Edinburgh Fringe 2026: BWW Picks the Top Musicals

Broadway + NYC

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Off Broadway

Cabaret

Dance

Opera

Classical Music

Eastern

Central

Western

West End

WEST END

UK Regional

International

Canada

Australia / New Zealand

Europe

Asia

Latin America

Africa / Middle East

Entertainment

TV/Movies

Music

Ctrl + K to open · Esc to close

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs from 7-31 August 2026

POPULAR

Get all the top news & discounts for UK & beyond.

With over 3000 shows now on sale for the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, trying to narrow down what to see can be a bit of a task. BWW Scotland editor Natalie O'Donoghue has selected her top ten picks across different categories in the festival programme to highlight the musicals you really don't want to miss this year!

Crocodile Rock

Trapped on the sleepy Scottish island of Cumbrae, seventeen-year-old Steven McPhail feels like an outsider dreading a dead-end future. He desperately needs an escape – and he's about to find it. When a dazzling encounter with a flamboyant stranger opens his eyes, Steven steps out of the shadows to embrace his authentic self. Crocodile Rock premiered at A Play, A Pie and A Pint in 2019 and stars powerhouse performer Darren Brownlie .

Bliss

From the Olivier Award-winning producers of Cabaret and Benjamin Button, the biggest new musical of the Fringe turns the fairy tale inside out. Once upon a time, there was a princess. Whatever that means... Four sisters escape their tower and collide with the outside world. Where fairy godfathers rule and happy endings come at a cost, this hilarious, razor-sharp tale rewrites the concept of happily ever after. With 17 West End performers, electric vocals and a pop-rock punch, Bliss is a fearless musical about ripping up the rule book and the price of perfection.

Apparently Ugly: A Stepsister Story

Cinderella's gone – the lucky brat's living it up while her stunning stepsisters are left wondering why they don't get their happily ever after. Witness their magical, musical misadventure as they discover what it truly means to be "ugly". Packed with lush, original music, dazzling costumes, outlandish characters and comedic madness, Apparently Ugly is a gleefully deranged fairy tale for kids, adults and anyone who's ever felt not-quite-perfect.

Endometriosis The Musical

Must see, must hear, period! Jane has big business dreams, a mysterious illness and doctors who couldn't care less. Endometriosis: The Musical follows one woman's hilarious, infuriating and ultimately triumphant journey through a healthcare system that seems to value neither health nor care. Set to a score so catchy it'll be stuck in your head for weeks – you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll probably do both at the same time!

Fuccbois: Live in Concert

The Fuccbois are the world’s biggest boyband. They’ve sold more tickets and broken more hearts than anyone, but now it’s time to say goodbye to their frosted tips forever; they’re done. From award-winning writer Bridie Connell, FUCCBOIS: LIVE IN CONCERT is a massive comedy-boyband-extravaganza. It’s an irreverent satire of toxic dating culture, but most importantly: the music is banging.

Girlz

A brand-new girl band, a hotshot manager and a struggling songwriter, Girlz unfolds over one tumultuous year. After its incredible reviews and nomination for Best Musical at last year's Fringe, this new production is bigger, bolder and BACK! Fast-paced and bursting with humour, great choreography, original songs and high-energy sequences from the band's live show, Girlz also explores the personal struggles and agonising choices faced in pursuit of success. Ultimately, Girlz is an uplifting tale of friendship and love within a cut-throat industry.

Disenchanted! The Hit Musical

The hilarious hit musical with more bite, more sass and zero damsels in distress. Forget happily ever after! Cinderella's done cleaning, Sleeping Beauty's wide awake and Snow White's calling the shots now. These princesses don't want to play nice; they want to storm the castle! One showstopping number at a time. Disenchanted! is the side-splitting, cheeky, musical mash-up of all your favourite fairy tales. If you're looking to let your hair down, take a magic carpet ride or maybe kiss a frog or two, Disenchanted! is the night out you didn't know you desperately needed.

Heated Rivalry: The Musical Parody

Sexy sports stars burn up the ice in this funny, filthy spoof of hockey's hottest romance. A full-scale musical packed with songs, sex jokes, scandal and more pucking innuendos than should legally fit in one show. Lovingly parodying the show that had audiences swooning, blushing and caring about hockey for the first time. From Quick and Funny Musicals, the cult Upright Citizens Brigade LA creators known for turning pop culture obsessions into chaotic comedy musicals, this is an affectionate, outrageous musical send-up of passion, repression and the perfect foreplay to the rest of your night.

Penelope

Penelope waited twenty years for Odysseus to return from the Trojan War. Now she's ready to share her side of the story – but she's going to need a drink first. Starring Broadway's 'phenomenal' Grace McLean (New York Times), this contemporary chamber musical brings one of history's greatest epics to life through a Richard Rodgers Award-winning folk-pop score. Sharp, funny and unexpectedly moving – this is The Odyssey as Penelope always meant it to be told.

Legendary

Ancient myths. Modern questions. International multi award-winning artist and singer-songwriter Cheeyang Ng blends Chinese mythology, memory and queer legacy in the electrifying solo ritual musical Legendary, a life-affirming tale of queer joy and identity. Through communal song and the retelling of ancient myths, they explore their relationship with family, tradition and the stories that have shaped them, but never reflected them. In the beginning, there was a god named Pan Gu and a ravishing goddess named Nü Wa. A global internet sensation, Legendary doesn't just tell a story: it invites the audience to create one.

Get an Alert Each Time Natalie O'Donoghue Writes

Videos

POPULAR

Sign up for announcements, and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows!

© 2026 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media , all rights reserved. Privacy Policy

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/EDINBURGH-2026-Pick-of-the-Programme-Musicals-20260605)._