Edinburgh Fringe Reviews 2026: The best shows of the Fringe

Here are the best shows our critics have seen at the Edinburgh Fringe 2026. | Nick Robertson / Paul Blakemore / Karen Allain / Contributed

placeholder image — Here are the best shows our critics have seen at the Edinburgh Fringe 2026. | Nick Robertson / Paul Blakemore / Karen Allain / Contributed

Here is every show The Scotsman’s critics have given four or five star reviews to this year.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is now well and truly under way, with more than 4,200 shows to take place across the city this August.

Making it the biggest ever edition of the festival to date, the 2026 programme has broken the previous record for number of individual acts showcased which was set more than five years ago.

For those who are hoping to make the most of all the entertainment on offer during the Fringe, there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy exciting shows - from comedy and theatre, to dance, circus and more.

However, choosing which tickets to book can be tricky with so many shows on offer before the end of August - especially with many artists opting for shorter runs than in previous years.

If you’re looking to narrow down your options and find some of the most interesting shows on offer, we can help. Our critics have been hard at work across the festival, highlighting some of this year’s most interesting productions regardless of genre.

Here are all of the best rated shows from the Edinburgh Fringe 2026 according to The Scotsman’s critics.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit the official Edinburgh Fringe website.

The Scotsman has been covering the Edinburgh Festivals since they first began in 1947, with our team of 29 expert critics bringing you daily reviews throughout August.

As well as reviewing shows, The Scotsman also celebrates the best new writing of the festival with our Fringe First Awards, this year presented in partnership with Queen Margaret University.

Below you can find every Fringe First award winner from 2026.

The Scotsman’s Fringe Firsts are the longest running awards of the Edinburgh Festivals, they recognise outstanding new writing which premieres at the Fringe with past winners including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who won in 2013 with Fleabag, John Byrne, Billy Connolly, Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry and many more.

You can find out more about all of our critics, festival coverage, and awards here.

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If you aren’t already, now is the perfect time to subscribe to The Scotsman. For just £2 a month you can enjoy our unrivalled festival coverage and unlimited access to our website, plus 2-for-1 Fringe tickets. You can find out more here.