Edinburgh Fringe 2023; Britain’s Got Talent winner Viggo Venn among the 1000 shows performing this year

Edinburgh Fringe enthusiasts, or those with a curiosity to attend the event this year, are pulling out their diaries and saving the dates for some of the programming announced this morning for the 2023 iteration of the event. One of the names returning to the event this year also happens to be a performer that caused a great deal of “controversy” earlier in the week - Viggo Venn.

If that names sounds somewhat familiar, he happens to be the hi-vis vest wearing winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2023, though his win at the cost of other names that became fan favourites, elicited a small chorus of boos when he was announced on the live Grand Final show on ITV last weekend. In Venn’s defence, it’s not as if he has come from nowhere - he has been a stalwart of the event since his debut at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe.

Fans of Scottish Comedian of the Year will also be happy to hear that Larry Dean will also be performing once again at the fringe this year. His first show, ‘Out Now,’ told the story of coming out to a strict Catholic family, while ‘His Fandan’, performed in 2017, was loosely wrapped around the central story of sitting in a café with two murderers, was among the ten best-reviewed Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows that year.

Completely unbiased also (maybe),  I’m looking forward to the return of New Zealand’s greatest Welsh-Samoan comedian, James Nokise, who brings his brand new show ‘James Nokise: God Damn Fancy Man.’ Nokise is no stranger to the Fringe, and no stranger to accolades while performing at the event. The Scotsman gave one of his previous shows a five-star review - high accolades given the sheer wealth of work every year at the Fringe. 

Speaking on the programme launch this morning, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: "We’re now well on our way to Fringe 2023, and having so many more shows go live this week is yet another reason to get excited. It feels like August is just around the corner, and once again Edinburgh will be filled with artists, creatives, and people with amazing stories to tell. 

"From theatre to comedy, cabaret to music, children’s shows to circus; the shows going on sale today represent the breadth and depth of creativity that will be bursting from every seam of Edinburgh this August. The Fringe and all its moving parts are still in recovery, I encourage you to support the artists and their work this summer, get browsing, get booking and come and see their shows.”

When is the Edinburgh Fringe 2023?

The Edinburgh Fringe 2023 takes place between August 4 and August 28 2023 in venues throughout the city of Edinburgh. With a 1000 performances to choose from, the full list of performers, events and ticketing prices can be found by visiting the official Edinburgh Fringe 2023 website.