Dundee Fringe is coming back this September - here’s what to expect
- Andrew Batchelor
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Dundee Fringe is returning this September with ten days of theatre, comedy, music, cabaret, magic, storytelling, family entertainment and plenty of the wonderfully unusual performances you’d expect from a Fringe festival.
Running from Friday 11 until Sunday 20 September, this year’s festival will bring dozens of performances into Dundee city centre, with everything from intimate one-person productions and stand-up to Shakespeare, live music, improv, poetry and shows that are considerably harder to categorise.
Much of Dundee Fringe 2026 will take place across two neighbouring venues. Sweet@The Steps is based inside Dundee Central Library at the Wellgate and contains The Steps Theatre and The Library, while the nearby Little Theatre on Victoria Road contains its Main Hall, Paint Room and Cellar. Having the venues so close together means audiences can easily turn a trip to the Fringe into an afternoon or evening of several shows.
The opening weekend gives a good indication of just how varied the programme is. Dead People Are Liking Things On Facebook explores what happens to our digital lives after death, while Offgridland takes a comedic look at trying to disconnect from the modern world. Elsewhere, WHY MAGIC? combines storytelling and interactive magic, and Diceblitz: A Fringe D&D Adventure throws a changing cast of Fringe performers into a completely improvised Dungeons & Dragons adventure.
Music also features prominently throughout the festival. Dundee singer-songwriter Rhuari Campbell brings Slow for a Poet to the Fringe, while Arms Against offer cinematic alternative rock. Other musical performances across the ten days include Ed Muirhead: Alphabet of Songs, Tae Dolly, Songs of Newport, Red and Gold and Iona Fyfe’s Scots Song.
Families haven’t been forgotten either. Manic Macbeth transforms Shakespeare’s bloody Scottish tragedy into an accessible show aimed at younger audiences, while Poppy’s Big Bubble Show brings some bubble-filled fun to the Little Theatre. Marine Monsters, Science is Magic!, The Disco Duckling and Around the World in 50 Hugs are among the other family-friendly productions appearing during the festival.
There’s a particularly strong selection for anyone looking for something a little darker or stranger. One Man Poe: The Black Cat & The Raven brings two Edgar Allan Poe classics to the stage, while Buckets of Blood: Fairy Tales Not For Kids delves into the gruesome details removed from many of the fairy tales we know today. The Spooky Witch Club, meanwhile, follows nine friends whose reunion at a cabin in the woods begins to take an unsettling turn.
And then there are the shows that could probably only belong at a Fringe. The 2026 programme includes titles such as Twonkey’s Soft December Night in Tallahassee, Imaginary Porno Charades, Blip Blarp – An Alien Love Story, The Fanny’s: Scottish Glamour since 19Canteen and A History Of The Last Conservative Government, In Their Own Stupid Words. There is even a live Scottish Mushroom Podcast.
Local and Scottish talent runs throughout the programme too. Dundee Playwrights will host a Scratch Night, giving writers an opportunity to put new work in front of an audience, while comedy, storytelling, spoken word and music provide plenty more opportunities to discover performers from Dundee and across Scotland.
The second weekend is particularly packed. Saturday 19 September alone includes political comedy, family science, theatre, spoken word, traditional Scottish music, improv and cabaret. Me, Chloe, and the Time- Travelling Vampire, Acid Bardcore: Serf to the Rhythm, Regeneration Game, Siren Song and SWEAT are among the shows scheduled, while Peace ‘N’ Jam – sober disco & More takes some of the Fringe action to the Sankalpa Centre.
The festival continues right through Sunday 20 September, with the final day featuring another varied line-up ranging from family shows and theatrical monologues to music, storytelling and comedy. CQD to SOS: A Titanic Story, Tae the Moon, Ian-Somnia and WTF is Normal Anyway? are among the productions bringing this year’s Fringe to a close.
With dozens of performances packed into ten days, Dundee Fringe 2026 is shaping up to offer something very different from one hour to the next. The full programme, individual show descriptions, performance times and ticket information can be found on the Dundee Fringe website.
