Gilded Balloon has announced its first shows on sale for the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with 17 productions across comedy, theatre, musicals, cabaret, magic and improv, marking the first exciting reveal of its 2026 programme.
First off the block is the return of the much-loved Gilded Balloon co- production Doris, Dolly and the Dressing Room Divas, a five-star, audience favourite hailed by critics and adored by Fringe-goers. Packed with razor-sharp wit, glorious harmonies and irreverent backstage tales, the show lifts the curtain on the lives, loves and legendary dressing rooms of Doris Day, Dolly Parton, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and “the filthiest Julie Andrews ever to grace the boards”.
This first on-sale announcement also marks the towering return of Gilded Balloon to its beloved Teviot home in Bristo Square, reopening for the Fringe with newly upgraded performance spaces and facilities and all it's charm from Fringes past.
Audiences can expect the same electric Fringe atmosphere, with an even better festival experience across four venues as Patter House and Gilded Balloon at the National Museum of Scotland return alongside a brand new addition for Fringe, the Gilded Saloon, our year-round pub venue over the road.
Karen and Katy Koren, Artistic Directors of Gilded Balloon, said: “Announcing our first shows on sale is always one of our favourite moments - it’s when the Fringe really starts to come alive. We’re especially thrilled to bring back the fabulous Doris, Dolly and the Dressing Room Divas, which audiences absolutely adored, alongside such a brilliant mix of comedy, theatre, cabaret, musicals, magic, improv and more. 2026 is a particularly special year as we return to our home of 25 years -Teviot Row House, the venue that means so much to us, to artists and to audiences. With upgraded spaces and an exciting first wave of shows now on sale, we can’t wait to welcome everyone back and share what’s shaping up to be a fantastic Fringe.”
Comedy favourites and Fringe cult hits
Showman, jester, attention chaser, Christopher Hall is back with his sparkling new show Pizazz. Instantly recognisable from iconic Background Singer videos with Sugababes, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Shania Twain and the Stay Hydrated podcast, Chris (1.2M Instagram and TikTok followers) is back IRL with his brilliantly hilarious stand-up show with a high possibility of an outbreak of dancing. Come along with Chris on the dream night out.
Sketch lovers can catch Biscuit Barrel: The 69-Sketch Show at Teviot 69 sketches in one hour from the five-star, seventh-time Fringe favourites - while improv chaos reigns with John Robertson’s legendary The Dark Room (pictured) the best-reviewed comedy show of the Fringe 2025, back with brand-new death-traps.
Improv continues with Pinch Punch’s sell-out favourite Locomotive for Murder: The Improvised Whodunnit, ShakeItUp Theatre’s The Improvised Shakespeare Show, and the return of Tartan Tabletop: A Dungeons & Dragons Comedy, welcoming tabletop fans and total beginners alike.
Meanwhile, Best of the Queer Fringe, presented by The Queer Comedy Club, hosts a different line-up of LGBTQ+ stand-up stars every night, fresh from their hit TV series and Fringe sell-outs. Married at Fringe Sight, the exciting crowd-work show where the audience decide who gets married by the end of the show also guarantees a “hilariously funny” (The Guardian) night out. Don't forget your hat!
Theatre, cabaret and bold new musicals
Theatre highlights include the powerful, critically acclaimed CADEL: Lungs on Legs, telling the extraordinary true story of Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, and Wiesenthal, the five-star play based on the life of Holocaust survivor and Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal.
Musical and cabaret fans can enjoy award-winning showman Arthur Hull in FLOP! The Best Songs from the Worst Musicals, and the bold, high-energy British musical GIRLZ, returning bigger and brighter following its Best Musical nomination last year.
Magic, mayhem and spectacle
Magic fans are spoiled for choice with the return of global sensations Insane Magic, whose sell-out hit 1 Hour of Insane Magic promises jaw-dropping new illusions in a larger venue at Teviot, alongside 1 Hour of Insanity, a fast-paced circus-comedy spectacular likened to “a family-friendly version of La Clique” (★★★★ WorldMagicReview.com).
Also at Teviot, Elliot Bibby: Abracadada blends big laughs, parenting chaos and impossible illusions in a high-energy magic show for all ages, while multi-award-winning Hypnotist Matt Hale brings his smash-hit Funbelievable! 90s Rewind to Patter House, a full-throttle hypnoshow packed with nostalgia and audience participation.
Further programme announcements will follow in the coming months. Tickets on sale from noon today.
