STARBURST has been covering the Fringe seen for years now, as it’s often the best way to find exciting and interesting talent before anyone else. Every year, we see amazing shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and if we are very lucky, those shows get to come back so we can recommend them to all our lovely readers. Here are ten of the best shows returning to the Fringe.
We absolutely adored the Stephen King-inspired show Raven, which forms one-third of Elf’s Bird Trilogy. Lyon brings a sense of joy, weirdness and unique physicality to all their work. Brilliant.
Mythos Ragnarok
Wrestling is a much-misunderstood art form, but it’s basically high-impact ballet with a bigger audience. Mythos Ragnarok tells classic Norse Myths in the form of a wrestling show. There’s nothing in the world quite like it. Go see and bring your friend who doesn’t get wrestling to come along as well.
Shantify!
Classic Showtunes remixed as sea shanties? Absolutely fantastic. Wall-to-wall bangers throughout, and all performed by some of the most eye-catching talents to be found at London’s West End. Bring your nautical sweater and get ready to clap along.
Dune The Musical
Despite not getting a well-deserved Hugo nomination due to a technicality (apparently, the rules make it almost impossible for live theatre to get nominated), we still love this show. It’s Dune! As a musical. If you have not seen it yet, you really need to do so.
Chris Grace: Sardines (A Comedy About Death)
Of course, Death is funny; that’s why it gets the last laugh. Chris Grace is amazing at talking about important, life-changing things in a very, very funny way. He’s the sort of comedian that other comedians envy; go see.
007 Voices of Bond
The Bond movies have had some amazing music over the years. Let the vocals of Maia Elsy and The Night Owl band delight you with classic tunes such as Goldfinger, Skyfall, Diamonds Are Forever and much more.
LIVE MANGA
Live-action comic book silliness from two of the best clowns in the world. This is a show filled with slapstick, cartoon fun that transcends the language barrier through humour. Fun for all the family.
Boasting the longest title on this list as well as the longest PowerPoint presentation at the Fringe, this excellent shaggy dog story of a show is filled with musical comedy and is a must for filkers and Weird Al fans alike.
Classic Penguins
Watch one incredibly talented idiot run through all the Penguin Classics he can think of in this amazingly stupid show. It is brilliant in the dumbest possible way. Very rude, very clever and a highlight of the festival.
Juliette Burton Going Rogue
A stand-up show about mental health, cosplay, superheroes and everything geeky? There’s a lot to love here, and Juliette Burton is a fantastically kind, clever and deeply funny comedian who gets what loving geeky and nerdy things are all about. Go see.
Our list of new shows coming to 2025’s Edinburgh Fringe can be found here. You may want to check out our previous guides from 2023 and 2024. You may even want to check out our picks for 2025 in other parts of the world, such as New York, Hollywood, Durham, Camden, Greater Manchester, Buxton and Brighton.
You can book for the Edinburgh Fringe via the EdFringe website.
