The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has unveiled its 2025 printed programme, highlighting 3,352 shows across 265 venues. Although more shows will be added online as the festival approaches, comedy remains the largest section with 1,214 shows, making up 36.2% of the programme. Following closely are the 930 theatre shows, comprising 27.7% of the festival.
Despite concerns about the festival's future, show numbers have increased slightly by just over 1% compared to last year, although the total number of performances has dropped by 3.7% from 51,446 to 49,521. This indicates a trend towards shorter runs.
The comedy section has seen a reduction of 96 shows, a 7% decrease, with its share of the programme dropping nearly three percentage points.
Tony Lankester, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, expressed excitement about the programme launch, thanking all those involved in creating the festival's vibrant atmosphere. He encouraged audiences to explore the wide variety of performances, from theatre and circus to music, dance, and comedy.
Among the 3,352 shows, 321 are free, and 529 operate on a pay-what-you-can basis. Comedy enthusiasts can find more information on Chortle’s list of Edinburgh Fringe comedy shows.
Source: Chortle (UK)