Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026

We will return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer building on the success of our landmark 2025 programme. We will present two ‘Enhance’ shows alongside a new showcase, in partnership with Underbelly.

Underbelly and ZOO have committed to ensuring every show in their programme is 100% visually impaired accessible by including at least one accessible performance. On top of this, ‘Big Four’ venues Pleasance and Assembly, alongside The Space, have also pledged to significantly increase their provisions.

Thanks to Paul Hamlyn Foundation funding, headlining Underbelly’s accessible programme for the festival will be two shows featuring Extant Enhance, pioneering programme that augments performances for visually impaired audiences, providing low-fi interventions of live programme notes and creative touch tours, presented by the theatre company one hour before the performance.

Extant will also provide all of Underbelly’s staff and the show’s creators with visual impairment awareness training. Visually impaired audiences will be encouraged to attend Enhance performances and thanks to the Postcode Society Trust we will add to this unique programme our visually impaired artists showcase and Meet Extant event.

Upcoming Events

Enhance Performances – Monday 17th August

For both Enhance Performances, Extant will be offering a limited number of FREE tickets to visually impaired audience members, these are on a first come, first served basis. To request a free ticket, please email [email protected] or call 020 7820 3737.

Jellyfish by Blah Blah Productions

Pre-show Programme Notes and Touch Tour – 11:15am

Performance – 12:15pm

Venue: Underbelly Bluebell, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD.

Nova and T have just turned 100 years old – but still look 30. For one day only, the twins host an exclusive interview revealing the secrets behind their eternal youth. Peek into this dystopian daily routine; 4:30am alarms. Red-light therapy. Shock treatments. Botox. Blood transfusions. 20+ supplements. No friends. No fun. Ultimate rule: Don’t die.

Tickets from £14.50, free companion ticket available.

Show information: https://underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/event/jellyfish#performance

How’s Your Head? By Aarian Mehrabani

Pre-show Programme Notes and Touch Tour – 4:45pm

Performance – 5:45pm

Venue: Underbelly Bluebell, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD.

Aarian is a triple threat. Brown, blind and bi. Arguably already too many things to talk about in a debut stand-up hour. Then 2024 came, and he only had to go and get f**king brain cancer. The highly anticipated debut stand-up show from the multi-award-winning writer of the 2023 Fringe hit It’s a Motherf**king Pleasure.

Tickets from £13.50, free companion tickets available.

Show information: https://underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/event/aarian-mehrabani-hows-your-head#performance

Meet Extant– Monday 17th August 

Join us for Meet Extant 3-4pm.

Hosted by Extant, the UK’s leading visually impaired performing arts company, come along and meet Caroline Jeyaratnam-Joyner, our Enhance Training Manager, Kirin Saaed, Enhance advocate and Founder of Visually Impaired Creators Scotland and Neil Skene, Enhance advocate and Comedian. Free refreshments will be provided alongside networking and discussions.

Meet Extant will take place 3-4pm at Underbelly’s Abattoir café, this is located by the purple upside-down cow at George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD.

To attend Meet Extant please RSVP to [email protected] and [email protected] and let us know if you have any access/dietary requirements.

Visually Impaired Artist Showcase – Tuesday 18th August

Extant present this unique showcase featuring the UK’s most exciting visually impaired performing artists who are smashing stand-up, cabaret, dance and theatre, supported by Extant’s trademark creative audio description. Hosted by blind non-binary bisexual drag king Tito Bone, presenting an excerpt from their acclaimed show An Evening with Tito Bone, the showcase features a blunder of blind artists including: Aarian Mehrabani (How’s You Head?), Ebony Rose Dark (Growing Nostalgia), Tom Skelton (VIP – Visually Impaired Papa), Neil Skene (The Belligerency of Blindness), Shashank Sharma’s Iranian-influenced The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of, and experimental choreographer Holly Thomas (Half Light Productions). 

Time: 3pm-4:30pm.

Running time: 90 minutes.

Content warning: 14+ Contains strong language and swearing.

Venue address: Underbelly Jersey, Bristo Square (Teviot Place), Edinburgh, EH8 9AG.

Book a free ticket here for the showcase and let Extant know on [email protected] if you have any access requirements. 

Visually Impaired Led and/or Visually Impaired Accessible Performances

Articles & Press

RNIB Connect Radio, Interview, Dr Maria Oshodi, 29th June 2026  https://audioboom.com/posts/8922000-extant-returns-to-the-edinburgh-festival-fringe-as-they-continue-to-lead-the-conversation-around

RNIB Connect Radio, Interview, Amelia Cavallo, 16th June 2026 https://audioboom.com/posts/8917161-extant-accessible-showcase-of-visually-impaired-artists-edinburgh-festival-fringe-18-august-2026

Theatre Village, news article, Grace Hatchell, 5 May 2026 https://www.theatrevillage.co.uk/is-edinburgh-fringe-becoming-more-accessible-for-visually-impaired-audiences-and-is-extant-leading-the-way/

The Stage, news article, Giverny Masso, 26 May 2026  https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/underbelly-commits-to-accessible-performances-for-every-edfringe-show

 

Accessible Edinburgh Fringe Activity

Sight Scotland have created a Guide to Accessible Arts at the Edinburgh Festivals 2026