The Pleasance Theatre Trust has celebrated a successful 42nd Edinburgh Festival Fringe after issuing more than 484,100 tickets, winning 25 awards and investing over £100,000 directly into artist support and development.
More than 250 shows were presented across Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance Dome and the EICC, alongside pop-up venues in the Grassmarket and Leith Arches, showcasing established artists and emerging talent from the UK and beyond.
The programme earned widespread critical acclaim, collecting a Scotsman Fringe First, two Edinburgh Comedy Awards, three of The Stage’s Fringe Five awards, two List Festival Awards and three Bestie Awards.
Anthony Alderson, director of the Pleasance Theatre Trust, said: “Every year I’m blown away by the extraordinary talent, imagination and ambition of the artists who choose to make the Pleasance their home. This year has been no exception and the remarkable number of awards and nominations across the programme is testament to the extraordinary work we’ve seen on our stages.
“Curiosity is at the heart of the Fringe; artists taking risks, audiences taking a chance on something they know nothing about and all of us being open to the possibility of discovering something extraordinary. That wonderful mix of established and much-loved names alongside artists arriving at the Fringe for the very first time is what makes the Pleasance so special.
“In a world increasingly determined to tell us what we already like, there is something rather wonderful about thousands of people coming together simply prepared to be surprised.
“A huge thank you to every artist, audience member and member of our remarkable team who made this festival possible. Stay curious.”
Artist development remained a central focus of the organisation’s work in 2026, with Pleasance Futures continuing to support emerging theatre-makers through financial investment and development opportunities.
This year’s Charlie Hartill Fund recipients included WIT? Theatre’s Remember, Remember! and Maryam Garad’s Reparations, while the Pleasance Comedy Reserve showcased Ciara O’Connor, Eli Hart, Laura Walsh and Roman Harris.
The Edinburgh National Partnerships programme returned for an eighth year, supporting productions from across the UK including MAN!FEST: The Drag Boyband Musical, The Pitch, CAMPITALISM: Three Gays Try to Fix The Economy, Meet Mayor Max and Amnesia.
Accessibility remained a priority throughout the festival, with captioned, relaxed, audio-described and British Sign Language interpreted performances presented across the programme. The venue also expanded its accessible performance programme by 26% since 2025 and partnered with organisations including Sight Scotland, Deaf Action and Birds Of Paradise to provide specialist training for more than 250 staff members.
The Pleasance Welfare Programme, delivered in partnership with PlayWell and supported by The Theatrical Guild, continued for a fourth year. More than 2,000 artists, staff and volunteers accessed support through counselling clinics, wellbeing sessions and dedicated social spaces.
The organisation also welcomed 1,400 Edinburgh primary school pupils to free performances during the final week of the festival as part of its education programme. Productions included Hello Birds, Seedheart, Frogs in Bogs, The Mystery of Pleasance Two and CODE.
Award success came across theatre and comedy. Edinburgh National Partnership production Amnesia won a Scotsman Fringe First and the Holden Street Theatres Award, while CAMPITALISM: Three Gays Try to Fix The Economy received the Brighton Fringe Award for Excellence.
At the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Marty Gleeson won the Best Newcomer Award for Marty Gleeson: Dog Ear. Fellow Pleasance artists Dom McGovern, Freddie Meredith, Omar Badawy and Tom Towelling were also nominated in the newcomer category.
Li Jin Hao: Falling From a Moon and Spencer Jones: Dogs were shortlisted for the Audible Best Comedy Show Award, while charity event One Joke, organised by Jonathan Oldfield and Fringe producers Liebenspiel, received the Audible Panel Prize.
The Stage’s Fringe Five awards recognised The Real Kyle McCarren, Trans People Are Awful and Gameplay, while The Real Kyle McCarren also won Musical Theatre Review’s Best Musical Award.
Further recognition came from The List Festival Awards, with Ockham’s Razor’s Collaborator winning Best Dance, Circus & Physical Theatre Show and Charlaina Thompson and Yellow Brick Theatre Company’s DUST winning Best Show From Adelaide.
The Pleasance also celebrated success at Theatre Weekly’s Best of the Fest Awards, where Acid’s Reign won Best LGBTQ+ Show, Dylan Thomas: Return Journey was named Hidden Gem and Sanctuary received Best Fringe Debut.
For the 34th consecutive year, the Pleasance partnered with Waverley Care, Scotland’s leading HIV and Hepatitis C charity. The annual Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit raised £11,250, while bucket collections across the festival generated £52,342, bringing the total raised for the charity to £63,592.
With the 2026 festival now concluded, the Pleasance is already looking ahead to next year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe and another programme of comedy, theatre, circus, dance, magic and family work.
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