Best Edinburgh Fringe Comedy 2026: Every show with a four or five star review from The Scotsman so far

This year’s edition of the festival is among the largest in the event’s history, with more than 3,500 shows running throughout August in almost 300 venues across the city.

While there are plenty of familiar faces due to take to the stage at the Fringe, the sheer number of performances taking place can very quickly become overwhelming.

That’s why critics at The Scotsman have been out and about in Edinburgh, reviewing as many of this year’s comedy offerings as possible.

If you need some inspiration to help you book tickets, here are all of the comedy shows with four or five star reviews by The Scotsman so far.

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 set to bring you reviews daily throughout August.

We also celebrate the best of new writing with our long-running Fringe First Awards. Sponsored this year by Queen Margaret University, previous winners include Billy Connolly and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who premiered Fleabag at the Fringe in 2013. She continues her support of the festival to this day.

As well as the Edinburgh Fringe, our comprehensive coverage includes the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Edinburgh Art Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival. You can find out more about all of our 2026 festival coverage, here.

To stay up to date, why not sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter? There’s no need to miss out on any of the action with our reporters sharing all of the latest from the festival and beyond.

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.