Edinburgh Fringe 2026: The Recs’ First Picks

By The Recs SCD - Steve Coats-Dennis 3 months ago

The Recs’ editor, Steve Coats-Dennis, casts an annual eye over the most keenly-anticipated shows announced so far for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe

With over 2092 titles already on sale for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe – the 79th year in its history, The Recs has sifted through these initial offerings to pick out the dazzling from the detritus to give you a heads-up on the shows you should book immediately.

But before we announce The Recs’ First Picks for Edfringe 2026, there are two things that have really stood out so far.

First: the sheer volume of returning shows. Performers have always brought shows back on subsequent years – it makes sense to return with a tried and tested production, shows build up reputations etc. – but the sheer number of not-new shows could be a worrying sign. The Edinburgh Fringe thrives on originality, on creativity – and venues must encourage new work to keep the excitement and freshness of the world’s largest arts festival going.

Second: please, for the love of God, stop using AI slop for posters and your show’s lead image – it makes your show, which may be brilliant, look cheap. Yes, budgets are tight but a poster is your calling card, your first impression. There are many brilliant freelance creatives on Fiverr who will deliver excellent work without breaking the bank. 

Rant over…let’s look at the First Edinburgh Fringe Shows Already Announced Worthy of Your Attention (in alphabetical order)

Andrew Doherty: Reviewers Welcome... To Die!

“When know-nothing, home-owning reviewer Felix Chatelier is invited to be a special guest at a new fringe festival, he is thrilled. But when he becomes embroiled with creepy townsfolk and horrific twists he must fight for his life and more importantly, his reputation, as he desperately seeks to answer the question ‘Why oh why did I only give Andrew Doherty three stars?’ Reviewers welcome at their peril.“

Okay Andrew, we’ll take the bait! What self-respecting review site could resist such a title!

Doherty has been building up a reputation for himself with Gay Witch Sex Cult and Sad Gay AIDS Play – so The Recs will definitely be checking out his new comedy-horror-revenge-slasher-spooktacular – and we suggest you might, too. 

Bigfoot Ripped My Dog In Half I Saw It

“Two teenagers perform fake Bigfoot sightings in their Appalachian town, until a neighbour’s dog turns up torn to pieces. Aside from sparking a panic that spirals out of their control, it forces them to question what might actually be terrorizing their under-resourced and already superstitious community.“

These triple Fringe First Award winners are always a welcome fixture at the Edinburgh Fringe – but this year is particularly thrilling as they are bringing a world premiere of a new work, shaped by their previous Fringe experiences but also reflecting the landscape of the US and in particular the dangerous potency of misinformation.

Xhloe and Natasha, you had us at ‘nine-foot puppet’

CADEL: Lungs on Legs

“From down under to the top of the podium! The riveting true story of Cadel Evans, the only Australian to win the Tour de France. Returning after a sold-out 2025 premiere, Connor Delves delivers a powerhouse performance, pedalling live on the actual bike Evans rode to victory. Grit, storytelling and heart-pounding energy combine in a breathtaking theatrical ride. “

Connor Delves has long been a favourite performer of The Recs, so it’s a welcome return to Edinburgh with his show about the only Australian to have won the Tour de France.  Last year, our ★★★★★ 5-star review described CADEL: Lungs on Legs as “A tour de force – a great story, passionately told with heart. And lungs!”

We would advise booking early for this unique, must-see show.

Crybabies: The Scaring

“When a former priest checks into a remote hotel, he soon discovers that all is not as it screams (seems). Join the Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated sketch group for a terrifying tale about fear, faith, fathers (dads), fathers (priests), fantoms (phantoms) and finally moving on.“

I’ll let you into a not-that-closely-guarded secret. There are three words that guarantee quality at the Edinburgh Fringe – and those words are Francesca Moody Productions. 

As well as being the production company that originated HUGE hits as Fleabag and Baby Reindeer, Francesca has produced great shows such as Garry Starr: Classic Penguins and Weather Girl which The Recs has reviewed favourably. 

Definitely worth spending some of your Fringe ticket budget on this horror-comedy sketch show

FLOP! The Best Songs From The Worst Musicals

“Arthur Hull returns with an updated version of his blockbusting musical cabaret celebrating Theatreland’s casualties. This love letter to Broadway and the West End features a motley assortment of the misunderstood, critically panned and financially catastrophic musical misfires, including forgotten gems and pleas for redemption!“

We picked Arthur Hull as one of our must-see shows in last year’s pre-Fringe roundup – and we make no apologies for doing so again. 

Our 5-star review concluded, “With the bravado and charm of a showman, the playfulness and enthusiasm of a musical theatre nerd and a voice with such glorious versatility, he’s the whole package.”

And this year, he’s in a far more suitable setting: the Wine Bar at the finally-reopened Gilded Balloon Teviot. Somehow this musical wizard from Oz offers a show that both musical theatre lovers and haters will thoroughly enjoy. 

Kate Butch: A Kate in the Hand is Worth Two in the Butch

“Kate Butch, the star of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, The Power of Parker, Celebrity Mastermind and at least three episodes of Crimewatch, is back in Edinburgh with a new stand-up show. She is on a mission: become a better person or die trying. Through the medium of sequins, proverbs and foliage, join Kate as she dissects the shadiest moments of her life and find out whether you really can teach an old dog to change its spots as it shits in the woods.“

Although we are only at the halfway point of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe shows being announced, there does seem to be a bit of a paucity of drag for 2026.

Thankfully, Edfringe 2026 is being graced by RuPaul’s Drag Race goddess, the wonderful Kate Butch. 

Of last year’s show, Wuthering Shites, we said, “Forget King of the Mountain – all hail Kate Butch, the Comedy Queen of the Fringe!”

Buying your tickets for this brand-new show early is our strong advice. 

REDACTED: The Cover-Up of a Cover-Up of a Cover-Up

“It’s 1973. Marnie Makowski arrives in New Mexico, searching for her missing sister. When a butcher, a pilot, and a priest each reveal fragments of a millennium-spanning conspiracy, Marnie faces a choice: walk away, or uncover the truth. What follows will change everything, for everyone, forever. “

At last year’s Fringe, The Recs fell in love with Voloz Collective – the multi-award-winning international physical theatre company that brought us The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much. 

The heart of our review was that, “Nothing is beyond their inventiveness.”

We are salivating at the prospect of this brand-new show from them that will doubtlessly blend the theatrical with the cinematic once more. 

Salty Brine: HOW STRANGE IT IS (The Neutral Milk Hotel Show)

“Neutral Milk Hotel’s indie-rock triumph In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and Anne Frank’s stunning and candid The Diary of a Young Girl fuse with confessions from Salty’s adolescent longings in this genre-defying cabaret with wit, spectacle and heart. “

“Some shows are so wildly creative and uniquely imaginative that they can leave other Fringe efforts looking distinctly pedestrian” was how we opened our review of Salty Brine’s Edinburgh show two years ago.

A master storyteller, a sublime cabaret performer, a charming charismatic presence makes a welcome return to Edfringe with a new selection from his irresistible The Living Record Collection. Go and have your mind blown! 

The Bob Ross Effect

“We don’t make mistakes, we have happy accidents’. Artist, animal lover and unlikely sex symbol Bob Ross brought art into the living rooms of millions with TV phenomenon The Joy of Painting. With his big heart (and even bigger perm) the paragon of casual Zen taught an entire generation to embrace their creativity.”

Sarah-Louise Young has emerged in recent years as a compelling theatre maker.

Whether it is her globally-successful An Evening Without Kate Bush, her exploration of tribute acts I am Your Tribute or her provocative, highly personal one person show The Silent Treatment, her work manages that rare conjunction of being both entertaining and thought-provoking. 

The Bob Ross Effect promises to be a bold swing of the brush!

Edinburgh Fringe 2026 Tickets

Tickets for our 10 First Picks and 2082 other titles are now onsale via the Official Edinburgh Fringe website.

Click Here

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