Summerhall Arts have announced 36 new shows as part of their 2026 Edinburgh Fringe programme.
Triple Fringe First winners Xhloe and Natasha (What If They Ate The Baby?, And Then The Rodeo Burned Down) will premiere their newest show Bigfoot Ripped My Dog In Half I Saw It in the Main Hall. It will explore conspiracy and misdirection, and feature clowning, choreography and a nine-foot puppet. Euan Munro also brings Playback, a true story about a child YouTuber, to the Fringe.
Two shows from the Made in Scotland Showcase will be performed at Summerhall. Circus and aerial specialists Sadiq Ali Company will bring a new perspective on living with HIV with their show Tell Me, while playwright and drag artist Nelly Kelly will use DIY cabaret and political theatre to explore Scotland’s shift from being world-leading on LGBT+ rights, to the rise of the anti-trans movement.
Summerhall also have three festival awards to support artists to bring their work to the Fringe. The Mary Dick Award, presented to Deaf or disabled artists working in the UK goes to Patch of Blue and 3hc, who will premiere a joyful and moving exploration of care titled You and Me (and Whoever Comes Next).
Contemporary performance artist Althea Young has been awarded The Autopsy Award and will premiere The Dreaming, an exploration of topics such as reproduction, mutant babies and alien insemination. The Meadows Award has been given to Palestinian multidisciplinary artist Fadi Murad for his theatre show Come Back Home, which explores grief and dispossession.
Several popular shows from previous festivals will return to Summerhall this Fringe, including Creepy Boys’ SLUGS, Scott Turnbull’s “edutainment show” Surreally Good and Binge Culture’s immersive show Werewolf. Pickering’s Gin will also return with a reworked version of Speakeasy Experience.
Summerhall’s programme reflects their commitment to hosting diverse and intersectional work, with 60% of their shows led by women, 24% led by artists of colour, and 30% featuring and LGBT+ narrative.
A full list of all shows is available on Summerhall Arts’ website.
Words by Ellen Leslie