The Edinburgh Fringe is fast-approaching, with plenty of famous faces such as Miriam Margolyes and Bill Bailey set to appear during the 2025 festival.
Taking place across 265 venues, there are already more than three-thousand shows lined-up for August and searching for shows can quickly become overwhelming.
But if you are looking for an easy place to begin, sometimes it is easier to start with what - or who - you already know. There are top comedians such as Alan Davies and Nish Kumar set to appear, as well as reality TV show winners like Hannah Byczkowski from The Traitors, or Scotland’s own Peter Sawkins from the Great British Bake Off.
David Hayman and Pete Doherty are among British celebrities with shows at this year’s Fringe. There are then American sitcom stars such as Caroline Rhea and Eden Sher putting on their own shows, in addition to multihyphenate performers including Nick Mohammed, Eunice Olumide MBE, and The Ballad of Wallis Island’s Tim Key.
There is a huge variety to the shows on offer during the Fringe and this list teases just a fraction of the entertainment which will be available in August. But if you are hoping to be inspired - or just looking for some general guidance - here are 36 famous faces with shows at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe.
17. Karen Dunbar
From her roles in Rab C. Nesbitt and Chewin’ the Fat to her self-titled comedy sketch show, Karen Dunbar is a Scottish comedy legend who, fittingly, will sit down to discuss her career for one night only on August 22 at The Stand Comedy Club (Venue 12). If you are still keen to see Dunbar – who recently won Performer in a Supporting Role at the BAFTA Games Award for her performance in Still Wakes The Deep – don’t worry, she will be performing her own stand-up routine at Just the Tonic at The Caves from August 13–24. | Getty Images
18. Michelle Collins
EastEnders star Michelle Collins will make her Edinburgh Fringe debut starring in Motorhome Marilyn. The dark comedy, which was written by Ben Weatherill, follows Denise, an aspiring actress, whose obsession with Marilyn Monroe sees her dream falter as she heads to Hollywood. Motorhome Marilyn will run from July 30–August 25, Doonstairs at Gilded Balloon Patter House (Venue 24). | Getty Images for the NTA's
19. Tom Rosenthal
Known for his roles in shows such as Plebs and Friday Night Dinner, Tom Rosenthal will appear at the 2025 Fringe with his show Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am. Named for the 2006 Arctic Monkeys album, the show sees Rosenthal discuss Wimbledon, Daniel Radcliffe and the weather. It will run from July 30–August 24, Upstairs at Assembly Roxy (Venue 139). | Getty Images for U, UKTV's free
20. Eden Sher
With its very literal title, American actress Eden Sher will bring her show I Was In A Sitcom to Edinburgh once again in 2025. Best known for her role as Sue Heck in The Middle, Sher will explore figuring life out after playing a character on TV for more than a decade. You can catch Eden Sher from July 30–August 4 at Gilded Balloon at the Museum (Venue 64). | Getty Images for The Critics' Ch