First Fringe shows announced for the 2024 festival

It’s almost time to paint the town pink once more as Gilded Balloon announced our first shows for Fringe 2024! This year we will welcome audiences to our wellloved venue hubs throughout August: Patter House in Chambers Street and the National Museum of Scotland’s Auditorium.

Our programme so far includes eight incredible shows with plenty of showstopping surprises coming up by the next on sale at the beginning of April.

It will be a different year for us as for the first time since 2001 Teviot will not be adorned with its pink banners due to Teviot Row House being refurbished. We are excited, however, to focus our efforts on Patter House and the Museum and allow them to fully flourish with their strong programmes and instagrammable bar spaces.

Make no mistake though, we’ll be returning to Teviot with a big pinktastic bang for Gilded Balloon’s 40th anniversary celebrations in August 2025, which is already being planned!

From internationally renowned comedians, rising stars, ground-breaking theatre, spellbinding magic shows and wild and wonderful kids shows, our programme so far includes a new hour from Louise Atkinson following an acclaimed run last year, John Robertson’s The Dark Room and a triumphant return for Hypnotist Matt Hale: Top Fun! 80s Spectacular after a sold out 2023 season.

The UK’s biggest new comedy competition, Best of So You Think You’re Funny? will host a mixed bill show featuring the top three acts from 2023’s competition including winner Samira Banks, pictured, plus Christopher Donovan and Lizzie Norm.

Also part of the 2024 programme is sketch show Biscuit Barrel: Not Another 69 Sketch Show and comedy murder mystery show Locomotive for Murder: The Improvised Whodunnit.

One of Scotland’s fastest rising comedy stars, Glaswegian Kathleen Hughes will showcase her debut hour, plus Britain’s Got Talent magician Cameron Young will bring mind-bending illusions and hilarious comedy to Gilded Balloon this year.

We’re firm believers that it’s never too early to start planning your festival, so I’m encouraging you to begin booking shows now! 2024 also sees the return of our Support the Artist scheme, meaning customers can add an optional £2 to each ticket purchased, given directly to artists themselves.

We hope people will embrace this and give some additional love to our wonderful artists.