Marginally smaller than 2015

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme has been officially launched today, boasting 50,266 performances of 3,269 shows from in 294 venues.

Numbers are marginally down on last year, with 0.5 per cent fewer shows - although that does not take into account any of the unofficial shows not in the programme.

Shona McCarthy, the festival's new chief executive, said: 'The breadth and diversity of talent that comes to the Fringe is unparalleled, and this year is no exception.

'At its core the Fringe is an open access festival, which welcomes anyone with a story to tell, and for that reason, amateur and professional artists from around the world continue year after year to come here to share their stories, hone their skills, create new opportunities for themselves and their work, and celebrate the joy of live performance.'

Bigger comedy names at the festival include Rory Bremner, Limmy, Omid Djalili, Katy Brand, David O'Doherty, Shappi Khorsandi, Alistair McGowan and Stewart Lee - plus the revival of Radio Active with Angus Deayton and Richard Wilson reprising Victor Meldrew for a one-man show at Assembly.

American stand-up Bill Burr is playing the Pleasance Grand, though is not included in the programme, while Amy Schumer hits Edinburgh the day after the Fringe ends.

Meanwhile, in the theatre section, Daniel Kitson's new one-man play Mouse. The Persistence of an Unlikely Thought will be on at the Traverse at 10.30pm every night following its run at the Liverpool Everyman. (Review).

And Chortle will again be presenting the best of the festival in a daily Fast Fringe showcase at the Pleasance Dome. Preview shows featuring more than 25 acts are being staged in Manchester on June 24e and London on July 6e.

Comedy is again the biggest sector of the programme, comprising 34 per cent of shows to theatre's 27 per cent – the same proportion as in 2015.

Click here to browse Chortle's full list of all 1,117 comedy shows in the programme.

Published: 8 Jun 2016