Educational, Literary, Talks and Discussions, Lecture, Historical, Masterclass

Hiding Behind the Mask: Jesters, Jokers, and Clowns

An intriguing, soul-searching masterclass into the personas of jesters, jokers, and clowns, through the lens of the theatrical mask. From Greek trickster gods to Japanese Noh Theatre, commedia dell’arte and opera to slapstick and cartoons, join Professor Rosemary George on a rollercoaster through the joys and sorrows, comedies and tragedies of life, which probes hidden identities in human behaviour.‘The professor’s range and extent of research is clearly apparent’ (EdinburghGuide.com).‘A densely packed piece of work which successfully steers a course between the jagged rocks of academic dryness and the coral reefs of mundanity' (EdinburghGuide.com).‘Brilliantly and eloquently written… Thoughtful… Extraordinarily well-researched’ (Audience Review, Edinburgh Fringe).‘Quite unique… Informative and fun’ (Audience Review, Edinburgh Fringe).‘A truly thoughtful, educational and enjoyable presentation of the deep symbolism in the masks that we as human beings are required to wear. Loved it’ (Crowd Pleasers Audience Review, Melbourne Fringe).‘Rosemary George offers a sophisticated examination of humanity’s innate desire to understand identity, how it allows us to express or hide the most authentic version of ourselves… George leaves no stone unturned in her search for hidden identities across all forms of media and performance’ (TheatreReview.org.nz)’'Lively… wide-ranging… George’s extensive research is apparent in the breadth of examples provided… Those with an interest in the history of opera and theatre will enjoy George’s lecture, particularly the innovative linkages she makes between mediums… Charming delivery… Excellent' (TheatreReview.org.nz).This is a masterclass in how we become what we are not, from the 'tears of a clown to the masks of traditional Japanese Noh. It considers the jester as the communicator of the soul... It both touches on many different forms and places where the mask appears.' (Lou Reviews)Created and Performed by | Rosemary Georgewww.rosemarygeorge.com Watch Trailer

Location C ARTS | C venues | C digital

subvenue portal – on demand

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storytelling, comedy

Life of Pie

Through live music, storytelling, and extra cheese, pizza blogger Sean Taylor shares his quest for home – one slice at a time. Raised in a nomadic Mormon military family, Sean found stability in one unexpected constant: pizza. He explores how this universal comfort food became a way to survive everything from culture shock to loneliness, eventually leading him to improv comedy and his creation of 31daysofpizza.com, the world’s longest-running pizza blog. Through humour and heart, audiences will see how this saucy obsession helped him create community, find love, and ultimately, a sense of belonging.

Location Paradise in The Vault

subvenue The Annexe

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Storytelling, True-life

Loft Clearance

Join Eileen as she rummages through a hundred years’ worth of possessions that have accumulated in her loft. It's like finding an old diary but in physical form. Collections, hoardings and family traits abound. What will she cling onto? What will she let go? But where will these pieces of her go to? Enjoy 50 minutes of light-hearted despair as the clearance unfolds.

Location theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall

subvenue Theatre 3

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Live Music, Poetry

Loud Poets

(Thu 13, Thu 20 & Thu 27 Aug) Loud Poets have been bringing the very best live poetry to the Fringe for over a decade. Their fist-thumping, pint-drinking, side-tickling, heart-wrenching fusion of spoken word and live music thrills poetry lovers and turns sceptics into fans. Catch the Loud Poets themselves – Katie Ailes, Mark Gallie and Kevin Mclean – with musical accompaniment from Jack Hinks and a different guest every show. 'Joyous smorgasbord of words' ★★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)'Funny, fierce and finely-tuned' ★★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk)'Astonishing range of spoken-word talent' ★★★★★ (BingeFringe.com)'The most reliably entertaining spoken word night at the Fringe' ★★★★ (TheWeeReview.com)★★★★★ (EdFringeReview.com)★★★★★ (EdinburghGuide.com) BSL interpreted Thu 27 Aug. Interpretation by Sarah Forrester.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Poetry

Poems for People Who Don't Like Poetry

Are you adverse to a verse? Do you find odes odious? This show is the antidote to anyone who thinks poetry is the highfalutin domain of sonnet wheedling PhDs. Sam Steele is closer to Dr Suess than a Doctor of Philosophy. Come and find out: If a Toucan Who can Can-can, can Can-can With a Crow, and hear about Sam Mourning in Moorning, with Noon at Twilight. Can't do DIY? Hate IT? So does Sam – he'll tell you why and you won't even care it rhymes.

Location Greenside @ George Street

subvenue Sprout Studio

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Storytelling, LGBTQ+

Queer Folks' Tales

(Wed 12, Wed 19 & Wed 26 Aug) The 5-star, award-winning hit LGBTQ+ storytelling show returns for its fourth Fringe; camper, fruitier and queerer than ever! Host Turan Ali takes time out from his BBC shows to scour the Fringe for the best queer talent, creating a diverse line-up of artists to share hilarious, surprising, sobering tales, songs and epic poems. Expect jaw-dropping insights into LGBTQ+ lives past, present and future. 'Edinburgh's most vibrant, authentic and exciting storytelling event' ★★★★★ (TheWeeReview.com)'Utterly fabulous' ★★★★★ (TheQR.co.uk)★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com)'[A] rich fruitcake of an evening' Must See Show 2025 (FringeReview.co.uk)'Triumphant' ★★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Spoken Word, Talk

ScotlandsFest: A Scottish Football Odyssey

Archie Macpherson has been writing and broadcasting about the beautiful game for 60 years. From triumphalism to downright despondency, from the 16mm film pictures of the sixties to the digital age, Scotland’s premier football commentator has seen and felt it all. In today’s disfiguring financial landscape, Scottish football faces unprecedented challenges. Is our appreciation of the game cheapened by increased access via technology? What does the future hold for Scottish football? If anyone knows, Macpherson does.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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New Writing, Poetry

ScotlandsFest: A Wee Bit Zen - When Less Is More

Join Alan Spence – former Edinburgh Makar and author of the cult-classic Glasgow Zen and upcoming sequel A Wee Bit Zen – for conversation and short-form poetry from a trickster with words and a mesmerising performer of his own work. Haiku, found poems, sound poems, text poems, puns, one-liners, overheard word-on-the-street poems, everyday zen, timeless poems of the here and now – poignant, insightful and laugh-out-loud funny. 'Spence is a calm and necessary visionary' (Ali Smith). 'Poetry with the gloves off' (Liz Lochhead).

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Historical, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Ancient Voices, Living Landscape - Scotland’s Geomythography

Join Stuart McHardy, author of Scotland’s Geomythography, and look at ancient Scotland through new eyes. Through a lifetime of research as a musician and storyteller, combined with decades of teaching, McHardy has forged a new approach to understanding Scotland's past. Combining archaeology and history with place-name and landscape analysis, and drawing information from oral tradition, he has found evidence to reveal how our ancient forebears understood their world. Behind modern beliefs and assumptions lies a network of local and national cultural treasure that has much to teach us in our ever-changing world.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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In Conversation, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Art Without Borders - Demarco’s Europe

‘There is no such thing as Scottish art, only art in Scotland which is part of a European tradition’ says Richard Demarco CBE, who has been to every Edinburgh Festival since its inception in 1947. The festival's origins are firmly rooted in an international outlook, one that Demarco, a cultural pilgrim, continues to embody. Demarco’s Europe, the third of a trilogy written in collaboration with Edinburgh-based journalist Roddy Martine, is dedicated to the importance of Scotland’s ongoing cultural engagement with continental Europe. With existential threats all around, can art provide a healing balm?

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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In Conversation, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Between the Stones: Scotland Through Outlander

Outlander has generated global interest in the history, languages and landscapes of Scotland. From the tragedy of Culloden, to American Independence and early Scottish interaction with indigenous peoples in North America, and, more problematically, the Atlantic slave trade, the books and TV series have mapped out Scotland's contribution to world history. Outlander has been crucial for tourism and heritage. Its themes have captured the imagination of a global audience. Join the editors of Outlander and Scotland to find out what this time-travelling series can teach us about Scottish history and Scotland today?

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Music, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Brave New Music - The Martyn Bennett Story

Martyn Bennett was an artist ahead of his time. Piper, violinist, composer, producer, DJ – his radical blend of tradition and technology created an audacious new sound that was uniquely his own. Gary West, Bennett's biographer and author of Brave New Music, and BJ Stewart, the musician’s official photographer and close friend, uncover his enduring legacy, the intersection of folk, classical and electronic music, place and nature as musical inspiration: from mountains and mosh pits.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk

ScotlandsFest: Choose Life Choose Leith - Trainspotting on Location

Set firmly in unglamorous 1980s Leith, Trainspotting has burst through stage, film and musical genres, dodging the forces of orthodoxy and censorship. But is it just scurrilous punk, junk, transgressional entertainment that got lucky? Bell reveals how this hard-to-read and on-location book tells truths that need to be told. And how it's everyone's business. Author of 'Choose Life, Choose Leith' and living in Leith since 1980, he brings street-level wisdom, erudite research and a good dash of humour to the Trainspotting phenomenon. 'Great study from a serious Trainspotting scholar' (Irvine Welsh).

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk, Political

ScotlandsFest: Donald Dewar - An Incomplete Legacy?

Donald Dewar, Scotland's inaugural First Minister, battled long and hard to establish the Scottish Parliament. Yet, despite the vision proclaimed at its opening in July 1999, the Parliament has become mired in constitutional wrangling. Where has it all gone wrong and who is to blame? The media, for inflating unrealistic expectations? Dewar, for failing to outline a new vision for Scotland? Or the Labour Party, for underestimating the rise of the SNP? Mark Peel, Dewar’s biographer, charts the fluctuating fortunes of his career and assesses the impact of his premature death.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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New Writing, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Farmyard Follies

Mathematical sheep? Navigating dogs? Architectural pigs? If you go down to the farm today you’re in for a big surprise! Helen Percy, the Highland Shepherdess, will delight all nature and animal lovers with her books Skirly Crag and Whistlebare. The creatures that share her kitchen – wild or tame, house trained or destructive – will steal your heart. But be prepared to cry as well as to laugh. She brought her dog, her duck, and her horse to the launch of Skirly Crag in 2025, so put on your wellies and come along to the farmyard!

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Historical, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Fortunes from Flesh - Scotland and Slavery

Henry Dundas, James Gillespie, George Watson. Scots made fortunes transporting so many people into slavery. So why do we still distance ourselves from this truth? For generations, the Scots prospered by using their human property to fund fabulous country homes, invest in ship building, iron smelting and coal mining. They ran a vicious propaganda campaign to protect the practice. But Scotland’s role in the slave trade remains a taboo. Join Kate Phillips, author of Bought and Sold: Scotland, Jamaica and Slavery, as she uncovers Scotland's dark past.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Dance, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Heel for Heel - Scottish Dance Fever

What is it about Scottish dancing that gets people the world over in such a spin? The catchy music? The colourful gear? The fun of formations like teapots and helicopters? In Heel for Heel, writer and reeler Cindy Gray celebrates the enduring legacy of all the genres, from the ancient Highland Fling to its successors: including Scottish Country Dancing, Step Dance and ceilidhs. Her book radiates with the energy and enthusiasm of dancers going Heel for Heel, like the guests at Mairi’s Wedding. Expect fancy footwork and dynamic photos!

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Historical, Talk

ScotlandsFest: In Search of Scottish Architecture

Join Roger Emmerson, author of Land of Stone and Scotland in 100 Buildings, as he invites you into his 40-year search for the Scottishness of Scottish architecture. It begins before Scotland was Scotland. Before architecture was architecture. Between the mountain and the sky. Between the land and the river. An antinomy, an antisyzygy, a parallax. Tracing a path from Celtic culture, through Scots colloquialisms, to the ideas of Kant, Thomson, Gregory Smith and Žižek: Emmerson has uncovered some answers. But the search continues...

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk

ScotlandsFest: Iona with Love

Artists have long appreciated Iona's natural beauty, its exquisite colours and the quality of its ever-changing light. Photographer, writer and longtime visitor to Iona, join Barbara Sellars, author of Iona with Love as she shares her own passion for this place and her sensory experiences of the island's varied moods and details – from sunshine to storm, coast to hinterland, jewel-like pebbles to flowering machair and from the colours of dawn to the last of the light on the sand. Enjoy a rich and evocative expression of this island's intrinsic loveliness.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Spoken Word, Poetry

ScotlandsFest: No Scotland No Party!

Submarines, tunnels, train rides and a new pair of false teeth! Nothing is off-limits as one woman crosses borders en route to the World Cup – or at least to the nearest pub with a big screen! With a showcase of the poems from her collections – Love Goes North and a brand new World Cup edition of the celebrated We Are Scottish Football – there will be tears, humour, despair, goals and celebration, all shoehorned into a lively hour of poetic mastery. Hold onto your sporrans, you’re not going to want to miss this!

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk, Storytelling

ScotlandsFest: Northern Spirits, Restless Hearts

Join Janis Mackay, author of On a Northern Shore, in the fertile place where ancient Scottish folklore and new feisty fiction meet – where love is hampered by ghosts and the restless surge of the sea is always in hearing. A love story, steeped in Celtic folklore and set in the windswept coastal shores of the far north of Scotland, On a Northern Shore takes you right there: where the gull’s lonely cry and the seal’s song can tear your heart. Beautifully written. Unputdownable. Atmospheric and intriguing.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Historical, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Scotland’s Darkest Past

Join Mary Craig, author of Agnes Finnie, and step beyond the myths into a chilling world where whispers became accusations and accusations became death sentences. Uncover the terrifying reality of Scotland’s witch hunts, where zealous churchmen and unforgiving courts turned fear into deadly power. Hear the true stories: neighbours betraying neighbours, confessions forced in the shadows, and lives destroyed in the name of belief. This is history at its most brutal. Feel the tension. Question the justice. Confront the fear. This event will leave you questioning, would you have survived?

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Historical, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Talking Two Millennia (of Scotland’s History)

How distinctive is Scotland’s history from that of other countries? What was happening in Europe when the Scots won at Bannockburn, or in Russia when Mary, Queen of Scots lost her head? When St Columba was in Iona, what was Muhammad doing in the Arabian desert? From Columba to Robert the Bruce, John Knox to Nicola Sturgeon – join Anna Groundwater, author of Connecting Scotland's History to hear 2,000 years of Scottish history located within the global.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk, Storytelling

ScotlandsFest: Tea and Tales

Join Gerda Stevenson, author of Cat Wumman: Tales o Nine Lives, as she mesmerises with her contemporary retellings of folk tales from Scotland, Japan, the Mississippi swamps and Inuit tribes, blending storytelling and song – over tea and coffee. 'In Stevenson’s hands, her beautifully crafted and wonderfully speakable Scots seems like a language reborn to meet the deep civilisational challenge of our time... a book of mighty and magical stories simply and superbly told, that marks its author out as one of the great champions of the Scots tongue' (Scotsman).

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk, Poetry

ScotlandsFest: Trust Issues, Fake News, Real Poems

Alan Riach’s new poems centre on the question; what – and who – can you really trust, these days? What the Sea Gives was described in 2023 by Bard-Google's AI chatbot as: ‘A collection of poems that explores themes of nature, memory, and the Scottish landscape. Riach’s poems are lyrical and atmospheric, and they offer a profound appreciation for the beauty and mystery of the natural world'. In 2023, neither title nor book existed – but they do now! Delivered live, in person, not by hologram.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk, Political

ScotlandsFest: Unfinished Business – Scotland’s Political Crossroads

What has a quarter century of devolution meant for Scotland? The "Scottish Question" will always be "unfinished business" according to James Mitchell and Henry McLeish. So, what’s next? What are the social and economic challenges and opportunities that lie ahead? What do we need to do to make our institutions and politics fit for purpose? In a culture of political stalemates and "permanent campaigning", Former First Minister Henry McLeish, responsible for devolution, and Professor James Mitchell of Edinburgh University, have an idea or two to brighten Scotland’s future...

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Storytelling, Alternative Comedy

Sharath Jeevan OBE - Meek Inheritance: Are Me and My Kids Doomed?

In a world where AI threatens jobs and geopolitics grows ever more chaotic, this interactive comedic-therapeutic show offers sharp, hopeful insight. Sharath Jeevan OBE – a leading advisor and Founder of the Generational Success Lab at Oxford’s Said Business School – invites us to rethink what legacy truly means. Through confessional storytelling and crowd-work, he explores how his generation helped create a future bleaker than the present and how each of us can still chart a more meaningful path by reimagining how we choose to live now.

Location Panmure House

subvenue The Lecture Room

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Comedy, Podcast

Steve Richards Presents Rock and Roll Politics

The legendary show returns amidst even greater political turmoil... time for us all to make sense of the fresh epic dramas and the characters that shape them. Plus new unreliable predictions, question time and much more. We have the space to delve deep over the coming weeks. There will be a different show every day.

Location theSpace @ Symposium Hall

subvenue Amphitheatre

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Storytelling, True-life

The Dolphins Are Still Singing. Can You Hear Them? The Epic of Lee, Me and the Tree

The Dolphins Are Still Singing. Can You Hear Them? The Epic of Lee, Me, and the Tree is a true funny, mystical, off-kilter soulful journey through love, loss and environmental defiance. When Jill Karlin falls for visionary architect Lee Porter Butler, an improbable romance ignites a daring mission: protecting trees and imagining Ekotecture, a new way for humanity to live on Earth. From handcuffing herself to a tree, to hurricanes, heartbreak and whispering wood nymphs, Jill blends storytelling, humour and poetry.

Location theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall

subvenue Theatre 3

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In conversation, Compilation

The Eazy Club

Discussion, conversation, and debate about the arts, society and life. In the digital world there's no greater joy than talking face to face. 300 years ago a club was set up in Edinburgh to support artists and poets. A centre of curiosity and debate, where horizons were broadened, it heralded the Scottish Enlightenment. It was called the Easy Club, and it lives again in this series of discussions inspired by C’s festival programme. Topics, speakers, and artists will differ daily, but always provoke thought and further chat. Free afternoon tea (and coffee) provided. See website for listings.

Location C ARTS | C venues | C alto

subvenue library

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true-life, LGBTQ+

The Naked Truth

The Naked Truth is a 30-minute spoken-word show that takes audiences on a fast, funny and emotionally charged journey into the things we usually keep to ourselves. Playful, provocative and uncomfortably relatable, it moves quickly between laughter, recognition and the occasional: did she really say that? Blending personal storytelling with sharp observation, Lynne Jones explores gender, sexuality, relationship diversity and the messiness of mid-life transitions, sharing stories with clarity and confidence, without pretending everything is neatly resolved. Lynne has performed at Macclesfield’s Poetry Pandemonium and featured in the LGBT Foundation Summer Arts Trail.

Location Paradise in Augustines

subvenue Snug

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New Writing, Political

The Umbrella Man: What We Talk About When We Talk About the JFK Assassination

24 - 29 Aug Dallas, 22 November 1963. The main event is supposed to be on Main Street - crowds fifty deep, a blizzard of ticker tape. A few blocks away in Dealey Plaza, the scene is quieter: a handful of people, clear skies. A man with an umbrella. A woman with a polaroid. A dressmaker with vertigo. These are the strange, true stories of the ordinary people who opted out of the main event, only to spend the rest of their lives unable to leave it.

Location theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall

subvenue Theatre 3

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New Writing, Political

The Umbrella Man: What We Talk About When We Talk About the JFK Assassination

17 - 22 AugDallas, 22 November 1963. The main event is supposed to be on Main Street - crowds fifty deep, a blizzard of ticker tape. A few blocks away in Dealey Plaza, the scene is quieter: a handful of people, clear skies. A man with an umbrella. A woman with a polaroid. A dressmaker with vertigo. These are the strange, true stories of the ordinary people who opted out of the main event, only to spend the rest of their lives unable to leave it.

Location theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall

subvenue Theatre 2

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Storytelling, Traditional

Traditional Tales

(Sat 7-Sun 30 Aug) To celebrate 20 years of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, join some of our amazing tellers as they share their favourite traditional tales from around the world. Expect folk tales, fairie tales, myths and legends, stories handed down to inspire and entertain across generations. A relaxed session with a different storyteller each day sharing wonderful, wise and occasionally wild stories of their choosing! Performer Schedule

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe

subvenue George Mackay Brown Library

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Historical, Horror

Ulster's Doctor Death: The Killer Case of John Bodkin Adams

Make an appointment with dark historian Andrew Johnston of Alternative Ulstours, as he reopens the true crime case of Northern Ireland's own angel of death, the not-so-good Dr John Bodkin Adams. Check in for the tale of a "sausage-fingered", God-fearing, Rolls-Royce-driving GP, whose patients on England's "Costa Geriatrica" had a habit of dying in his care – but not before changing their wills in the grasping physician's favour. Relive 1957's controversial murder trial of a man who could be Britain and Ireland's worst ever serial killer. The doctor is sin!

Location Greenside @ Riddles Court

subvenue Clover Studio

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Podcast, Storytelling

Unexplained Live

Described by the Guardian as 'the world's spookiest podcast,' with over 80 million streams, Unexplained has beguiled listeners for over a decade with real-life tales of the strange and mysterious. Now, for the first time, Unexplained comes to the Fringe. Join host and creator Richard MacLean Smith in a live interpretation of the global smash-hit show, as he takes you on an eerie journey into the haunting Flannan Isles mystery. The year is 1900. Three lighthouse keepers stand watch on a desolate island, far from home. Until one day, they completely vanish from the face of the earth...

Location theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall

subvenue Theatre 3

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Stand-up, Storytelling

You Can Write a Book!

Have you ever thought you might like to write a book? You can do it. It's easy. Actually that's a lie. It isn't easy. But that doesn't mean that it's impossible. You just need a little help. Mark Stringer is a comedian and published author. But he hasn't just written a book, he's read a lot of books about how to write books. In this show, Mark talks about the tips and tricks he's found that really work. He also talks about the advice that's curiously missing that he had to find out for himself.

Location Greenside @ Riddles Court

subvenue Clover Studio

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Comedy, Science and Technology

A Cosmologist's Guide To Life and Love

A multi-media mash up of comedy, cosmology and chat. Dr Julian Mayers asks if studying the cosmos gives us any useful insight into life, death and all those awkward moments in between on Earth? Down to earth, accessible, funny and ultimately uplifting, he explores: parallel universes, how far you have to travel to find yourself in an infinite universe, how you can time-travel, why a physicist should speak at your funeral and does love exist out there in the cosmos. Laugh, cry and go 'ooh that’s interesting.' Sold out in 2024.

Location The Royal Scots Club

subvenue The Hepburn Suite

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Experimental, Historical

A Meditation on Memory

A 45-minute visual, sound and spoken word meditation on the nature of place, experience and memory.

Location theSpace @ Niddry St

subvenue Studio

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Solo show, Artist(s) of Colour

ADEY

Having graduated from drama school in 2023, Bethlehem is now navigating one of the toughest industries by herself – but she's never truly alone. Living at home with her traditional Eritrean mother Tsehaynesh, Bethlehem doesn't know what privacy is! Being a stoic woman of culture, Tsehaynesh struggles to understand Bethlehem's career in the arts. To make matters worse, something drastic happens to Bethlehem, meaning she'll have to work harder than ever. ADEY is a heartfelt semi-autobiographical play which combines spoken word, music and movement to transport us from vibrant West Green Road, Tottenham to palm tree covered Asmara, Eritrea.

Location theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall

subvenue Theatre 1

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Traditional, Poetry

Address to a Haggis

(Fri 7-Sun 30 Aug) Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face... Where better to hear Robert Burns' famous poem Address to a Haggis than at The Haggis Box Café in the Scottish Storytelling Centre! Drop in to hear a different surprise performer each day deliver a rousing rendition of Burns' ode to the Great Chieftain o’ the Puddin-race. Traditional, vegan and vegetarian haggis, neeps and tatties will be available to purchase all day with gluten-free options available. Haggis for all!

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe

subvenue Storytelling Court

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historical, true-life

Alice Hawkins – Working Class Suffragette

Great-grandson Peter Barratt with sister suffragette Ruth Pownall give a stirring and passionate account of working-class suffragette, Alice Hawkins, and her hard-fought campaign for the right to vote. Mother of six, lifelong socialist and shoe machinist by trade, Alice was arrested, imprisoned and almost forgotten, until now. As the UK approaches the centenary of working-class women gaining the vote, hear the suffragette history you were never taught and see her very own ‘Votes for Women’ sash, hunger strike medal, prison notes and more. Urgent, political and deeply human.**** (The Student Newspaper).

Location Paradise in The Vault

subvenue The Vault

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Spoken word, Contemporary, Discussion, In conversation, Verbatim, True-life

An Audience with Marvin Herbert

Hear the incredible real-life stories of Marvin, and others who have faced challenges and turned their lives around. Find out why a near-death experience led him to turn his back on his criminal past, and what motivated him to become the reformed person he is today. Now working as a crime-prevention activist, his motivational talks aim to reduce re-offending by inspiring youth and changing lives. With guest interviewees whose lives have involved challenge, change, change and transformation. Followed by a no-holds-barred Q&A. Presented by | Marvin Herbertfacebook.com/MrMarvinHerbertNew/ instagram.com/mrmarvinherbert/tiktok.com/@mrmarvinherbert

Location C ARTS | C venues | C aurora

subvenue studio

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Historical, Horror

Burke and Hare: Body Snatchers, Serial Killers, Ulstermen

Dark historian Andrew Johnston of Alternative Ulstours returns to the scene of the crime with his 2025 Fringe sell-out show. Scotland's notorious grave robbers William Burke and William Hare weren't Scottish and never robbed a grave, but the diabolical duo were arguably the first modern serial killers, half a century before Jack the Ripper. Dig in, as Andrew reclaims the Ulster-born ghouls for the north of Ireland in this informative and entertaining talk. Come back to the whisky-soaked, blood-stained slums of Georgian Edinburgh, where no body was safe from Burke and Hare!

Location Greenside @ Riddles Court

subvenue Pickle Studio

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Poetry, Storytelling

Echoes of Self

In Echoes of Self, Yzaura unearths ancestral memory through taste, touch and confession. Dulce de coco wrappers, simmering sofrito, a wounded record circling remorse. As she opens her lineage, something begins to stir in the room. Through food and grief, memory flickers. The mind strains to hold what time is trying to erase. Sound gathers like wind beneath the words, building breath into rhythm until poetry becomes invocation. What unfolds is a living act of remembrance, intimate, visceral and stirring long after the final echo fades.

Location Greenside @ Riddles Court

subvenue Pickle Studio

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Multimedia, Alternative Comedy

Elvis in Chaos

Hallucinatory PowerPoint raves on: Elvis' branching timelines, romance in the multiverse, the top five gods of all time, the politics of the Oreo cookie, the quantum physics of baseball pitching and how bagpipes caused the Black Death. A fire hose of images powering Michael Anderson’s ecstatic rants, a manic series of hilarious TED Talks that will overload your senses and rumple your mind! Michael Anderson is a two-time winner of the Festival of Bad Ad Hoc Hypotheses, performing at MIT and Imperial College London. All proceeds go to immigrant-defence networks in Boston, USA.

Location Greenside @ George Street

subvenue Lime Studio

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Spoken word, Educational, Literary, Talks and Discussions, Lecture, Historical, Masterclass

Hiding Behind the Mask: Jesters, Jokers, and Clowns

An intriguing, soul-searching masterclass into the personas of jesters, jokers, and clowns, through the lens of the theatrical mask. From Greek trickster gods to Japanese Noh Theatre, commedia dell’arte and opera to slapstick and cartoons, join Professor Rosemary George on a rollercoaster through the joys and sorrows, comedies and tragedies of life, which probes hidden identities in human behaviour.‘The professor’s range and extent of research is clearly apparent’ (EdinburghGuide.com).‘A densely packed piece of work which successfully steers a course between the jagged rocks of academic dryness and the coral reefs of mundanity' (EdinburghGuide.com).‘Brilliantly and eloquently written… Thoughtful… Extraordinarily well-researched’ (Audience Review, Edinburgh Fringe).‘Quite unique… Informative and fun’ (Audience Review, Edinburgh Fringe).‘A truly thoughtful, educational and enjoyable presentation of the deep symbolism in the masks that we as human beings are required to wear. Loved it’ (Crowd Pleasers Audience Review, Melbourne Fringe).‘Rosemary George offers a sophisticated examination of humanity’s innate desire to understand identity, how it allows us to express or hide the most authentic version of ourselves… George leaves no stone unturned in her search for hidden identities across all forms of media and performance’ (TheatreReview.org.nz)’'Lively… wide-ranging… George’s extensive research is apparent in the breadth of examples provided… Those with an interest in the history of opera and theatre will enjoy George’s lecture, particularly the innovative linkages she makes between mediums… Charming delivery… Excellent' (TheatreReview.org.nz).This is a masterclass in how we become what we are not, from the 'tears of a clown to the masks of traditional Japanese Noh. It considers the jester as the communicator of the soul... It both touches on many different forms and places where the mask appears.' (Lou Reviews)Created and Performed by | Rosemary Georgewww.rosemarygeorge.com Watch Trailer

Location C ARTS | C venues | C digital

subvenue portal – on demand

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storytelling, comedy

Life of Pie

Through live music, storytelling, and extra cheese, pizza blogger Sean Taylor shares his quest for home – one slice at a time. Raised in a nomadic Mormon military family, Sean found stability in one unexpected constant: pizza. He explores how this universal comfort food became a way to survive everything from culture shock to loneliness, eventually leading him to improv comedy and his creation of 31daysofpizza.com, the world’s longest-running pizza blog. Through humour and heart, audiences will see how this saucy obsession helped him create community, find love, and ultimately, a sense of belonging.

Location Paradise in The Vault

subvenue The Annexe

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Storytelling, True-life

Loft Clearance

Join Eileen as she rummages through a hundred years’ worth of possessions that have accumulated in her loft. It's like finding an old diary but in physical form. Collections, hoardings and family traits abound. What will she cling onto? What will she let go? But where will these pieces of her go to? Enjoy 50 minutes of light-hearted despair as the clearance unfolds.

Location theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall

subvenue Theatre 3

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Live Music, Poetry

Loud Poets

(Thu 13, Thu 20 & Thu 27 Aug) Loud Poets have been bringing the very best live poetry to the Fringe for over a decade. Their fist-thumping, pint-drinking, side-tickling, heart-wrenching fusion of spoken word and live music thrills poetry lovers and turns sceptics into fans. Catch the Loud Poets themselves – Katie Ailes, Mark Gallie and Kevin Mclean – with musical accompaniment from Jack Hinks and a different guest every show. 'Joyous smorgasbord of words' ★★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)'Funny, fierce and finely-tuned' ★★★★★ (CorrBlimey.uk)'Astonishing range of spoken-word talent' ★★★★★ (BingeFringe.com)'The most reliably entertaining spoken word night at the Fringe' ★★★★ (TheWeeReview.com)★★★★★ (EdFringeReview.com)★★★★★ (EdinburghGuide.com) BSL interpreted Thu 27 Aug. Interpretation by Sarah Forrester.

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Poetry

Poems for People Who Don't Like Poetry

Are you adverse to a verse? Do you find odes odious? This show is the antidote to anyone who thinks poetry is the highfalutin domain of sonnet wheedling PhDs. Sam Steele is closer to Dr Suess than a Doctor of Philosophy. Come and find out: If a Toucan Who can Can-can, can Can-can With a Crow, and hear about Sam Mourning in Moorning, with Noon at Twilight. Can't do DIY? Hate IT? So does Sam – he'll tell you why and you won't even care it rhymes.

Location Greenside @ George Street

subvenue Sprout Studio

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Storytelling, LGBTQ+

Queer Folks' Tales

(Wed 12, Wed 19 & Wed 26 Aug) The 5-star, award-winning hit LGBTQ+ storytelling show returns for its fourth Fringe; camper, fruitier and queerer than ever! Host Turan Ali takes time out from his BBC shows to scour the Fringe for the best queer talent, creating a diverse line-up of artists to share hilarious, surprising, sobering tales, songs and epic poems. Expect jaw-dropping insights into LGBTQ+ lives past, present and future. 'Edinburgh's most vibrant, authentic and exciting storytelling event' ★★★★★ (TheWeeReview.com)'Utterly fabulous' ★★★★★ (TheQR.co.uk)★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com)'[A] rich fruitcake of an evening' Must See Show 2025 (FringeReview.co.uk)'Triumphant' ★★★★★ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com)

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe

subvenue Netherbow Theatre

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Spoken Word, Talk

ScotlandsFest: A Scottish Football Odyssey

Archie Macpherson has been writing and broadcasting about the beautiful game for 60 years. From triumphalism to downright despondency, from the 16mm film pictures of the sixties to the digital age, Scotland’s premier football commentator has seen and felt it all. In today’s disfiguring financial landscape, Scottish football faces unprecedented challenges. Is our appreciation of the game cheapened by increased access via technology? What does the future hold for Scottish football? If anyone knows, Macpherson does.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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New Writing, Poetry

ScotlandsFest: A Wee Bit Zen - When Less Is More

Join Alan Spence – former Edinburgh Makar and author of the cult-classic Glasgow Zen and upcoming sequel A Wee Bit Zen – for conversation and short-form poetry from a trickster with words and a mesmerising performer of his own work. Haiku, found poems, sound poems, text poems, puns, one-liners, overheard word-on-the-street poems, everyday zen, timeless poems of the here and now – poignant, insightful and laugh-out-loud funny. 'Spence is a calm and necessary visionary' (Ali Smith). 'Poetry with the gloves off' (Liz Lochhead).

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Historical, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Ancient Voices, Living Landscape - Scotland’s Geomythography

Join Stuart McHardy, author of Scotland’s Geomythography, and look at ancient Scotland through new eyes. Through a lifetime of research as a musician and storyteller, combined with decades of teaching, McHardy has forged a new approach to understanding Scotland's past. Combining archaeology and history with place-name and landscape analysis, and drawing information from oral tradition, he has found evidence to reveal how our ancient forebears understood their world. Behind modern beliefs and assumptions lies a network of local and national cultural treasure that has much to teach us in our ever-changing world.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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In Conversation, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Art Without Borders - Demarco’s Europe

‘There is no such thing as Scottish art, only art in Scotland which is part of a European tradition’ says Richard Demarco CBE, who has been to every Edinburgh Festival since its inception in 1947. The festival's origins are firmly rooted in an international outlook, one that Demarco, a cultural pilgrim, continues to embody. Demarco’s Europe, the third of a trilogy written in collaboration with Edinburgh-based journalist Roddy Martine, is dedicated to the importance of Scotland’s ongoing cultural engagement with continental Europe. With existential threats all around, can art provide a healing balm?

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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In Conversation, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Between the Stones: Scotland Through Outlander

Outlander has generated global interest in the history, languages and landscapes of Scotland. From the tragedy of Culloden, to American Independence and early Scottish interaction with indigenous peoples in North America, and, more problematically, the Atlantic slave trade, the books and TV series have mapped out Scotland's contribution to world history. Outlander has been crucial for tourism and heritage. Its themes have captured the imagination of a global audience. Join the editors of Outlander and Scotland to find out what this time-travelling series can teach us about Scottish history and Scotland today?

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Music, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Brave New Music - The Martyn Bennett Story

Martyn Bennett was an artist ahead of his time. Piper, violinist, composer, producer, DJ – his radical blend of tradition and technology created an audacious new sound that was uniquely his own. Gary West, Bennett's biographer and author of Brave New Music, and BJ Stewart, the musician’s official photographer and close friend, uncover his enduring legacy, the intersection of folk, classical and electronic music, place and nature as musical inspiration: from mountains and mosh pits.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk

ScotlandsFest: Choose Life Choose Leith - Trainspotting on Location

Set firmly in unglamorous 1980s Leith, Trainspotting has burst through stage, film and musical genres, dodging the forces of orthodoxy and censorship. But is it just scurrilous punk, junk, transgressional entertainment that got lucky? Bell reveals how this hard-to-read and on-location book tells truths that need to be told. And how it's everyone's business. Author of 'Choose Life, Choose Leith' and living in Leith since 1980, he brings street-level wisdom, erudite research and a good dash of humour to the Trainspotting phenomenon. 'Great study from a serious Trainspotting scholar' (Irvine Welsh).

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk, Political

ScotlandsFest: Donald Dewar - An Incomplete Legacy?

Donald Dewar, Scotland's inaugural First Minister, battled long and hard to establish the Scottish Parliament. Yet, despite the vision proclaimed at its opening in July 1999, the Parliament has become mired in constitutional wrangling. Where has it all gone wrong and who is to blame? The media, for inflating unrealistic expectations? Dewar, for failing to outline a new vision for Scotland? Or the Labour Party, for underestimating the rise of the SNP? Mark Peel, Dewar’s biographer, charts the fluctuating fortunes of his career and assesses the impact of his premature death.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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New Writing, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Farmyard Follies

Mathematical sheep? Navigating dogs? Architectural pigs? If you go down to the farm today you’re in for a big surprise! Helen Percy, the Highland Shepherdess, will delight all nature and animal lovers with her books Skirly Crag and Whistlebare. The creatures that share her kitchen – wild or tame, house trained or destructive – will steal your heart. But be prepared to cry as well as to laugh. She brought her dog, her duck, and her horse to the launch of Skirly Crag in 2025, so put on your wellies and come along to the farmyard!

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Historical, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Fortunes from Flesh - Scotland and Slavery

Henry Dundas, James Gillespie, George Watson. Scots made fortunes transporting so many people into slavery. So why do we still distance ourselves from this truth? For generations, the Scots prospered by using their human property to fund fabulous country homes, invest in ship building, iron smelting and coal mining. They ran a vicious propaganda campaign to protect the practice. But Scotland’s role in the slave trade remains a taboo. Join Kate Phillips, author of Bought and Sold: Scotland, Jamaica and Slavery, as she uncovers Scotland's dark past.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Dance, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Heel for Heel - Scottish Dance Fever

What is it about Scottish dancing that gets people the world over in such a spin? The catchy music? The colourful gear? The fun of formations like teapots and helicopters? In Heel for Heel, writer and reeler Cindy Gray celebrates the enduring legacy of all the genres, from the ancient Highland Fling to its successors: including Scottish Country Dancing, Step Dance and ceilidhs. Her book radiates with the energy and enthusiasm of dancers going Heel for Heel, like the guests at Mairi’s Wedding. Expect fancy footwork and dynamic photos!

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Historical, Talk

ScotlandsFest: In Search of Scottish Architecture

Join Roger Emmerson, author of Land of Stone and Scotland in 100 Buildings, as he invites you into his 40-year search for the Scottishness of Scottish architecture. It begins before Scotland was Scotland. Before architecture was architecture. Between the mountain and the sky. Between the land and the river. An antinomy, an antisyzygy, a parallax. Tracing a path from Celtic culture, through Scots colloquialisms, to the ideas of Kant, Thomson, Gregory Smith and Žižek: Emmerson has uncovered some answers. But the search continues...

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk

ScotlandsFest: Iona with Love

Artists have long appreciated Iona's natural beauty, its exquisite colours and the quality of its ever-changing light. Photographer, writer and longtime visitor to Iona, join Barbara Sellars, author of Iona with Love as she shares her own passion for this place and her sensory experiences of the island's varied moods and details – from sunshine to storm, coast to hinterland, jewel-like pebbles to flowering machair and from the colours of dawn to the last of the light on the sand. Enjoy a rich and evocative expression of this island's intrinsic loveliness.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Spoken Word, Poetry

ScotlandsFest: No Scotland No Party!

Submarines, tunnels, train rides and a new pair of false teeth! Nothing is off-limits as one woman crosses borders en route to the World Cup – or at least to the nearest pub with a big screen! With a showcase of the poems from her collections – Love Goes North and a brand new World Cup edition of the celebrated We Are Scottish Football – there will be tears, humour, despair, goals and celebration, all shoehorned into a lively hour of poetic mastery. Hold onto your sporrans, you’re not going to want to miss this!

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk, Storytelling

ScotlandsFest: Northern Spirits, Restless Hearts

Join Janis Mackay, author of On a Northern Shore, in the fertile place where ancient Scottish folklore and new feisty fiction meet – where love is hampered by ghosts and the restless surge of the sea is always in hearing. A love story, steeped in Celtic folklore and set in the windswept coastal shores of the far north of Scotland, On a Northern Shore takes you right there: where the gull’s lonely cry and the seal’s song can tear your heart. Beautifully written. Unputdownable. Atmospheric and intriguing.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Historical, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Scotland’s Darkest Past

Join Mary Craig, author of Agnes Finnie, and step beyond the myths into a chilling world where whispers became accusations and accusations became death sentences. Uncover the terrifying reality of Scotland’s witch hunts, where zealous churchmen and unforgiving courts turned fear into deadly power. Hear the true stories: neighbours betraying neighbours, confessions forced in the shadows, and lives destroyed in the name of belief. This is history at its most brutal. Feel the tension. Question the justice. Confront the fear. This event will leave you questioning, would you have survived?

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Historical, Talk

ScotlandsFest: Talking Two Millennia (of Scotland’s History)

How distinctive is Scotland’s history from that of other countries? What was happening in Europe when the Scots won at Bannockburn, or in Russia when Mary, Queen of Scots lost her head? When St Columba was in Iona, what was Muhammad doing in the Arabian desert? From Columba to Robert the Bruce, John Knox to Nicola Sturgeon – join Anna Groundwater, author of Connecting Scotland's History to hear 2,000 years of Scottish history located within the global.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk, Storytelling

ScotlandsFest: Tea and Tales

Join Gerda Stevenson, author of Cat Wumman: Tales o Nine Lives, as she mesmerises with her contemporary retellings of folk tales from Scotland, Japan, the Mississippi swamps and Inuit tribes, blending storytelling and song – over tea and coffee. 'In Stevenson’s hands, her beautifully crafted and wonderfully speakable Scots seems like a language reborn to meet the deep civilisational challenge of our time... a book of mighty and magical stories simply and superbly told, that marks its author out as one of the great champions of the Scots tongue' (Scotsman).

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk, Poetry

ScotlandsFest: Trust Issues, Fake News, Real Poems

Alan Riach’s new poems centre on the question; what – and who – can you really trust, these days? What the Sea Gives was described in 2023 by Bard-Google's AI chatbot as: ‘A collection of poems that explores themes of nature, memory, and the Scottish landscape. Riach’s poems are lyrical and atmospheric, and they offer a profound appreciation for the beauty and mystery of the natural world'. In 2023, neither title nor book existed – but they do now! Delivered live, in person, not by hologram.

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Talk, Political

ScotlandsFest: Unfinished Business – Scotland’s Political Crossroads

What has a quarter century of devolution meant for Scotland? The "Scottish Question" will always be "unfinished business" according to James Mitchell and Henry McLeish. So, what’s next? What are the social and economic challenges and opportunities that lie ahead? What do we need to do to make our institutions and politics fit for purpose? In a culture of political stalemates and "permanent campaigning", Former First Minister Henry McLeish, responsible for devolution, and Professor James Mitchell of Edinburgh University, have an idea or two to brighten Scotland’s future...

Location St Columba's by the Castle

subvenue Hall

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Storytelling, Alternative Comedy

Sharath Jeevan OBE - Meek Inheritance: Are Me and My Kids Doomed?

In a world where AI threatens jobs and geopolitics grows ever more chaotic, this interactive comedic-therapeutic show offers sharp, hopeful insight. Sharath Jeevan OBE – a leading advisor and Founder of the Generational Success Lab at Oxford’s Said Business School – invites us to rethink what legacy truly means. Through confessional storytelling and crowd-work, he explores how his generation helped create a future bleaker than the present and how each of us can still chart a more meaningful path by reimagining how we choose to live now.

Location Panmure House

subvenue The Lecture Room

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Comedy, Podcast

Steve Richards Presents Rock and Roll Politics

The legendary show returns amidst even greater political turmoil... time for us all to make sense of the fresh epic dramas and the characters that shape them. Plus new unreliable predictions, question time and much more. We have the space to delve deep over the coming weeks. There will be a different show every day.

Location theSpace @ Symposium Hall

subvenue Amphitheatre

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Storytelling, True-life

The Dolphins Are Still Singing. Can You Hear Them? The Epic of Lee, Me and the Tree

The Dolphins Are Still Singing. Can You Hear Them? The Epic of Lee, Me, and the Tree is a true funny, mystical, off-kilter soulful journey through love, loss and environmental defiance. When Jill Karlin falls for visionary architect Lee Porter Butler, an improbable romance ignites a daring mission: protecting trees and imagining Ekotecture, a new way for humanity to live on Earth. From handcuffing herself to a tree, to hurricanes, heartbreak and whispering wood nymphs, Jill blends storytelling, humour and poetry.

Location theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall

subvenue Theatre 3

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In conversation, Compilation

The Eazy Club

Discussion, conversation, and debate about the arts, society and life. In the digital world there's no greater joy than talking face to face. 300 years ago a club was set up in Edinburgh to support artists and poets. A centre of curiosity and debate, where horizons were broadened, it heralded the Scottish Enlightenment. It was called the Easy Club, and it lives again in this series of discussions inspired by C’s festival programme. Topics, speakers, and artists will differ daily, but always provoke thought and further chat. Free afternoon tea (and coffee) provided. See website for listings.

Location C ARTS | C venues | C alto

subvenue library

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true-life, LGBTQ+

The Naked Truth

The Naked Truth is a 30-minute spoken-word show that takes audiences on a fast, funny and emotionally charged journey into the things we usually keep to ourselves. Playful, provocative and uncomfortably relatable, it moves quickly between laughter, recognition and the occasional: did she really say that? Blending personal storytelling with sharp observation, Lynne Jones explores gender, sexuality, relationship diversity and the messiness of mid-life transitions, sharing stories with clarity and confidence, without pretending everything is neatly resolved. Lynne has performed at Macclesfield’s Poetry Pandemonium and featured in the LGBT Foundation Summer Arts Trail.

Location Paradise in Augustines

subvenue Snug

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New Writing, Political

The Umbrella Man: What We Talk About When We Talk About the JFK Assassination

24 - 29 Aug Dallas, 22 November 1963. The main event is supposed to be on Main Street - crowds fifty deep, a blizzard of ticker tape. A few blocks away in Dealey Plaza, the scene is quieter: a handful of people, clear skies. A man with an umbrella. A woman with a polaroid. A dressmaker with vertigo. These are the strange, true stories of the ordinary people who opted out of the main event, only to spend the rest of their lives unable to leave it.

Location theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall

subvenue Theatre 3

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New Writing, Political

The Umbrella Man: What We Talk About When We Talk About the JFK Assassination

17 - 22 AugDallas, 22 November 1963. The main event is supposed to be on Main Street - crowds fifty deep, a blizzard of ticker tape. A few blocks away in Dealey Plaza, the scene is quieter: a handful of people, clear skies. A man with an umbrella. A woman with a polaroid. A dressmaker with vertigo. These are the strange, true stories of the ordinary people who opted out of the main event, only to spend the rest of their lives unable to leave it.

Location theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall

subvenue Theatre 2

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Storytelling, Traditional

Traditional Tales

(Sat 7-Sun 30 Aug) To celebrate 20 years of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, join some of our amazing tellers as they share their favourite traditional tales from around the world. Expect folk tales, fairie tales, myths and legends, stories handed down to inspire and entertain across generations. A relaxed session with a different storyteller each day sharing wonderful, wise and occasionally wild stories of their choosing! Performer Schedule

Location Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe

subvenue George Mackay Brown Library

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Historical, Horror

Ulster's Doctor Death: The Killer Case of John Bodkin Adams

Make an appointment with dark historian Andrew Johnston of Alternative Ulstours, as he reopens the true crime case of Northern Ireland's own angel of death, the not-so-good Dr John Bodkin Adams. Check in for the tale of a "sausage-fingered", God-fearing, Rolls-Royce-driving GP, whose patients on England's "Costa Geriatrica" had a habit of dying in his care – but not before changing their wills in the grasping physician's favour. Relive 1957's controversial murder trial of a man who could be Britain and Ireland's worst ever serial killer. The doctor is sin!

Location Greenside @ Riddles Court

subvenue Clover Studio

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Podcast, Storytelling

Unexplained Live

Described by the Guardian as 'the world's spookiest podcast,' with over 80 million streams, Unexplained has beguiled listeners for over a decade with real-life tales of the strange and mysterious. Now, for the first time, Unexplained comes to the Fringe. Join host and creator Richard MacLean Smith in a live interpretation of the global smash-hit show, as he takes you on an eerie journey into the haunting Flannan Isles mystery. The year is 1900. Three lighthouse keepers stand watch on a desolate island, far from home. Until one day, they completely vanish from the face of the earth...

Location theSpace @ Surgeons' Hall

subvenue Theatre 3

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Stand-up, Storytelling

You Can Write a Book!

Have you ever thought you might like to write a book? You can do it. It's easy. Actually that's a lie. It isn't easy. But that doesn't mean that it's impossible. You just need a little help. Mark Stringer is a comedian and published author. But he hasn't just written a book, he's read a lot of books about how to write books. In this show, Mark talks about the tips and tricks he's found that really work. He also talks about the advice that's curiously missing that he had to find out for himself.

Location Greenside @ Riddles Court

subvenue Clover Studio

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