Brighton Fringe has unveiled its spectacular line-up of comedy, theatre and dance ahead of its
return this May. Now in its 21st year, Brighton Fringe aims to stimulate, educate and entertain
through a diverse programme that welcomes local, national and international performers and
audiences, showcasing creativity across Brighton, Hove and beyond. This vibrant celebration of
the weird, wild and wonderful is fuelled by home-grown talent with approximately 30% of
events produced by artistic companies based in Brighton & Hove.
As the third-largest Fringe festival in the world, Brighton Fringe is an open-access festival,
welcoming any artist to put on an event and perform. Registration fees are kept affordable, with
artists having control over ticket prices, concessions and discount codes. Continuing its
commitment to accessibility, the Fringe’s Affordable Payment Plan, first piloted in 2025, returns
in 2026 to support artists who might otherwise be financially excluded, allowing them to pay
registration fees in two instalments over three months.
This commitment to artist support is crucial to the Brighton Fringe who have also awarded 33
bursaries to artists in the 2026 programme. These artists receive free registration for this year’s
Fringe and a combination of financial aid, mentoring, marketing support and additional
performance opportunities, roughly equivalent to £13,000.
Additionally, Brighton Fringe’s Made In Sussex season will return for its third year. The season
aims to highlight local acts from the area, culminating in a pre-Fringe showcase for the
performers to share snippets of their events in the run up to the festival, as well as a free
registration fee for their event.
Highlights from the theatre programme include the return of Jonny Woo’s Surburbia, a personal
show blending storytelling, drag and burlesque, which won the Brighton Fringe Award for
Excellence at The Edinburgh Fringe in 2025. Mohit Mathur and Leigh Toney present Are You
Even Indian? an intimate dance-theatre work about love, migration and the quiet negotiations
of identity within a relationship. Following their acclaimed debut at Brighton Fringe, OnTheNose
will return with MAN!FEST: A Boy Band Fantasy, a drag musical comedy about your new
favourite boyband trying to survive their second world tour.
Also featured is Custard Club, which brings four women from across the twentieth century together for a campy, custard fuelled exploration of queer community and identity. Following a sell-out, Scotsman Fringe First
award-winning Edinburgh premiere, Beth Paterson makes her Brighton Fringe debut with NIUSIA, a powerful work weaving her Holocaust survivor grandmother’s memories and stories to explore identity, legacy and the questions we inherit across generations.
The comedy programme offers everything from high-energy adventures to musical mayhem.
RATMAGEDDON from RatBag blends sketch, clown and character work, plunging audiences into
a feral, apocalyptic world of musical madness. The multi award-winning Police Cops: The
Original returns with adrenaline-fuelled physical comedy, 80s hits and unforgettable facial hair.
Award-nominated musical comedian Alexis Sakellaris presents their new queer musical comedy
CHILD STAR, while Mystic Smeg takes audiences on a slightly spiritual, overly sexual journey in
Guess Boo: The Mystery of My Nan’s Ashes. Circus, dance and physical theatre to watch include: Cohabitors, a performance exploring the emotional terrain of shared living through acrobatics, body percussion and live music. Direct from Tokyo, Resonant Void is an experimental solo Butoh performance using a mosquito net,
plastic sheeting, two black skirts, portable lighting and projection system to create a fragile,
immersive world where body, materials and light constantly transform.
Comedy acrobats are seen in GODZ, a bodyssey of gravity-defying stunts, heroic strength and muscular feats. Portals (An Immersive Dance Odyssey) takes audiences of all ages into dreamlike worlds where gravity
and time bend, guided by headsets and a troupe of world-hopping performers. Buster follows
silent film star Buster Keaton’s life, through mime, clowning, puppetry, dance and live lighting,
creating a cinematic reimagining of classic mime.
The family section of the programme is bursting with imaginative and playful shows for children
and young people. Fringe favourite The Bubble Show, created and performed by Guinness
World Record holder The Highland Joker, blends storytelling, magic, science and bubble artistry
into an unforgettable journey. Darryl J Carrington presents Out of the Box, a non-verbal, family
friendly visual comedy packed with world-class tricks and a hilariously absurd toothbrush finale.
Fishy Tales with the Seabream Sisters takes audiences on a rollicking high-seas adventure of
clowning, puppetry, songs and wild stories. While Madame Chandelier’s Opera Party for Kids (Grand Theft Opera)
allows audiences to enjoy opera’s greatest hits and meet new characters. Join Feast and Fable
for traditional tales and a wonderful immersive bread-making (and eating!) experience.
Cabaret and Variety will take centre stage at the Brighton Fringe with the return of sell-out
smash BEAVERHAUSEN, where the queer gender-bending drag king will take you on a burlesque
mission! Let C’est Magnifique transport you to an intimate cabaret setting, where performers
will whisk you away with vigour and potency for moments of unexpected pleasure. Following his
fourth annual sell-out season of shows at the Brighton Spiegeltent, Big Quiffy Bingo invites you
to release your inner Bush in the joyful and unique show An Evening Without Kate Bush.
The Fools Present: Nerd Ball The Fools returns with a celebratory explosion of nerdy silliness, fan
culture and special interests, featuring outlandish drag and outrageous vocals. A Night at the
Museum offers an immersive after-hours experience at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, where
the venue comes alive, letting audiences explore the galleries, meet intriguing characters and
complete challenges in an open-world theatrical adventure.
The literature and spoken word programme features Brighton-based collective Words By The
Water presenting Fringe and Friends. Ella Sadie Guthrie performs new poetry, Kate Ireland
launches her latest book, and illustrator Chris Riddell (Ottoline books, The Observer) brings the
words to life through live illustration. Separately, an informal conversation will take place
between former BBC Radio 4 presenter Nigel Wrench and naval officer Duncan Lustig-Prean, a
trailblazer in the UK Armed Forces and LGBTQ+ campaigner.
Addiction – It’s a Family Matter explores the impact of a loved one’s addiction through monologue, autobiography, and poetry, drawing on voices from Mitch Winehouse to Caitlin Thomas. Running With Scissors is a one woman show revealing the hidden costs of bravery and burnout for women surgeons, with dark
humour and raw honesty.
The nightlife programme promises endless energy, ready to take the Lanes by storm. The
Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus bring their joyful energy to the stage, while Arias in the Garden
offers a truly enchanting afternoon of opera in a garden setting. The Cabarave lights up the
iconic Spiegeltent with high-energy beats from DJ Krafty Kuts and show-stopping cabaret from
some of Brighton’s most gorgeous and delightfully risqué performers. There must be love in the
air with Debussy’s Romantic Piano by Candlelight where pianist Matthew Shiel explores the
secret love affairs of classical composers, from Chopin’s elopement with George Sand to
Brahms’ hidden romance with Clara Schumann. Audiences can also take to the streets with The
Great 80s & 90s Movie Soundtrack Songbook, which brings unforgettable hits from films like
Top Gun, Dirty Dancing, The Bodyguard and Pretty Woman to life, backed by an eight-piece
band.
Visitors should get their walking shoes on to experience history come alive through a series of
immersive walks in the programme’s Tour section. Fearless and Fabulous Women of Brighton
reveals the stories of extraordinary women who shaped the city. Ghost Walk of the Lanes
uncovers haunted streets, Take Shelter! explores a rare surviving wartime air raid shelter and
Witchcraft & Magic Tour delves into Sussex witch trials, ley lines, and Brighton’s occult history.
The Daddy Long Legs Rides Again combines an app-led guided walk with a tour of the historic
train carriage, giving participants a chance to step back in time and capture memories along the
way.
Managing Director Amy Keogh comments, It’s so wonderful to see another year full of shows
that are exciting, creative, inspiring, challenging and everything in between. Fringe really is a
time for artists to showcase their work, whether new or old, and an opportunity for audiences to
take a chance on seeing something they may never have experienced before. There really is a
something for everyone!
With many more incredible shows in the line-up, this is only the start of the outstanding
programme for Brighton Fringe 2026. Expect more fantastic comedy, theatre, cabaret,
workshops, dance and family show! At its heart, Brighton Fringe remains committed to helping
the arts flourish and enabling both new and established performers to take risks and entertain
audiences.
Details
Dates: Friday 1st May – Sunday 31st May 2026
Venue: All across Brighton and Hove
Tickets: Every event ticket can be purchased through the Brighton Fringe website
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