The Edinburgh Fringe is fast-approaching, with plenty of famous faces such as Miriam Margolyes and Bill Bailey set to appear during the 2025 festival.
Taking place across 265 venues, there are already more than three-thousand shows lined-up for August and searching for shows can quickly become overwhelming.
But if you are looking for an easy place to begin, sometimes it is easier to start with what - or who - you already know. There are top comedians such as Alan Davies and Nish Kumar set to appear, as well as reality TV show winners like Hannah Byczkowski from The Traitors, or Scotland’s own Peter Sawkins from the Great British Bake Off.
David Hayman and Pete Doherty are among British celebrities with shows at this year’s Fringe. There are then American sitcom stars such as Caroline Rhea and Eden Sher putting on their own shows, in addition to multihyphenate performers including Nick Mohammed, Eunice Olumide MBE, and The Ballad of Wallis Island’s Tim Key.
There is a huge variety to the shows on offer during the Fringe and this list teases just a fraction of the entertainment which will be available in August. But if you are hoping to be inspired - or just looking for some general guidance - here are 36 famous faces with shows at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe.
1. Miriam Margolyes
Miriam Margolyes will return to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2025 with her show Margolyes and Dickens: More Best Bits. Running for an hour and ten minutes, the iconic actress, TV personality and author will perform at the Pleasance Theatre (Venue 150b) from August 9–24, with fascinating stories of the man behind the classics. | Getty Images
2. Tim Key
As the description for his show Loganberry reads, Tim Key had “decent reviews for previous shows” and “played a pigeon in Bong Joon Ho's latest movie”. The English poet, comedian, actor and screenwriter has previously won the Edinburgh Comedy Award and is also known for his role as Alan Partridge's sidekick Simon and, most recently, as Charles in The Ballad of Wallis Island. Key will perform at the Edinburgh Fringe from July 30–August 17 at Forth, Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33). | Getty Images
3. Paul Sinha
After a medical emergency during his 2023 Edinburgh Fringe run, Paul Sinha – The Chaser himself – will return to the festival this year with his show Paul Sinha: 2 Sinha Lifetime. A 30th anniversary show, Sinha will perform at The Stand Comedy Club (Venue 12) from August 1–24. In addition you can also catch In Conversation with... Paul Sinha on August 3. | Getty Images
4. David Hayman
From his roles in films such as Rob Roy, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Macbeth as well as shows including Shetland, Guilt, and Andor, David Hayman is one of Scotland’s most familiar performers. Also the founder of charity Spirit Aid, Hayman will sit down at the Edinburgh Fringe to talk through his career, as well as his advocacy, at the Edinburgh Fringe on August 10 at The Stand Comedy Club (Venue 12). | Getty Images