With a song in their hearts, it’s another year of Scottish, UK, and World premieres, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe continues to be a home for the musically gifted and the biggest entertainers across the globe. Here we take a look at some of the musical highlights of this August’s season.
From now until August kicks off, we’ll be releasing our recommendations of the top theatre, comedy, spoken word, film, music, children’s theatre, dance, and visual arts available to audiences across all the city’s festivals. However, this time, rather than focusing solely on genre or performance method, we’ll be examining some of the terrific emerging topics, including Theatre and Sport, Food, and Contemporary Myths. Come along with us and Have a Gander.
If you have a show coming and would like to chat with us about a Q&A or a review, please do get in touch through the ‘contact’ page where one of the team will get back to you!
Club NVRLND crashes into the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a glitter-drenched, pop-fuelled bang, reimagining J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan for the MySpace generation. Written by Olivier Award nominee Jack Holden (Cruise, KENREX) and directed by Offie nominee Steven Kunis, this immersive nightclub musical invites audiences to lose themselves in a world of reckless abandon and Y2K euphoria. Wendy’s wedding plans unravel when she reunites with Peter Pan—NVRLND’s forever-young impresario—and tumbles into a night of intoxicating adventure. With choreography by Ashley Nottingham, design by Suzu Sakai, and music supervision by Hugo Dunn-Vereker, the show pulses with iconic 2000s anthems from Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and Justin Timberlake.
But beneath the glitter and bass drops lies a poignant question: can youth really last forever, or is there magic in growing up? Club NVRLND doesn’t just throw a party—it stages a generational reckoning, celebrating the Millennial urge to escape while gently nudging us toward self-discovery. This 80-minute experience blends immersive theatre with club culture, inviting audiences to stand, move, and dance through a night where happy thoughts abound and the future feels as thrilling as the past.
Venue 322 – Assembly Checkpoint
July 30th – August 25th (21:15)
A bumper selection here, folks, as the phenomenal folks of Captivate Theatre are bringing, not one, not two, not even four shows this Edinburgh Festival Fringe, but nine shows featuring some of the best in rising Scottish talents, and firm favourites.
Across Edinburgh, from the famous Spiegel Tent to Edinburgh Academy, now is the chance for audiences to catch some of Broadway and the WestEnd’s finest (at a fraction of the price). From big hits like Les Misérables, to beloved classics like Annie – Captivate deliver on talent with a communal passion for excellence.
But if you *were* to twist our arms – their Sweeney Todd is to die for.
Various venues and times across August
Sense – A New Musical About Dementia
Making its UK debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Sense is a poignant new musical from Belgian company Plotfish, developed in collaboration with the Alzheimer Liga Vlaanderen. Adapted from the Flemish production Lichtgevoelig, this English-language version follows a family gathering on Christmas Eve, where Grandpa—once the keeper of cherished stories—finds his memories slipping away. As dementia loosens his grip on time, the narrative unfolds through original songs and evocative staging, offering a deeply personal meditation on love, loss, and the shifting roles within families. Directed by Floris Devooght and featuring music by lead performer Femke Verschueren, the show blends emotional depth with artistic finesse.
With a cast including Andrea Croonenberghs, Erik Goris, and Leendert De Vis, Sense marks a historic moment as the first fully Belgian musical to appear at the Fringe. The production invites audiences of all ages to reflect on the power of memory and the resilience of connection, even as time distorts the past. Backed by the Alzheimer’s League, this 70-minute experience runs at theSpaceTriplex from 1–22 August, offering a heartwarming and hopeful tribute to the stories that shape us.
Venue 38 – theSpacetriplex – Big
August 1st – August 22nd (22:45)
Forth Children’s Theatre crank up the amps for their 44th Edinburgh Fringe outing with School of Rock – The Musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s riotous stage adaptation of the cult Jack Black film. Dewey Finn, a failed rocker turned accidental teacher, transforms a class of straight-laced prep school kids into a head-banging, bass-slapping band of mini rock gods. Known for their high-calibre youth productions, FCT have previously wowed Fringe audiences with The Sound of Music, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, and The Addams Family – A New Musical, which have earned glowing five-star reviews from us in previous Fringes. This year, they’re ready to “stick it to the man” and climb to the top of Mount Rock.
This production promises electrifying energy, live music, and a cast of young performers who sing, dance, and play their own instruments. We’ve previously commented on the FCT’s “unrelenting enthusiasm and professionalism,” and early buzz suggests School of Rock will be no exception. Whether you’re a die-hard Lloyd Webber fan or just looking to relive your inner teen rebel, this feel-good musical is set to be one of Fringe 2025’s loudest and proudest family-friendly hits.
Venue 318 – Broughton High School – Main Theatre
August 2nd – 9th (various times)
Back at the Edinburgh Fringe and glitzier than ever, How to Win Against History returns with a dazzling new production from Bristol Old Vic and the Olivier Award-winning team behind Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder! This musical comedy chronicles the life of Henry Cyril Paget, the flamboyant 5th Marquess of Anglesey, who squandered his vast inheritance on diamond-studded costumes, lilac-dyed poodles, and lavish theatrical performances. Beneath the rhinestones lies a poignant tale of queerness, isolation, and defiant self-expression in the face of societal conformity. The show blends camp spectacle with emotional depth, offering a fierce critique of masculinity and privilege.
This musical promises a riot of sequins, satire, and soul. With fruity language and a reputation as one of the Fringe’s most beloved cult hits, it’s already generating buzz as a must-see for 2025. Francesca Moody Productions and Bristol Old Vic bring their signature flair. So you’re craving a show that’s as intellectually sharp as it is visually fabulous, How to Win Against History might just be your ticket to theatrical transcendence.
Venue 300 – Underbelly George Square
July 30th – August 24th (Various times)
World’s Greatest Lover – The New Musical
Gird your loins, folks.
World’s Greatest Lover – The New Musical makes its world premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025, bringing together literature’s most infamous romantics in a pop-fuelled battle for the truth about love. From Romeo’s tragic yearning to Casanova’s slick seduction, Cyrano’s poetic longing to the Marquis de Sade’s provocative edge, these legendary figures clash and croon in a wildly entertaining showdown. Directed and choreographed by Emmy Award-winner Joshua Bergasse (Smash, now also a Broadway musical), the show promises high-octane dance, razor-sharp wit, and a surprising emotional punch. Writers Julien Salvia and Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal, fresh from penning Luxembourg’s 2025 Eurovision entry, infuse the score with theatrical flair and continental charm.
Presented by Broadway International Group, this is a seductive, entertaining and heartfelt Fringe debut with Broadway polish and romantic chaos in equal measure. Whether you’re a hopeless romantic or a cynical realist, this musical might just convince you that love is worth the drama.
Venue 61 – Underbelly, Cowgate – Iron Belly
July 31st – August 24th (18.40)
After a smash-hit 2024 Fringe debut and a riotous nine-week London run at Underbelly Boulevard, Pop Off, Michelangelo! returns to Edinburgh with its high-camp, electropop-fuelled Renaissance fever dream. Childhood pals-turned-rivals Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci discover they’re both gay just as a bloodthirsty friar begins hunting homosexuals in 16th-century Italy. Their solution? Become the greatest religious artists of all time to earn divine forgiveness. What follows is a gloriously unhinged romp through art history, queer panic, and ecclesiastical ambition, featuring a strong score and a script that gleefully ignores historical accuracy.
Presented by Blair Russell Productions, this joyously chaotic, queer and smart production was a must-see for 2024. With Dylan MarcAurele’s irreverent book, Joe McNeice’s bold direction, and a cast led by Max Eade and Aidan MacColl, Pop Off, Michelangelo! is a glitter-drenched, queer-coded masterpiece that’s equal parts satire and sincerity. If you missed it last year, now’s your chance to repent. Or at least laugh your way to salvation.
Still not convinced? Read our five-star 2024 here!
Venue 139 – Assembly Roxy – Upstairs
July 13th – August 24th (12:00)
Footballers’ Wives: The Musical
Footballers’ Wives: The Musical storms into the Edinburgh Fringe 2025 with stilettos, scandal, and sequins, transforming the cult ITV drama into a gloriously over-the-top stage spectacle. Tanya Turner, the scheming captain’s wife, claws her way through a world of noughties excess, desperate to save her marriage and her husband’s career amid a backdrop of drug-fuelled parties, attempted murder, and tabloid-worthy drama. With music and lyrics by Kath Gotts (Bad Girls: The Musical) and a book by original series creator Maureen Chadwick, this new British musical is directed by Anthony Banks (The Girl on the Train) and choreographed by Arlene Phillips, promising a pitch-perfect blend of sass, satire, and soap opera chaos.
Led by Ceili O’Connor as Tanya and India Chadwick as Chardonnay, with a studio cast album already praised for its attitude and well-crafted songs, expect noughties fashion, sexual impropriety, and absolutely no football – just high drama, heartbreak, and infectious showtunes.
Venue 20- Assembly Rooms – Music Hall
July 30th – August 24th (18:35)
Jackie! explodes onto the Edinburgh Fringe 2025 with pillbox hats, political scandal, and a razor-sharp sense of humour. This new musical comedy from Blair Russell Productions (Pop Off, Michelangelo!, DIVA: Live From Hell!) reimagines Jacqueline Bouvier’s rise to First Lady fame as a glittering but deeply compromised ascent. With Joe Kennedy orchestrating behind the scenes, JFK chasing anything that moves, and sister Lee drifting away, Jackie finds herself trapped in a dynasty where silence is survival and glamour is a weapon. Developed by Joe McNeice, Max Alexander-Taylor, and Nancy Edwards, the show blends biting satire, punchy electropop numbers, and absurdist flair to expose the darker side of America’s royal family.
Looking to be a dazzling and daring piece, with early previews highlighting its fast-paced storytelling and provocative parallels between Kennedy-era politics and today’s influencer culture. Jackie may have walked so modern icons could run—but Jackie! asks whether the cost of notoriety is ever truly worth it.
Venue 24- Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Big Yin
July 30th – August 25th (18:30)
Mary: A Gig Theatre Show returns to the Edinburgh Fringe 2025 with its electrifying blend of folk-rock and feminist fury. Created by Knot Tied Theatre and Emma Ruse Productions, this bold reimagining of Mary Queen of Scots’ life fuses original music, spoken word, and riotous storytelling to interrogate the brutal legacy of patriarchal power. With guitars, drums, fiddle, and harmonica underscoring the action, the band not only narrates Mary’s journey but embodies the key players in her downfall. Written by Rona Johnston and directed by Katie Slater, the show offers a visceral, emotionally charged response to the queen’s persecution, performed by a powerhouse ensemble of early-career Scottish theatre-makers.
With pulsing lights, loud soundscapes, and references to blood and murder, it promises a fifty-minute riot of resistance, rage, and reclamation. If you’re looking for a gig that hits harder than history books, Mary might just be your crown jewel.
Have a read of our 2024 review, before Mary: A Gig Theatre Show became a Fringe sensation!
Venue 24 – Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Other Yin
August 14th – August 21st (21:00)
Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence
Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence storms back into the Edinburgh Fringe 2025 with glitter, grit, and goal defence. Presented by Crash Theatre Co and House of Oz, this genre-bending musical theatre comedy transplants Shakespeare’s most ambitious anti-heroine into the high-stakes world of teenage netball. With unchecked ambition, fierce rivalries, and an electropop soundtrack pulsing beneath the drama, the show reimagines Macbeth as a cautionary tale of sporty girl power. Directed by a powerhouse team of West Australian artists, it’s a whirlwind of sweat, sass, and Shakespearean sabotage.
Following its multi-award-winning 2024 season, Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence returns with even sharper choreography, tighter harmonies, and a cast that serves ambition hotter than a centre pass. Accessible, audacious, and absolutely unmissable. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when Elizabethan tragedy meets Aussie teen drama—this is your courtside ticket.
Venue 17 – Assembly George Square Studios – Studio One
July 30th – August 25th (16:15)
Interested in being featured? With many previews and Q&As lined up, we’re always happy to chat about including your show in future articles. Please do get in touch through the contact page to feature in an upcoming ‘Have A Gander’