Shows go on sale ahead of official box office opening

The Pleasance and The Stand have unveiled a new batch of Edinburgh Fringe shows, ahead of the official festival box office opening tomorrow.

Comedians playing at  the Pleasance’s 41st festival  include Rhys Darby, Josie Long, Andy Parsons, Hal Cruttenden, Chloe Petts, Marjolein Robertson and Elf Lyons, who will be reprising her ‘bird trilogy’ – her shows Swan, ChiffChaff and Raven – for a final time.

Fringe newcomers include New York sketch group  Simple Town, US stand-up  Seaton Smith – who has recorded a special at Manhattan’s Madison Square Gardens. and Hasan Al-Habib with his show Death To West (Midlands).

In line-up shows, Chortle’s Fast Fringe returns with an ever-changing line-up of 12 top comedy and variety acts performing ridiculously short sets  (Tickets here), while Taskmaster and Ghosts star Kiell Smith-Bynoe brings his improv show, Kool Story.

Tickets for this batch of Pleasance shows are available here.

Meanwhile, at the Stand, Fringe veteran Richard Herring makes a comeback to the festival, two years after making widespread headlines for highlighting the spiralling costs of Edinburgh, and how that is freezing out all but the wealthy. He will be performing his RHLSTP talk-show for the first half of the festival.

His wife, the comedian, Drunk Women Solving Crime podcaster and children’s author Catie Wilkins will also be back with her first stand-up show in 13 years. 

Returning acts include Paul Sinha,  Robin Ince, Jo Caulfield,  Tom Stade , Gareth Mutch, Robin Grainger, Bruce Fummey, Chris Thorburn and of course Vladimir McTavish.

The Stand – which is celebrating 30 yeas on the Fringe - will also be programming mixed-bill line-ups at opulent W Hotel – the five-star venue whose unique design has earned it nicknames such as ‘the walnut whip’ and the ‘golden jobbie’.

Managing director Mike Jones said he was working to ensure his side of town provided a draw away from the increasingly dominant Old Town hub around George Square.

He said: ‘We want to ensure that the New Town is a must destination for all festival goers and will be teaming up with businesses and venues in the area to promote the very best in what this side of town has to offer.

Stand shows are on sale here.

Published: 11 Mar 2025