Edinburgh Fringe 2026: New musicals to see at the festival
Our hotlist for exciting musicals!
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Edinburgh
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10 July 2026
It’s that time of year! The Edinburgh Festival Fringe and International Festivals are back! Expect a heady mix of features, interviews and more over the coming weeks, plus daily recommendations over the first ten days of the festival – on top of dozens of reviews for the most exciting, innovative and headline-making shows.
New musicals have always found purchase at the Edinburgh Fringe – look at Six or Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! – so we love a chance to shine a light on what could be the next big thing – as you can see below. A few housekeeping rules: we’ve kept this list new-new, so any musicals that have been on at the Fringe before aren’t included (there are too many!) and we’ve not featured any show calling themselves a “play with songs”, which feels like a missed opportunity to broaden the definition of a musical by not labelling yourself as such.
Onwards!
An A to Z Guide to Dating
This new one-woman musical comedy is written and performed by Grace O’Keefe (Summoning Sondheim). The narrative framework is adapted from an unapologetic, 1980s dating advice book authored by O’Keefe’s own mother: a text publishers originally claimed would set feminism back by 20 years. Underbelly, George Square – Buttercup, 5 to 31 August
Antigone 1989: A Town Hall Musical
An American retelling of Sophocles’s classic tragedy, transposed to the fictional town of Thebes, California. The plot follows a crisis triggered when a governor labels one deceased brother a hero and erases the other following a protest on the capitol steps. Gilded Balloon Patter House – Other Yin, 5 to 29 August
Apparently Ugly: A Stepsister Story
Written by Nicky Douglas, this family-friendly musical comedy catches up with Cinderella’s stepsisters after she leaves for the palace. Left behind without a happily-ever-after, the sisters embark on a chaotic journey of self-discovery. Underbelly Bristo Square – Ermintrude, 5 to 31 August.
@whatsonstage Bliss the Musical is coming this summer to the Edinburgh Fringe – the largest new musical this year! Have a listen to a brand new MT obsession…
Bliss
Let’s stay in the land of make-believe! Produced by the award-winning team behind Cabaret and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, this major new pop-rock musical follows four princesses who escape their tower and collide with a world governed by fairy godfathers. This is going to be colossal! Pleasance Courtyard – The Grand, 5 to 31 August 2026
Bottom’s Dream
This new adaptation that reframes Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream entirely from the perspective of Nick Bottom. Jade Studio at Greenside at George Street, 7 to 29 August
Brodie and Co.
From the creative team behind the Fringe First-winning musical Jekyll!, this historical piece is rooted in local history, tracking the real life of Deacon William Brodie: a respectable Edinburgh tradesman by day who maintained a secondary life as a prolific thief. Paradise in Augustines – Sanctuary, 24 to 29 August
Disenchanted! The Hit Musical
A lot of love for fairytales this fringe. This cheeky musical mash-up strips standard storybook princesses of their “damsel in distress” personas. Cinderella is done cleaning, Sleeping Beauty is wide awake, and Snow White is leading a charge to storm the castle. We gave it a glowing review during an initial Lichfield season. Pleasance at EICC – Pentland Theatre, 5 to 30 August.
Endometriosis: The Musical
Making its Edinburgh debut after winning three major awards at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, the show follows Jane, an aspiring businesswoman trying to navigate a dismissive healthcare system while dealing with a chronic illness. Gilded Balloon Patter House – Doonstairs, 5 to 31 August
Fuccbois: Live in Concert
Written by award-winning Australian creator Bridie Connell, this musical comedy takes the form of a final farewell concert by the world’s biggest, most toxic boyband as they prepare to retire. Assembly George Square Studios – Studio Two, 5 to 31 August
Girlhood in the Bathroom
A new Australian musical (also a lot of Australia on this list, right?) set entirely inside the square footage of a nightclub bathroom on New Year’s Eve, tracking five women in their 20s over the course of one night. Gilded Balloon Teviot – Dining Roo, 13 to 22 August
Grimm AF
Created by the prominent American musical framework and Fringe legends Baby Wants Candy (the team behind Thrones! and 50 Shades The Musical), this scripted piece features classic fairy tale villains attempting to steal back control of their narratives. Assembly George Square Studios, 5 to 16 August
Heated Rivalry: The Musical Parody!
Produced by the cult Los Angeles comedy framework Quick and Funny Musicals (from Upright Citizens Brigade LA), this is a full-scale parody and affectionate send-up of hockey’s most prominent fictional romance. Gilded Balloon Patter House – Other Yin, 5 to 30 August
Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody
But that’s not all! A separate, competing unauthorised spoof charting the romantic trajectory of fictional golden boy Shane Hollander from “power centre to power bottom.” The show has been a big hit off-Broadway. Perhaps a forbidden romance will evolve between cast members of the two warring shows, in a conceptually rich situation. And maybe you could throw a third parody into the mix… Underbelly Bristo Square – Udderbelly, 5 to 30 August
Legendary
An international solo ritual musical created by award-winning Singaporean singer-songwriter Cheeyang Ng. The narrative threads traditional Chinese mythology (specifically the tales of Pan Gu and Nü Wa) together with personal queer heritage and family history. Underbelly Bristo Square, 5 to 31 August
Mothman: A Romance Musical
An absurdist, alternative sci-fi romantic comedy musical tracking a 1943 super-soldier experiment that goes completely off the rails when a moth slips into the machine. Underbelly, Cowgate – Belly Button, 5 to 30 August
Muse: The Shakespeare Mayhem Musical
Before achieving his legacy, a young William Shakespeare faces a strict logistical bottleneck: his publisher will only agree to print a single play. This prompt sends his greatest characters into a mutinous frenzy to win the slot. Cowbarn at Underbelly Bristo Square, 5 to 30 August
Penelope
Having waited two decades for Odysseus to return from the Trojan War, Penelope takes centre stage to recount The Odyssey from her own distinct perspective over a drink. Underbelly Cowgate – Belly Button, 5 to 30 August
Puck Bunnies: A Heated Rivalry Drag Musical Parody
Make way for the third parody of Heated Rivalry! An ensemble of women and non-binary performers take on the tale in drag, subverting the male-dominated hockey romance arena to deliver a camp, queer parody filled with re-written pop hits and musical theatre anthems. Gilded Balloon Patter House – Other Yin, 5 to 31 August
Remember, Remember!
Winner of the Charlie Hartill Award (always a sign of strong quality), this camp, pro-queer revisionist comedy musical delivers an explicitly inaccurate retelling of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot from the perspective of Robert Catesby. Pleasance Dome – Queen Dome, 5 to 30 August
The Bloody Ballad of Bette Davis
A glittering horror-musical fantasia set in 1975 on the real-world filming set of the movie Burnt Offerings. The plot follows Bette Davis battling Hollywood ageism while managing threats from Oliver Reed, Karen Black, and her own daughter. Assembly Roxy Upstairs, 6 to 30 August 2026
The Real Kyle McCarren
Set in an ambiguous town in upstate America during the early 2000s, the show charts the complicated relationship between Andy and his deceased, former bandmate Kyle, who refuses to let him move on. A lot of hype around this one, especially as it’s produced by Operation Mincemeat’s Avalon. Pleasance Courtyard – Forth, 5 to 30 August
The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth
Following one Sharon Hargreaves, a part-time keyboard warrior who falls deep into internet rabbit holes and joins a flat-Earth convention in Las Vegas, only to find herself caught in a web of mistaken identity. Pleasance Dome – Queen Dome, 5 to 31 August
The Singer
Featuring music by Grammy Award-nominated KT Tunstall and directed by Cora Bissett, this new musical follows the unlikely partnership between Joe, a deaf artist who “sings” with his hands, and Andy, a washed-up musician seeking a comeback. Performed in spoken English and BSL, the musical examines identity and connection as prejudice threatens to push their bond to a breaking point. Traverse Theatre – Traverse 1, 4 to 9, 11 to 16, 18 to 23, and 25 to 30 August
Under the Influence
Identical twins Carine and Frances – known to over 3 million social media followers as @thegilberttwins – find their viral success landing them in intensive couples therapy to unpack their co-dependent working relationship. Underbelly Bristo Square – Friesian, 5 to 31 August
Unheard Voices, Unbroken Spirits
A new Scottish musical written, produced, and performed directly by young people who have lived experience inside the Scottish care system. Gilded Balloon Patter House – Big Yin, 5 to 31 August 2026
