Each August, Scotland’s capital transforms into the world’s largest performance playground—but navigating Edinburgh Fringe Festival’s 3,000+ shows can feel like scrolling through every queer dating app at once. Chaotic. Overwhelming. Yet brimming with potential.
That’s where we come in. We’ve sifted through the noise to spotlight the queer women and trans artists bringing big laughs, raw truths, and theatrical brilliance to this year’s festival. From BAFTA-winning legends to breakout comics on the rise, these are the unmissable shows bringing heart, heat, and high camp to the Fringe. Swipe right on these ten gems.
Miriam Margolyes – Margolyes & Dickens: More Best Bits
Venue: Assembly George Square
Genre: Theatre / Literary / Comedy
The legend returns. BAFTA winner, Fringe favorite, and unabashed icon Miriam Margolyes is back with more dramatic readings of Charles Dickens, this time with bonus sass. Expect her trademark blend of stagecraft and shameless oversharing—plus a Q&A segment that guarantees at least one scandalous anecdote per night.
Mary O’Connell – Money Princess
Venue: Monkey Barrel
Genre: Stand-Up Comedy
Sharp, stylish, and deeply funny, Mary O’Connell tackles class, adulthood, and the chaos of being the eldest daughter in a house full of interracial couples. Her comedy cuts deep but wears glitter—and if you’ve ever felt too tired to be anyone’s role model, this one’s for you.
Alex Stringer – The Ripe Age of Now
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard
Genre: Stand-Up Comedy / Storytelling
Addiction, recovery, and society’s obsession with binge culture all get skewered in this raw debut from one of 2025’s Chortle Comedy Award “Hot Shots.” Alex Stringer is sharp, vulnerable, and never self-serious—a rising trans comic worth every minute of your time.
Britt Migs – Dolphin Mode
Venue: Underbelly Cowgate
Genre: Stand-Up Comedy / Queer Chaos
Emmy-winning writer Britt Migs peels back the layers of her bisexual awakening, her divorce from a Super Bowl–loving ex, and the time she fell in love with a sex bot powered by iTunes gift cards. Unfiltered and unforgettable.
Jessie Nixon – Don’t Make Me Regret This
Venue: Just the Tonic
Genre: Stand-Up Comedy
Polyamory, poetry, and late-stage capitalism. Jessie Nixon’s debut mixes smart, self-aware humor with the kind of grounded storytelling that sticks with you. One for the queers who like their punchlines with a side of Marxism.
Lily Blumkin – Nice Try
Venue: Gilded Balloon
Genre: Character Comedy / Theatre
Fresh off a sold-out NYC run, this Emmy-winning Daily Show writer brings a surreal, character-driven solo show about memory, Jewish identity, and childhood chaos. Think absurdist comedy with emotional depth—like a gender-expansive Bo Burnham on mushrooms.
Scout Durwood – Apocalypse Cabaret
Venue: Assembly George Square – Spiegeltent
Genre: Musical / Cabaret
Queer burlesque meets Broadway meets doomsday cult. Scout Durwood’s apocalyptic musical comedy is glittery, absurd, and surprisingly moving. Imagine Katy Perry, but make it existential.
Laurie Magers – Do You Accept These Charges?
Venue: Summerhall
Genre: True Crime Theatre / Storytelling
A love story, a drug smuggling plot, and a phone sex scandal—all rolled into one jaw-dropping autobiographical show. Laurie Magers brings vulnerability and grit to this true tale of queer love and prison life told through phone call reenactments.
Aideen McQueen – Waiting for Texto
Venue: Laughing Horse @ The Counting House
Genre: Comedy / Solo Theatre
Breakups, bad decisions, and the kind of ghosting that deserves an exorcism. Aideen McQueen delivers Irish wit with dark undercurrents in this smart, raw hour about dating, addiction, and getting left on read.
