Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Shedinburgh location revealed as line-up unveiled for venue with Baby Reindeer link

New Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue Shedinburgh has named its first line-up of acts as the hub’s location is revealed for the first time.

Based in the Edinburgh College of Art, the venue is believed to include the iconic Wee Red Bar, as well as outdoor courtyard bar areas.

Jayde Adams is to join comedian Mark Watson among a strong of one-night acts to perform at Shedinburgh, the brainchild of producer Francesca Moody, who originally brought Baby Reindeer and Fleabag to the Fringe. Venue organisers have promised to “flip the traditional Fringe model” by paying artists to perform.

Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning in Baby Reindeer. The hit Netflix show started out life on the Edinburgh Fringe. | Ed Miller/Netflix

Further shows are still to be announced, with special “secret sets” due to be revealed during the festival.

Other Shedinburgh events include work-in-progress performances of three Shed Originals - unseen scripts with development supported by Shedinburgh from up-and-coming writers. These include brand new scripts from Nick Cassenbaum, Ciara Elizabeth Smyth and Rosaleen Cox, with more to be announced.

Meanwhile, Ms Moody will host a panel discussion on “How to Produce a Fringe Hit” as part of the Shedx Talk line up aimed at Fringe professionals, alongside other industry names.

She said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be making this first programme announcement for Shedinburgh. [It will be] a hugely diverse range of original work from an incredible roster of artists from the emerging to the emerged. We’re delighted that Shedinburgh means that these much-beloved shows, artists and makers of the future can perform at the Fringe this year.

“It’s likely I’ll be permanently sat in Shedinburgh for the duration of August and I’m thrilled we’ve been able to set up our home in the Edinburgh College of Art at the heart of the Fringe.”

The revival of the venue, which ran digitally during the Covid pandemic, will pay artists and fund accommodation and travel in a series of one-night shows in a bid to “level the playing field” at the “increasingly inaccessible” Fringe.

Francesca Moody is the producer behind Fringe hits including Baby Reindeer and Fleabag. | Rich Lakos

The 100-seat venue will be a cafe and bar for artists to meet by day before turning into a performance venue at night in what is being billed as an “intimate, immersive setting”.

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Scottish writer and performer Gary McNair, who is to perform his show Clamjamfry on August 24, said: “It’s incredible that a project founded on a pun and made during the pandemic has become such a beacon of potential and positivity for artists.

“I’m totally bowled over by the passion, determination and insane hard work that has gone into launching this festival, venue and idea. Personally, I owe a great debt of gratitude to the Edinburgh Fringe. I’ve had the most amazing experiences as an artist there over the years and I’m excited that Shedinburgh will now give that opportunity to others to do the same.”

Shedinburgh will also be opening applications for its Shedload-of-Future Fund. The fund will award three £5,000 grants to artists making their Fringe debut in 2025. The bursaries can be put towards any costs associated with bringing a show to the Fringe, including travel, marketing, accommodation, set, and artists’ time.

A £2 levy on all tickets sold to Shedinburgh’s season will go directly towards the Shedload of Future Fund for future years.