.jpeg?trim=0,5,0,5&crop=&width=640&quality=70&enable=upscale)
As well as the Fringe from August 1-25, a host of celebrities will be in town for the Edinburgh TV Festival, taking place August 19-22. They include Sir Lenny Henry, Tina Fey, Charlie Brooker, Graham Norton and Michael Sheen.
A host of top comedians will hit the Capital this year, including Paul Merton, Nish Kumar, Jason Byrne and Alan Davies. They will be joined by actors Miriam Margolyes and Michelle Collins, ventriloquist Nina Conti, as well as musicians Bob Geldof and Peter Doherty.
Also appearing in Edinburgh in a matter of days are politician turned comedian Mhairi Black, ‘The Chief’ himself from Scot Squad Jack Docherty, and Glasgow comedian Susie McCabe.
See our gallery below to see the household names already announced to appear at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh TV Festival.
5. Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof's band, The Boomtown Rats, will be among the line-up for this year's Fringe by the Sea festival in North Berwick, performing at the Lodge Grounds on Wednesday, August 6. The Boomtown Rats are an Irish new wave band that had a series of international hits between 1977 and 1985. The group is led by front-man vocalist Bob Geldof. The other members of the original line-up were Garry Roberts (lead guitar), Johnnie Fingers (keyboard), Pete Briquette (bass), GerryCott (guitar) and Simon Crowe (drums). The Boomtown Rats broke-up in 1986, but reformed with original members Geldof, Roberts, Crowe and Briquette in 2013. Their hits include ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’ and ‘RatTrap’. | Fringe By The Sea
6. Alan Davies
Jonathan Creek star Alan Davies will return to the Fringe for the first time in 10 years with his brand new stand-up show Think Ahead. He will perform his hour long show at Gilded Balloon at Appleton Tower – Orchard (venue 140) from July 30 - August 10 at 7.15pm. Alan Davies is a critically acclaimed stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and TV personality. He is a staple of British TV, known for his performance as the eponymous hero of David Renwick’s hugely popular, long-running TV series Jonathan Creek, and as a permanent panellist on QI. His talk show, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled, recently reached its seventh season. He is also one of the UK’s best-loved comedians. His stand-up show Urban Trauma ran in London’s West End and Life is Pain and Little Victories sold out in venues across the UK. | Contributed Photo: Submitted
7. Paul Merton
Have I Got News for You BBC TV star Paul Merton and his wife Suki Webster will once again bring their popular improv show to Edinburgh this August. Following a totally sold out season in 2024, Paul Merton and Suki Webster, two of the UK’s leading improvisers, are delighted to return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year. Expect an hour of wonderfully unscripted cutting-edge comedy in a show full of fast, fabulously funny improvised games and laugh out loud surrealism as these two masters of Comedy Improvisation join forces with Kirsty Newton on the keyboard and their old friend, improv virtuoso Mike McShane, along with many other very special guests to create cascades of laughter and joyful silliness. Paul Merton and Suki Webster's Improv Show, at Pleasance – Grand (Venue 33), August 7-17, 3.30pm. | National World Photo: Steven Scott Taylor
8. Karen Dunbar
Scottish comedy veteran Karen Dunbar (Chewin' The Fat, the Karen Dunbar Show) returns to the Fringe for a limited run of her stand-up tour. Expect TV favourites and new takes on old tales! As well as her TV work, she has presented BBC Radio Scotland series such as Karen Dunbar’s Beautiful Sunday and Karen’s Summer Supplement, as well as being Team Captain on the quiz show Step Back in Time. Karen Dunbar is pictured in the Winners Room with the Performer in a Supporting Role Award for the portrayal of Finlay in 'Still Wakes the Deep' during the BAFTA Games Awards 2025, another string to her talented bow. Her hour-long Fringe show is on at Just The Tonic at the Caves, August 13-24 at 9.05pm. | Getty Images