When the 2020 Edinburgh fringe was cancelled due to Covid-19, producer Francesca Moody and theatre-maker Gary McNair found a DIY solution: Shedinburgh. This digital festival featured theatre, comedy, and music shows performed in sheds and streamed live online. Despite its unconventional setup, Shedinburgh quickly gained popularity and returned the following year. Now, the Shedinburgh festival is set to make its comeback this summer, with a series of in-person, one-off performances at a new 100-seat venue in Edinburgh.
Prominent standups like Jayde Adams, Mark Watson, and Ivo Graham will participate, along with fringe favorites such as Sh!t Theatre, The Guilty Feminist host Deborah Frances-White, Marlow and Moss (the composer duo behind hit musical Six), and recent Olivier award-winner Maimuna Memon. Shed Shows, Shed Originals, and ShedX Talks will all be part of the lineup, in addition to late-night music events. The venue will also serve as a daytime cafe and bar. Ticket information, including pay-what-you-can options, will be released later this month, alongside more details about the venue’s location.
Performers often face financial risks in taking their shows to Edinburgh, as they usually have to pay the venue a minimum guarantee. However, Shedinburgh will offer guaranteed fees to each act while covering their travel and accommodation expenses.
Moody, whose successful shows in Edinburgh include Fleabag and Baby Reindeer, commented, “It has become increasingly challenging for artists to bring a show to the festival, leaving it inaccessible for both artists and audiences. We hope Shedinburgh can level the playing field and continue our love letter to the fringe, by supporting up-and-coming game-changing artists.”
Applications will soon open for Shedinburgh’s Shedload of Future Fund, which will distribute money raised from the 2020 and 2021 digital seasons. The fund will provide three £5,000 grants to artists making their Edinburgh fringe debut this summer.
Watson noted that it’s becoming more and more difficult for emerging artists to survive or even take risks in Edinburgh, highlighting the need for a fresh approach in how the festival works for performers. Meanwhile, Adams, who is preparing a show “more theatrical, more personal, and unlike anything I’ve done before,” said Shedinburgh will offer an intimate space “raw and open to risk.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/may/07/shedinburgh-edinburgh-festival
