Underbelly has announced its return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with live ticketed shows, free open air entertainment, local street food and drinks, all in the welcoming, safe settings of George Square Gardens and Bristo Square.

There will be circus, comedy, family shows and cabaret as well as an open-air stage in George Square Gardens with performances from the best of Scottish and UK based street artists. 

Announced today for the new George Square venue are the a cappella super-group and Fringe favourites, The Magnets, the return of Underbelly’s comedy line-up show Edinburgh Comedy Allstars, alongside cabaret favourites Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho and Myra Dubois (pictured), and laugh-out-loud comedy from The Scummy Mummies and Marcel Lucont (pictured). 

Dreamgun Film Reads will also return with their quick-witted movie parodies, including two film picks for the whole family. Joining them will be Canadian comedy legend Tom Stade (pictured) with his show You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet, magician extraordinaire Magical Bones,fresh from appearances on Penn & Teller Fool Us, the BAFTA Awards and ITV’s This Morning, whose latest show Live & Direct effortlessly combines intricate sleight of hand with mesmerising illusions and jaw dropping break-dance; sketch comedy duo Mother with their brand new show Colleagues; a skilful blend of magic and comedy from Tom Brace in Embrace the Impossible!and night of gender-bending, life-affirming fun and frolics from QUEENZ.

George Square Gardens is free to enter. Visitors can enjoy some of the best local Edinburgh street food, including Scottish Street Food Award winners, Barnacles and Bones, before grabbing a ticket for a live performance. Booking in advance is recommended to avoid queues on the day. 

Underbelly’s George Square site and programme has been awarded funding from the Scottish Government to help fund outdoor events and support the safe return of live events at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. 

In Bristo Square, Underbelly returns to the iconic Fringe hub with an outdoor site dedicated to street performers and artists.  The safe, spacious and vibrant site is free to enter with a programme of Scottish and UK street performers for visitors to enjoy alongside local street food.

Underbelly Directors Ed Bartlam and Charlie Wood said: “Fringe is back and we couldn’t be more thrilled! Although this year looks a little different, we’re committed to keeping the flame burning and we’re much looking forward to presenting our programme of festival favourites to keep Edinburgh entertained this August. This is such an important time for our artists and our team, and we can’t wait to be working with them again and to seeing you at a show. None of this would be possible without the support of the Scottish Government and we’re incredibly grateful to them for their support for this festival and our sector generally.”

Both George Square Gardens and Bristo Square Covid-19 mitigations will remain subject to Scottish government and local authority regulations and guidance.

Both venues will have a fixed capacity with managed queuing systems for entry to the individual sites.

On arrival, visitors will be asked to register their contact details ahead of entering the event site and the indoor venue at George Square Gardens.  

Should restrictions dictate, a contactless app will be in place and food and bar concessions will operate as table service only. 

Click here for listings so far.

Marcel Lucont picture by Adam Robertson