The Edinburgh Festival Fringe was one of the many artistic casualties of the global pandemic, meaning the streets of the Capital have remained free of the usual August hubbub since the last full edition was held back in 2019.
The return of the event, scheduled to take place from August 5-29, will be welcomed by all those who missed the annual cultural feast, as well as business owners who rely on the huge number of visitors that flock to the city.
Nearly 300 shows have already gone on sale, with all the main venues planning to put on a full programme of theatre, comedy, music and arts – from the Pleasance Courtyard and Gilded Balloon, to the Stand Comedy Club and Summerhall.
Here are 10 of the shows you can bag seats for now – with tickets available at the Edinburgh Fringe website.
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Nearly 300 shows have already gone on sale, with all the main venues planning to put on a full programme of theatre, comedy, music and arts – from the Pleasance Courtyard and Gilded Balloon, to the Stand Comedy Club and Summerhall.
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Some of the shows already on sale for this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Photo: Contributed
. Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee has announced two shows at the Fringe. He'll be reprising his show 'Snowflake' for the last time at The Stand's New Town Theatre, while also performing a work in progress entitled 'Basic Lee' at The Stand Comedy Club. Photo: Contributed
9. Dr Phil Hammond
Dr Phil Hammond, who has written with great insight about the global pandemic under his guise as Private Eye magazine's MD, is bringing two shows to this year's Fringe, both at theSpace venue. In 'Dr Hammond's Covid Inquiry' he will be discussing the pandemic and the wide-ranging effect it has had on all our lives, while in 'How I Ruined Medicine' he'll be revealing stories from his 37 years working in the NHS. Both should be essential viewing. Photo: Contributed
10. Tarot
One of the most intriguing sketch acts to have emerged in recent years, Tarot scored one of the most critically-acclaimed comedy shows of the 2019 Fringe. They're now back with 'Cautionary Tales', sure to be a hot ticket at the Pleasance Courtyard this August. Photo: Contributed