Tale of the Firebird – Concerto for Violin, Fire & Acrobatic Orchestra
Assembly Roxy, 6-30 Aug (not 17, 24), 18:15
As if one wasn’t difficult enough without the other, Tale of the Firebird blends classical music and acrobatics. Yes, really. The Freestyle Orchestra, in which each musician is also an acrobat, plays an original composition by Chloé Charody.
If I Can’t Dance I’m Not Coming
Dance Base, 18-27 Aug (not 24), 14:40
A new collaboration by choreographer Karl Jay-Lewin and composer Matteo Fargion, which utilises the original score from Fritz Lang’s silent classic Metropolis for a quietly political work of collaborative choreography.
Stamptown
Assembly George Square Gardens, 6-30 Aug (not 12, 19), 21:50
Hosted by clowning’s enfant terrible Zach Zucker, the wonderfully chaotic sell-out variety show moves into a new venue for 2026. Expect special, unpredictable guests.
Poles
Dance Base, 18-30 Aug (not 20, 27), 12:45
Champion pole dancer Yvonne Smink joins forces with composer Isaac Poels for an impressively physical virtuoso pole performance, set on a specially built structure and backdropped by lush soundscapes.
The Palestinian Circus: Step and a Half
Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows, 8-29 Aug (not 17, 24), 14:05
The Palestine-based non-profit organisation, which introduces its young people to the performing arts, comes to Edinburgh with a rich blend of traditional circus and the Palestinian folk dance Dabkeh.
The Yellow Wallpaper
Greenside at George Street, 7-29 Aug (not 16,23), 16:05
A thrilling 6-person adaptation of the Charlotte Perkins Gilman classic, about a woman’s postpartum depression and the dismissal of her psychosis as she’s haunted by the visions in her bedroom wall.