The Besties 2026: Week One winners

This morning, we marked the end of the first full week of the 2026 Edinburgh Festivals by handing out this year's first batch of Besties awards. Now in their third year, the Besties celebrate all of the Edinburgh festivals, honouring the best of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival and more. 

Here are the six winners of this year's first batch of awards from this morning's ceremony at the Festival Theatre...

The Heart Award: Elf Lyons, for Elf Lyons is The Woman on the Edge

The Fringe has practically belonged to Elf Lyons for a while now. Swan was mad; Raven was fit for a King. So to hear, in Elf’s new show, that she had lost herself earlier this year was heart-rending. If someone so singular can lose sight of who they are, what hope is there for the rest of us? By the end of her new hour, there’s no question that that isn’t the case anymore. This is lump-in-the-throat stuff, and the most rousing use of the film Apollo 13 we’ve ever seen. Pleasance Courtyard (Beyond), until 30 Aug (not 17), 9.30pm

The Buzz Award: Tess O'Shea for House Fly

A series of Instagram ads alerted us to Tess O’Shea’s House Fly, which, spread across three venues at TheSpace, could easily have flown right under our noses. Thank god it didn’t, because it’s a miniature marvel. To quote Fest writer Xuanlin Tham’s review, “the humble fly is often constituted as nothing more than a filthy pest. Yet carrying on in the grand surrealist tradition of Kafka, Dalí, and also Ratatouille (masterpiece), Tess O’Shea’s House Fly paints the life story of one fly so vividly that the last thing you want to do is swat it awa … The buzz is real.” The Space @ Niddry Street (Upper Theatre), 24-29 Aug, 10.20am 

The Superpower Agency Award: Stanislavski Can't Save Me From the Apocalypse

This award was selected by the young people who participated in this year’s Superpower Agency critical writing summer camp, a collaboration with the teams at The Skinny and Fest. The Superpower Agency works year round in Scottish schools to promote literacy and empower young people to write their own stories.

The young reviewers said of Stanislavski...: "We really enjoyed this innovative theatre production, set at a kid's theatre camp in the aftermath of the apocalypse. This is an ambitious show that takes risks with its unconventional structure and pulls them off. They did a lot with a tiny venue, minimal set and a cast who were passionate and talented. The characters were realistic and the show's depiction of young adult friendship was funny and relatable. A hopeful and meaningful take on a potentially dark subject." Greenside @ George Street (Ivy Studio), 17-22 Aug, 3.05pm

The Radgie Award: Ethan and Gigi present THE MOVEMENT

Ethan and Gigi’s commitment to the bit is what makes this faux so-bad-it’s-good comedy stand out from the rest. A pair of revolutionaries riddled with interpersonal issues but convinced they’re on the brink of an anti-fascist revolutionary movement, the New York clown duo never let you see where they start and the characters end. There are big, insane swings in this show that wears its brashness deceptively lightly; swings that you’re only likely to see at The Fringe. To quote Fest writer Evan Beswick: “At every moment THE MOVEMENT shrouds itself in glory and kicks itself in the nuts. It’s a joy to watch … Vive THE MOVEMENT.” Underbelly Cowgate, until 30 Aug (not 17), 11pm

The Emerging Talent Award: Eva Peroni

Eva Peroni is anything if not precocious. The 22-year-old’s debut Fringe hour is crammed with joke after joke, drawing on themes of identity and belonging and remaining sharp and uncompromising throughout. Taking inspiration from her coming-of-age in Costa Rica, the comic probes questions of national identity and Scottishness, with tongue firmly in cheek (all while viciously slagging off West Lothian). Peroni’s energy is infectious, and this is not just a stellar debut, but a stellar show, full-stop. Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 30 Aug (not 17), 4.40pm

Fringe Legend Award: Xhloe and Natasha

It may be early in the 2026 Fringe to declare a legend award, but the judging team could think of no title more fitting for clown duo Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland. Since their 2022 debut with And Then the Rodeo Burned Down they’ve built a devoted following amongst Fringe-goers in general and the Skinny-Fest teams in particular. This year they’ve returned with their fourth original show, Bigfoot Ripped My Dog In Half I Saw It, and it has once again lived up to the hype, with an early five stars from The Skinny Theatre editor Mika Morava. 

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The Besties are a collaboration between The Skinny, Fest, Capital Theatres, and Premier Scotland. Winners of The Besties are chosen each week by the editorial teams of The Skinny and Fest, drawing on their cross-festival expertise to celebrate the best work happening across the Edinburgh festivals. The categories reflect the diversity of the magazines’ coverage and change from week to week. The next Besties ceremonies will take place on Saturday 22 August at the Festival Theatre.