The Best Comedy at Edinburgh Fringe 2026

Updated Fri 28 Aug, 3pm

We're so nearly there! The 2026 Edinburgh Fringe is into its final weeked, and our review team have been hard at work catching dozens of shows from across the full breadth of the comedy programme. They've laughed, they've cried, they've condensed their thoughts into c. 300 words.

Keep your eyes on this page, as we'll be updating it every day with all of our four- and five-star reviews. For more of those Good Shows, check out our colleagues over at Fest magazine – their review section is frankly overflowing with takes from this year's festival.

Five-star comedy shows

Jordan Brookes: The Part of You That's Always Screaming @ Pleasance Dome

Jordan Brookes may have gone somewhat back to basics in his new show, but his comedy is just as brilliant as ever. Pleasance Dome (Queen Dome), until 30 Aug, 9.45pm – read our full review

Closure Cabaret @ Hoots Nicholson Square

Maria Ansdell’s Closure Cabaret is an adorable, heartfelt, hilarious little show about learning to love and, perhaps by its end, learning to let go. Hoots at Nicholson Square (Nic 7), until 30 Aug, 4pm – read our full review

Kate Dolan: Trout @ Monkey Barrel Comedy

This powerhouse of an hour from Australian comic Kate Dolan will have you giggling like a fish. Monkey Barrel (MB2), until 30 Aug, 8.35pm – read our full review

Sam Eley is Basil Crumbwick: Soul Sewage @ Monkey Barrel Comedy

The papier mâché-headed Basil Crumbwick may be a sad, angry man, but this is a very clever and very, very funny show. Monkey Barrel Comedy (MB2), until 30 Aug (not 18), 11.25pm – read our full review

John Kearns: Tilting at Windmills @ Monkey Barrel Comedy

Kearns offers up a sublime, painful and hilarious vision of just how good stand-up can be. Monkey Barrel Comedy (MB3), until 30 Aug, 4.15pm – read our full review

Julian Clary: Fully Dilated @ Assembly Rooms

Clary returns to the Fringe with exceptional crowd work, eye-watering gags and some devastating reflections on his career. Assembly Rooms (Music Hall), until 23 Aug, 5.30pm – read our full review

Scaramouche Jones @ Assembly Rooms

Scaramouche Jones brings the tragedy of the clown to the fore in an expertly written and performed retrospective on the 20th century. Assembly Rooms (Bijou), until 30 Aug, 4.10pm – read our full review

Jill's Tupperware Party @ Underbelly Cowgate

This cultish fever dream of campy domesticity and MLM-themed horror might be the wackiest thing you see at the Fringe – and it's all the better for it. Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Laugh), until 30 Aug (not 17), 2.35pm – read our full review

Sofie Hagen: I Think Some of This is My Fault @ Monkey Barrel Comedy

Hagen's glorious return to the Fringe is a self-aware, fresh and extremely funny look at the modern left. Monkey Barrel Comedy (MB1), until 30 Aug (not 17, 24), 3.20pm – read our full review

Jess Fuchs: Feral @ Pleasance Courtyard

Fuchs delivers a titanic performance in her Edinburgh Fringe debut with an hour of uproariously shameless comedy. Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker Two), until 30 Aug (not 18), 6.55pm – read our full review

Rob Auton: Jupiter @ Assembly Roxy

Falling somewhere between poetry and comedy, Jupiter is a sensation. Here we see authentic stand-up challenging an entire audience to open their eyes, feel and rejoice. Assembly Roxy (Central), until 30 Aug, 1pm – read our full review

Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge @ Pleasance Courtyard

Lyons shoots for the moon in her new show The Woman on the Edge – the result is an absolutely perfect hour. Pleasance Courtyard (Beyond), until 30 Aug (not 17), 9.30pm – read our full review

Dane Buckley: Darling @ Pleasance Courtyard

Buckley shines in his debut Fringe show dedicated to the women who raised him – it's an ode to family, heritage and belonging. Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker One), until 30 Aug (not 17) – read our full review

Four-star comedy

Lil Wenker: BOYKING @ Pleasance Courtyard

Lil Wenker throws everything into pint-sized tyrant Prince Wilfred in her new show BOYKING. Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker One), until 30 Aug, 9.45pm – read our full review

Hudson Hughes: At Your Service @ Underbelly Cowgate

Hudson Hughes channels the spirit of Alan Partridge in this densely-packed horror comedy spectacle. Underbelly Cowgate (Iron Belly), until 30 Aug, 11.10pm – read our full review

Roger O'Sullivan: Divil May Cry @ Monkey Barrel Comedy

Roger O'Sullivan follows up his debut hit with another hour of excellent stand-up, this time examining his 'peasant mindset'. Monkey Barrel Comedy (MB2), until 30 Aug, 5.45pm – read our full review

Dru Cripps: Juicy Bits @ Hoots Potterrow

Dru Cripps brings his undeniable charisma, prowess and talent to an improvised hour of clowning and musical mischief. Hoots at Potterrow (Big Yurt), until 31 Aug, 10.10pm – read our full review

Rob Copland: ONE (more please) @ Monkey Barrel Comedy

2024's Comedy Award Panel Prize winner Rob Copland returns with an hour of physical comedy and oddball observational material. Monkey Barrel Comedy (O'Neill's/The Tron), until 30 Aug (not 26), 5.50pm – read our full review

Kate Dehnert: Echo @ Pleasance Courtyard

Echo is a raging typhoon of storytelling and jokes, set to some heavy beats. Pleasance Courtyard (Baby Grand), until 30 Aug, 7.05pm – read our full review

Ed Night: We'll Be Alright Darling @ Monkey Barrel Comedy

For the third year in a row, Ed Night offers one of the most finely written hours of stand-up on the Fringe. Monkey Barrel Comedy (MB1), until 30 Aug, 4.45pm – read our full review

Dom McGovern: Prize Hog @ Pleasance Courtyard

With a literary turn of phrase and an utterly infectious openness, Dom McGovern's debut hour Prize Hog marks the undeniable arrival of a new star. Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker One), until 30 Aug, 8.30pm – read our full review

Ele McKenzie: Bringing It All Back Home @ Pleasance Courtyard

In a bumper year for exciting new acts, Ele McKenzie is a gorgeously distinctive comedy voice. Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker Two), until 30 Aug, 8.10pm – read our full review

Tom Towelling Teaches You to Knit @ Pleasance Courtyard

An engaging and engaged comic with unflappable confidence, Tom Towelling proves he's ready for the big time. Pleasance Courtyard (Attic), until 30 Aug (not 26), 9.45pm – read our full review

Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin: Good News! It's Been Destroyed @ Pleasance Courtyard

The acerbic, articulate Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin makes his point well-known in his new Fringe show. Pleasance Courtyard (Below), until 29 Aug, 11pm – read our full review

Evaldas Karosas: A Very Capable Man @ Monkey Barrel Comedy

Evaldas Karosas has the natural charm and joke-writing ability that can take you to great places in the comedy world – his debut hour is an excellent first step. Monkey Barrel Comedy (Cab Vol 2), until 30 Aug, 7.10pm – read our full review

Shaun Guff: Enuff is Enuff @ Hoots at Potterrow

He's hit rock bottom so you don't have to – Shaun Guff's self-help seminar is a tightly-written and sharply-delivered treat. Hoots at Potterrow (Wee Container 2), until 30 Aug, 6.20pm, pay-what-you-can – read our full review

Bunny! @ Summerhall

Bunny!, Craig Manson's takedown of Scotland's art scene, is a slice of cabaret at its bleeding edge. Summerhall (Anatomy Lecture Theatre), until 30 Aug (not 24), 10.15pm – read our full review

Joseph Morpurgo: Highlander 70 @ Pleasance Courtyard

The cult Fringe favourite tells the story of an American teen movie through found photos, all from a high school yearbook Morpurgo came across. Pleasance Courtyard (Forth), 20-30 Aug, 7pm – read our full review

Harriet Richardson: Creep @ Pleasance Courtyard

An engrossing account of parasocial obsession could suggest a rather intense presence, but Richardson is very personable, with a keen eye for the absurd. Pleasance Courtyard (Below), until 30 Aug, 7pm, sold out; extra show at Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance One), 22 Aug, 10.45pm – read our full review

Sami Abu Wardeh Hates You @ Pleasance Courtyard

An hour of clown-inflected, high-energy storytelling standup takes us from Wardeh’s birth in Kuwait to his childhood in London and recent tribulations as a clown and vocal advocate for Palestine. Pleasance Courtyard (Beside), until 30 Aug, 10pm – read our full review

Frankie McNair: Huge Ass Mindset @ Gilded Balloon Teviot

Frankie McNair bluntly picks apart the shame and silence of a traumatic childhood experience in this high-energy Fringe debut. Gilded Balloon Teviot (Den), until 30 Aug, 7pm – read our full review

Lawrence Dodd: This Can't Be It @ Gilded Balloon Teviot

Lawrence Dodd finds the tension between the grand and the mundane in an exciting hour that's a cosmic, hands-reaching-out reminder of what we’re all doing here. Gilded Balloon Teviot (Nook), until 30 Aug (not 19), 8.40pm – read our full review

Jonathan Oldfield: Exquisite Corpse @ Pleasance Courtyard

An extravaganza of utterly out-there character work by Jonathan Oldfield. Pleasance Courtyard (Below), until 30 Aug (not 17), 9.40pm – read the full review

Frankie Thompson: Horrible Things @ Pleasance Courtyard

Horrible Things is an inspired show from a restlessly innovative performer. Pleasance Courtyard (Beside), until 30 Aug (not 17), 8.45pm – read our full review

Anna Leong Brophy: Born Sexy Yesterday @ Pleasance Courtyard

Leong Brophy tackles the patriarchy through great characterisation, confident performance and some excellent crowd work. Pleasance Courtyard (Below), until 30 Aug (not 18), 5.40pm – read our full review

Demi Adejuyigbe Sells Out @ Pleasance Dome

Comedic polymath Demi Adejuyigbe returns to the Fringe with an hour of lo-fi, joyous self-expression. Pleasance Dome (Queen Dome), until 30 Aug (not 17), 6.45pm – read our full review

Tia Rey: Oot Ma Banger @ The Gilded Saloon

Tia Rey details the process of queer becoming and some particularly poignant psychedelic experiences in this impressive debut. The Gilded Saloon (Basement), until 31 Aug (not 17), 9pm – read our full review

Sean Morley: Backchannel @ Monkey Barrel Comedy

Morley offers an intricate and playful examination of crowd work and the performer-audience dynamic in Backchannel. Monkey Barrel (Niddry St Studio), until 30 Aug (not 20), 7.50pm – read our full review

Alexander Bennett: All It Takes @ Banshee Labyrinth

Bennett returns to the Fringe with an hour that flexes his comic instincts and commitment to the bit. Banshee Labyrinth (Cinema Room), until 30 Aug, 2.40pm – read our full review

Zoe Wohlfeld: Dog Funeral @ Underbelly Cowgate

With superb voice acting and expert clowning, Zoe Wohlfeld's Dog Funeral feels like an instant cult classic. Underbelly Cowgate (Jelly Belly), until 30 Aug (not 17), 5.25pm – read our full review

UNDERGROUND MONK SHOW @ Assembly George Square

The word-of-mouth clown hit from Max Baumgarten, Dee Marcucci, John Norris and Claire Woolner returns in grand fashion, and to great success. Assembly George Square Gardens (Piccolo), until 30 Aug (not 17), 10.15pm – read our full review

Scout Boxall: God's Favourite @ Assembly George Square

With flashes of Sarah Kendall, Scout Boxall's show God’s Favourite is an accomplished, polished hour from a comic with a bright future ahead. Assembly George Square (The Box), until 30 Aug (not 17, 24), 4.20pm – read our full review

Freddie Meredith: Need a Light? @ Pleasance Courtyard

There are almost no jokes or discernible punchlines in Freddie Meredith's evocation of a smoking area oddball – and yet it manages to be relentlessly hilarious. Pleasance Courtyard (Baby Grand), until 30 Aug (not 18), 5.50pm – read our full review

Sapphire McIntosh: Squeaky Bum Time @ Underbelly Bristo Square

In her debut Fringe hour, Sapphire McIntosh proves herself to be a bold new voice in comedy. Underbelly Bristo Square (Daisy), until 30 Aug (not 18), 5.45pm – read our full review

Madeleine Brettingham: Legend @ Gilded Balloon Teviot

In her Fringe debut, Madeleine Brettingham takes on lad culture with a slick confidence and a refreshing outlook. ilded Balloon Teviot (Wee Room), 5-31 Aug (not 17), 8.20pm – read our full review

Mike Wozniak: The Bench @ Assembly Hall

Wozniak takes his audience down a rabbit hole of beautifully mundane digressions and smalltown gossip. Assembly Hall (Main Hall), until 16 Aug, 10.40pm – read our full review

Olaf Falafel @ Laughing Horse at the Pear Tree

Olaf Falafel returns to the Fringe with a comically long show title we won't list here, and a high-calibre hour of silliness, buffoonery and general mucking about. Laughing Horse @ Pear Tree (Main Room), until 30 Aug (not 19), 2.30pm – read our full review

Justin Elizabeth Sayre is a 40-Year-Old Woman @ Underbelly Bristo Sq

Justin Elizabeth Sayre's one-person show is a tale of self-acceptance, empowerment and rebirth. Underbelly Bristo Square (Dairy Room), until 30 Aug (not 17), 6.10pm – read our full review

Max Fulham's Monkey Business @ Gilded Balloon Teviot

This kid-friendly show from Max Fulham is a warm and infectiously funny treat for younger Fringe fans. Gilded Balloon Teviot (Dining Room), until 16 Aug, 11.50am – read our full review

Shane Torres @ Assembly Roxy

The big-hearted Texan comic Shane Torres delivers a lesson in masculinity and motherly love. Assembly Roxy (Downstairs), until 30 Aug (not 12, 19, 26), 6.50pm – read our full review

Dan Tiernan: Quartz and All @ Monkey Barrel

The much-loved and multiple award-nominated Tiernan returns to the Fringe in a whirlwind of an hour – amid the chaos, he still manages to showcase his vulnerable side and his excellent stagecraft. Monkey Barrel Comedy (MB1), until 30 Aug (not 18), 10.25pm – read our full review

Bebe Cave: Swoon @ Pleasance Dome

Cave takes a headlong sprint through the story of the women of pre-Raphaelite art in a riotous celebration of energy and expressivity. Pleasance Dome (Jack Dome), until 30 Aug (not 18), 5.40pm; extra shows 25 Aug, 8.20pm and 27-28 Aug, 11pm – read our full review

Sophie Duker: Hot Beef Injection @ Pleasance Courtyard

The Taskmaster star and Fringe stalwart doesn't mince her words in her new show – it's proof (if it were needed) that she remains a comedic powerhouse. Pleasance Courtyard (Forth), until 30 Aug (not Weds), 8.30pm – read our full review

Li Jin Hao: Falling From A Moon @ Pleasance Courtyard

Li Jin Hao returns with an otherworldly second hour of woozy, yearning standup comedy. Pleasance Courtyard (Above), until 30 Aug, 8pm – read our full review

Marty Gleeson: Dog Ear @ Pleasance Courtyard

Irish standup Marty Gleeson's debut Edinburgh Fringe show is an hour of offbeat, dead-eyed tall tales. Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker One), until 30 Aug (not 17 Aug), 7.15pm – read our full review

Man Sings the Same Song Over and Over Again for an Hour @ Summerhall

Australian comedian Conk puts himself and his audience through their paces in a Dadaist explosion of energy and euphoria. Summerhall (Red Lecture Theatre), until 31 Aug (not 17, 24), 7.45pm – read our full review

Amy Matthews: Definitions of Toast @ Monkey Barrel Comedy

Matthews' new show blends charm, mischief and brutally raw reflections – all capped with one of the best closing moments of this year's festival. Monkey Barrel Comedy (O'Neill's, The Tron), until 30 Aug (not 12, 19, 26), 3pm – read our full review

Spencer Jones: Dogs @ Pleasance Dome

Jones returns in a hail of soup-related miming, handmade art and loud silliness with a show that's all about kindness, the hilarity of mundanity, and the ridiculousness of the upper-middle class. Pleasance Dome (Queen Dome), until 30 Aug (not 17), 8.15pm – read our full review

Coco the Time-Travelling Tart @ Underbelly George Sq

Max Norman's time-travelling, history-hopping hour is a master class in character comedy; slutty, outrageous, camp, and completely insane. Underbelly George Square (Buttercup), until 30 Aug (not 18, 25), 9.45pm – read our full review

Lara Ricote: INKLING @ Monkey Barrel

In her third Fringe hour, 2022's Best Newcomer winner balances some really smart storytelling and ‘big picture’ comedy with moments of glorious stupidity. Monkey Barrel Comedy (MB3), until 30 Aug (not 17); BSL signed performances on 18 & 22 Aug, captioned performance on 14 Aug – read our full review

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If you're looking for more inspiration you should take a look at our 24 Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Shows to Catch (that's one per hour!), and put a note in the diary for The Besties, our annual Edinburgh Festivals awards which we'll be handing out on Saturday 15, 22 and 29 August. Oh, and follow us on Instagram. Subscribe to our newsletter. Pick up a copy of the magazine. And please, stay hydrated.