Edinburgh festival

The shows must go on: the best of Edinburgh fringe, in person and online

From a play in a car park to an online event from a shed, this year’s festival is finding new ways to entertain

Natasha Tripney

31, Jul, 2021 @7:00 AM

‘I’m double-vaxxed and won’t spit on you!’ Six standups on returning to live comedy

Andrew Maxwell, Olga Koch, Sadia Azmat and more reflect on the return of audiences after a year away – plus offer up some new jokes!

As told to Leonie Cooper

31, Jul, 2021 @7:00 AM

Enda Walsh: ‘All my plays are about people who haven’t been loved or looked after’

The Irish playwright is known both for feverishly claustrophobic plays – including his latest, Medicine – and big commercial hits. If a project doesn’t feel right, he fires himself

Mark Fisher

12, Jul, 2021 @8:38 AM

Camels, clowns and sex education: what to see at Edinburgh fringe 2021

The festival has shrunk because of Covid but there are plenty of shows in person and online this summer – here’s our pick of the first to be announced

Chris Wiegand

01, Jul, 2021 @2:31 PM

Edinburgh fringe: plans unveiled for far smaller ‘joyous’ festival

Venues include beaches, city squares and pedestrianised streets as organisers adapt to Covid rules

Severin Carrell Scotland editor

01, Jul, 2021 @9:15 AM

Edinburgh fringe performers feel ‘jilted’ as Covid closes venues again

Only a handful of events will be staged this year as producers complain about ‘dithering’ by council and Scottish government

Vanessa Thorpe

13, Jun, 2021 @8:15 AM

Edinburgh festivals offered millions in emergency funding

The Fringe, international and book festivals forced to curtail August’s event for second year running

Severin Carrell

10, Jun, 2021 @6:26 PM

Edinburgh international festival returns with music-heavy lineup

With theatre and dance scaled back, music dominates, including concerts from Simon Rattle, Damon Albarn, Nicola Benedetti and Laura Mvula

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

02, Jun, 2021 @11:28 AM

Edinburgh festival fringe threatened by Covid rules, says organiser

CEO calls on Scottish ministers to replace 2-metre rule with 1 metre to secure future of world’s largest arts festival

Clea Skopeliti

29, May, 2021 @3:01 PM

Edinburgh international festival plans outdoor return for 2021

Organisers hope outdoor pavilions and shorter performances will make event ‘relatively bulletproof’

Mark Brown Arts correspondent

13, Apr, 2021 @10:49 AM

All the fret of the fringe: Annie Griffin’s cringe-filled trip to the Edinburgh festival

Our series on films about theatre continues with a boozy, darkly funny comedy that captures the event’s pick’n’mix quality