World's largest performing-arts festival, open-access since 1947
EY and Scottish authorities report Scotland as the UK’s top destination for foreign direct investment outside London for the 11th year in a row, despite a dip in total projects in 2025. Edinburgh leads cities for FDI, with strong talent, infrastructure and sector strengths underpinning investor confidence amid a slower global environment.
A collection of seven short, human-focused narratives from multiple outlets highlights personal resilience and communal response to sudden life events. The pieces cover family disruption, medical challenges, acts of bravery by strangers, and a sense of city life redefined by support networks. The reporting underscores how communities form bonds in the face of adversity.
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A debut play, Sanctuary, has won the Leodis Prize, funding a first production at Edinburgh Fringe and potential future life in London. Sparrow, the 32-year-old casting director, wrote Shielded by personal history and rural queerness, the work charts encounters around a Suffolk hospice plan from the early 1990s.
This is a concise update on two developments: a comedian facing legal questions over a controversial Edinburgh Fringe joke and veteran broadcaster Dimbleby commenting on hosting pressures and BBC job cuts, as both reflect changes in public discourse and media accountability.
Savory, spicy cocktails are gaining traction across major bars, with bartenders integrating ingredients like tomatillo, chilies and pickled elements into agave-based drinks. Publications from The Guardian, Independent and AP News highlight experiments in New York, London and Edinburgh, signaling a broader shift toward savory profiles and heat in cocktails.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has moved its operations into a permanent space on Infirmary Street, transforming Fringe Central into a year‑round hub for artists, welfare support, rehearsal spaces and industry services. The project, funded by the UK Government and partners, is designed to support a thriving, inclusive fringe ecosystem alongside the city’s galleries and venues.
Fringe performers from The Scotsman, Guardian and Independent discuss their journeys, challenges and upcoming Edinburgh shows, offering a window into the festival’s evolving landscape.
Amanda Knox’s Edinburgh Fringe show Cartwheel has drawn renewed attention and protest after Stephanie Kercher criticised it as normalising violence against women. Knox defends the piece as a personal, motherhood-focused account of surviving wrongful imprisonment. Fringe organisers emphasise freedom of expression, while petitions call for cancellation.
Fringe coverage shows comedians embracing live audiences and personal storytelling as social media helps reach targeted crowds. Performers are weaving personal experiences into sets, with some addressing race, identity and resilience amid broader global tensions.
Britney, the Edinburgh-bound duo of Clive and Robertson, are taking two Fringe shows this summer while continuing busy US and UK projects. They reflect on the strain and joy of festival life and their long-running collaboration.
Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon says she was betrayed by Peter Murrell, who pleaded guilty to embezzling SNP funds. She reveals she did not know of the crimes until the day of his guilty plea and will not visit him in prison.
The Edinburgh International Festival presents Sobelle’s Clown Show, a contemporary portrait of America as a falling-apart circus. The piece, commissioned by EIF, asks audiences to dream while tracing a nation’s fragility through circus imagery and live performance.
Amanda Knox’s Edinburgh Fringe show Cartwheel is attracting controversy as petitions against it gain signatures while audiences and critics weigh its value as a personal, defiant retelling of her case. Reviews vary, with supporters praising its honesty and detractors arguing it trivialises violence against women.
UNESCO and UN Women warn five years into Taliban rule that bans on secondary and higher education for girls and women have intensified, erasing two decades of progress and threatening Afghanistan’s social and economic future. The UN calls for immediate restoration of education rights as thousands remain barred from schooling.
A round-up of fringe-fronted interviews from The Scotsman and The Guardian, capturing performers sharing inspirations, challenges and hopes for Edinburgh Fringes, with a look at what it means to stage improv and solo shows in a crowded festival.
Strathmore Hotels is placed under joint administration as eight hotels, including Perth’s Salutation Hotel, trade while options for the business are reviewed. The move follows sustained creditor pressure and a winding up petition in July; 410 staff are being retained as the portfolio continues operating.
Sachie Mikawa, a Japanese‑American performer, says a treasured Bach Stradivarius trumpet and a vintage melodica have been stolen from the Rotunda Theatre during the Edinburgh Fringe. The loss follows the death of her father and a difficult year, forcing cancellations as police investigate and searches continue.
The UK Charity Commission has engaged with the Edgware United Synagogue after complaints over a June event promoting sales of properties in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. Regulators have issued guidance and require governance improvements as scrutiny intensifies. ICJP argues sanctions are needed; UK foreign and charity officials respond.
Labour has seen a small improvement in polling under Andy Burnham, but experts say the gains may be fragile. Reform UK faces scrutiny over funding and leadership turmoil, while the rise of Restore Britain adds to a fragmented right. Across multiple polls, Labour’s share remains around the low to mid-20s, with Reform similarly challenged.
Wes Streeting has described receiving an unbelievable volume of online abuse as the UK’s first openly gay defence secretary. He says the climate shows how far the country has come since the gay ban in the armed forces ended in 2000, and notes ongoing compensation schemes for veterans affected by historic discrimination.
The blaze at the former Debenhams building has led to seven weeks of disruption in Edinburgh. Princes Street has reopened to pedestrians and traffic as bus and tram services resume along the corridor. Officials say the work to secure the site is complete and the city is focusing on recovery and support for affected businesses.
Edinburgh’s festival ecosystem is under renewed pressure as councils consider diverting visitor levy funds to support arts events. The Guardian reports a move to relocate the Edinburgh TV Festival abroad has intensified debate over access and funding. The Scotsman details proposals to ringfence tourism tax revenue to bolster cultural institutions, while council discussions probe the sustainability of Edinburgh’s world-class festival status.
The Guardian, Independent, Scotsman pieces show autumn TV lineups, with SNL UK season two returning on Sky One, The Box with Gary Lineker facing a mixed reception, and Last One Laughing UK planning a Halloween special and new cast developments.