Edinburgh Festivals Diary: How transphobia and racism has become a theme of this year's Fringe

At the next table is a man in a superhero outfit, complete with matching space helmet, typing away on his laptop. In a corner is another artist who I have never seen without a full face of clown make up - but in ordinary clothes. Two people in drag have just left and a performer dressed head to toe in a silver, glittery outfit has arrived and poured themselves a cup of coffee.

Somehow, despite this melting pot of creativity and freedom of expression expression which has become synonymous with the near-80 year old festival, hate and intolerance have somehow become major themes of this year’s Fringe - with multiple performers getting in touch to tell me their stories of racist, homophobic and transphobic attacks.

One performer told me how she was physically assaulted while flyering in costume and a gay comedian spoke of being called a “pussy” while walking in Edinburgh. Another artist, a Cuban American, was told to “go home”, while a Palestinian double Fringe First winner had his posters defaced in the Meadows and elsewhere in the city with phrases including “deport them” and “F-you foreigners”.

We were forced to remove the comment section on the social media post of one story I published at the weekend due to the absolutely abhorrent messages being posted in support of the attackers.

What was most surprising to so many of these performers - and me - was that they have attended the Fringe for many years - and have never before had problems like this.

Mari Moriarty, who performs under the name Fempaths in her show Transistor Radio Hour, said she had experienced anti-trans harassment five times a week while flyering in Edinburgh, adding that there is a “marked difference” in tolerance from when she held shows at the Fringe before the pandemic.

“It’s so different to my first experience here,” she told me.

Qasim Salam, producer of The Bridge, by theatre-maker Alaa Shehada, agreed.

“I’ve been doing this a long time at the Fringe and it was quite jarring to see it happen here which is such a safe space for so many artists - so it really threw us,” he said. “But it is happening everywhere.”

Therein lies the problem. The rise of the far right around the world has allowed some people permission to act on thoughts which they previously would not have voiced.

A recent report by United Nations watchdog the committee on the elimination of racial discrimination warned that “racist hate speech” being used by Donald Trump and other US political leaders, along with the country’s intensified crackdowns on migration, has led to “grave human rights violations”.

Closer to home, according to recent figures released by Police Scotland, hate crime charges reached a record high of 7,115 cases during 2025–26, a 17 per cent increase from the previous year. Racial prejudice remains the most frequently reported category, followed by offenses aggravated by hostility toward sexual orientation and disability.

The increase follows the introduction of hate crime laws in 2024, which created a new crime of “stirring up hatred” relating to age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex. Crimes of this nature would previously potentially have not been classed as hate crimes, potentially skewing the statistics.

Yet the fact remains that the incidents occurred. Many do not get reported. When I asked Ms Moriarty if she had reported the physical attack on her during the Fringe, she laughed. “What’s the point?” she asked.

On the other hand, many drag shows are proving popular, with many popular performers selling out.

Ms Moriarty was confused when almost half of her audience walked out of her first show after she sang the line “I am transgender”.

“I don’t know what they expected,” she told me, adding that she had had to start being selective in who she hands flyers to, targeting people who look as if they are more likely to be open to the content of her show.

Come on, Edinburgh. Get it together. We cannot - and will not - allow this to pass.