We are delighted to announce the recipients of the 2025 Keep it Fringe fund. This is the third year of the fund, an initiative created to support Fringe artists to realise their professional ambitions, and in 2025 funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The Keep it Fringe fund was launched in 2023 by the Fringe Society's honorary President Phoebe Waller-Bridge and funded by the Fleabag for Charity campaign, alongside funds donated to the Fringe Society by Edinburgh Gin.
Supported by £1Mn from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) over two years (2024 and 2025), we are today announcing the successful 180 recipients of £2,500 bursaries for Fringe 2025. The fund received 850 applications, which were reviewed by 28 independent assessors.
The Keep it Fringe 2025 shows span a range of topics, including IVF, Miss Universe pageants, Dolly the Sheep, incel culture, Deliveroo cyclists, tinnitus and football hooliganism, with companies and artists covering nearly every genre in the Fringe programme. Representing a mix of free and ticketed shows, 33% of the successful applicants identify as disabled or have a health condition, and more than 30% come from a working-class background.
The Fringe Society hopes to continue the Keep it Fringe fund for as long as possible and is actively seeking new funding and donations to ensure the long-term sustainability of this important initiative. Find out more about supporting Keep it Fringe.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: ‘The Fringe is the largest performing arts festival in the world and gives creatives from across the UK the opportunity to showcase the wide variety of talent this nation has to offer.
‘This funding will ensure that artists from all backgrounds have the opportunity to put on a show for the international audiences and industry professionals that gather in Edinburgh each summer and enable the Fringe to continue to boost our up-and-coming artists.’
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: ‘This year we received the highest number of applications to date which highlights how valued and needed this initiative is. We are thankful to DCMS for providing the funding that has enabled us to continue the Keep it Fringe fund for the last two years. We know that for many artists the financial challenges of putting on a show can prevent some from coming to the Fringe, and this funding will enable the Edinburgh Fringe to be more accessible to artists from across the UK.
‘We are keen to continue the Keep it Fringe fund, as we have heard countless testimonials on how invaluable this support is. If you think you can help, please get in touch with the Fringe Society team.’
Please note: This list does not include the full list of recipients as three shows are still going through the final stages of confirmation. We will update this list once they are confirmed.
- #1 Greatest Hit Rock'n'Roll Magic Show
- 1 Date: The Dating Party Game Show (Free!)
- 2 Muslim 2 Furious 2: Go Halal or Go Home
- A Brief History of Neurodivergence
- A Minor Theft
- A Most Pressing Issue
- A Northern Tr*nny Hootenanny
- A Period of Faith
- A Sudden, Disturbing To Do List
- A Xerox of a Deer
- After Juliet
- Agent Red's AUDITION
- Alastair Clark: On The Record
- Alex Mitchell: Tough
- Ali Affleck and the Traveling Janes – Bringing Bold, Brassy Bedlam to Swing, Blues and Trad Folk/Roots Jazz
- Alice
- Alice Cockayne: Licensed. Professional. Trained. Qualified.
- Alison Spittle: BIG
- Amanda Hursy: Carted
- Amy Mason: Behold!
- Anatomy of Pain
- Anthem for Dissatisfaction
- As We Face the Sun
- Ava & Beaux: Tales of Magic
- BAIRNS
- Batty!
- Bea P Deigh
- Because
- Becoming Maverick
- Bedlam Late
- Been There, Done That, Got the Symptoms!
- Behind the Laughter
- Best in Class
- Big Little Sister
- Biscuit Barrel: The 69-Sketch Show
- Bluebeard's Castle by Bartók
- Bury The Hatchet
- C U Later, Simulator
- Cabbage the Clown: Cinemadrome
- Cameron Sinclair Harris: PLANETS!!!
- Cara and Kelly are Best Friends Forever For Life
- Caroline McEvoy: Train Man
- Chat Sh*t, Get Hit
- Christian Dart: Gumshoe!
- Cinderella Ice Cream Seller – A Musical
- Clean Slate
- Cold, Dark Matters
- Colours Run
- Courier
- Daniel McKeon: Boyboss
- Dean T Beirne: Fated to Pretend (WIP)
- Deiseil: Dancing in Time
- Dial 1 for UK
- Diona Doherty: Get Your Pink Back!
- Does Anyone Else Smell Curry?
- Down to Chance
- Dregs
- Echoes of Finland: Rare Piano Gems by Sibelius, Madetoja and Palmgren
- Eggs Aren't That Easy to Make
- Elysium
- ENOUGH.
- Escape the Rat Race
- Fisherman Jon: What's on the End of My Rod? A Clown Odyssey
- Funny Though
- Garbanzo
- Get Off
- Giselle: Remix
- Grace Mulvey: Did You Hear We're All Going To Die?
- Grey
- Hairy B*stard
- Hasan Al-Habib: Death to the West (Midlands)
- Hello Birds
- Her Raving Mind
- Here Comes Gudong
- Holly Spillar: Tall Child
- House Party
- I AM – A Walking Universe
- I am Claire Parry (very funny stand-up)
- I Am The Greatest!
- I Dream in Colour
- I Was a German
- I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar
- Jack Traynor: Before I Forget
- Jacob Nussey: Primed
- jessica aszkenasy: TITCLOWN
- Joe Sutherland: Miss World
- Joz Norris: You Wait. Time Passes.
- Jumper Bumps
- June Tuesday: Comic Trans (plus Friend)
- Kanpur: 1857
- Kathy Maniura: The Cycling Man
- Katie Mitchell: Spine Hygiene
- Katie Pritchard: I Kiss the Music
- Kayleigh Jones: I Fed My Dad to a Pelican
- Lachlan Werner: WonderTwunk
- Liam Withnail: Big Strong Boy
- Life Would Be Pretty Dull Without Sex, Raves and MDMA
- Lioness
- Lorna Rose Treen: 24 Hour Diner People
- Lost Girls / At Bus Stops
- love you, bye
- Lovett
- Lucy Pearman: Lunartic
- Ma Joyce's Tales from the Parlour
- Magicians Twin Feats
- Managed Approach
- Medium Dead
- Milk on the Side: a Barista Musical
- Milly’s Musical Adventure
- Mind How You Go
- Miss Brexit
- Molly McGuinness: Slob
- Mr Jones
- Narin Oz: Inner Child(ish)
- Nate Kitch: Something Different!!!!!
- Nathan Cassidy: It's Not the End of the World
- Nick It for Munich
- Nuns of Fury!
- Once Upon A Flowerbed
- Out of Character
- Ozzy Algar: Speed Queen
- PALS
- Pedro Leandro: Soft Animal
- PENMAN – The Imaginator – YOU
- People We Bury Alive
- Perfect Dead Girls
- PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD
- Pigs Fly Easy Ryan
- Relay
- Rodney Black: Who Cares? It's Working
- Rosa Garland: Primal Bog
- Sam Nicoresti: Baby Doomer
- Sam Williams: Touch Me Not
- Samia Rida: Kidnap
- Saria Callas
- Scott Turnbull presents... Surreally Good
- Second Class Queer
- Shalaka Kurup: Get A Grip
- Shallowspace Cryotech Feverdream
- Shame Show
- Sheepish
- Shirley: A Ghost Story
- Show Us Ur Fruitcake
- Shy Bairns Get Nowt
- Siblings: Dreamweavers
- Silly and Starving
- Sing, Sign and Sensory – On Safari
- Some Masterchef Sh*t
- Stampin' in the Graveyard
- Streets Paved with Gold
- Sufrecs presents Live Music and Chats
- Tamsyn Kelly: Hot Titty Bungalow
- Tethered
- The Apologia
- The Beauty of Bacharach
- The Burns Project
- The Last Oak Tree
- The Lodger
- The Queen is Mad
- The Sculpture
- THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME.
- Tom Little Less Conversation, Tom Little More Action
- Treeeeee
- Trouble, Struggle, Bubble and Squeak
- Warm as Summer, Bright as Blood
- Watch It!
- Well Behaved Women
- Why Won't They Eat the Cake?
- Will Davies: Much Peril, Many Intrigue
- Youth in Flames
28 assessors supported the Fringe Society in reviewing the applications received. Thanks to the following for their support in the fast turnaround of these awards.
- Alex Howarth, Artistic Director, Patch of Blue
- Apphia Campbell, Writer / Performer
- Ashley Davies, freelance Arts Journalist
- Ben Humphrey, Artistic Director / Producer
- Chris Cooke, Founder and Co-Editor of ThreeWeeks Edinburgh
- Geoff Rowe, Founder Leicester Comedy Festival
- Jake Orr, freelance Creative Producer
- Jess Donn, Just Something Different LTD
- Pax Lowey, Director: Actually Rather Good Comedy Festival, freelance Producer / Programmer, elected member of the Fringe Society board
- Ruth McCarthy, Artistic Director / Outburst Arts
- Sasapin Siriwanij, BIPAM Artistic Director
- Sharon Burgess, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Performing Arts
- Linda Catalano, Creative Director and Executive Producer, Quiet Riot
- Paloma Estevez, Director of Artistic Programming, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
- Nqobile Dumo Mbhele, Artist Manager, National Arts Festival
- Cat Sheridan, Senior Producer, We Are Unlimited
- Rachel Clarke Hughes, Creative Director, The Playhouse, Derry~Londonderry
- Stewart Pringle, Writer and Dramaturg
- Richard Williamson, Lighting Designer / Production Manager
- Murray Robertson, Arts Writer
- Holly De Angelis, Development Producer
- Saima Ferdows, freelance TV Producer
- Ameena Hamid, Producer and General Manager
- Zoe Paskett, Founder of LMAOnaise Comedy
- Laura Rouxel, Head of UK Comedy for 800 Pound Gorilla Media
- Aisling Galligan, Senior Events Producer and Programmer
- Anonymous, Booker, Programmer
- Anonymous, Booker, Promoter, Producer
Keep it Fringe 2025 application statistics
- 180 x £2,500 awards.
- Total value: £450,000.
| Number of applications | 848 |
| Number of awards | 180 |
| % of applications awarded funding | 22% |
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Applications | Awards | Applications | Awards | |
| Cabaret and variety | 5.2% | 3.9% | 5.7% | 8% |
| Children's shows | 4.1% | 3.9% | 1.9% | 3% |
| Comedy | 32.5% | 33.5% | 30.9% | 36% |
| Dance and physical theatre | 3% | 3.9% | 2.9% | 4% |
| Music | 4.1% | 3.3% | 4% | 3% |
| Musicals and opera | 4.4% | 3.3% | 5.9% | 6% |
| Spoken word | 1.4% | 0.5% | 2.1% | 1% |
| Theatre | 45% | 47.7% | 46% | 39% |
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Applications | Awards | Applications | Awards | |
| England | 73% | 82% | 80% | 81% |
| Scotland | 23% | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| Northern Ireland | 2% | 1.5% | 3% | 1% |
| Wales | 1% | 0.5% | 1% | 2% |
| Other | 1% | 0% | 1% | 0% |
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Applications | Awards | Applications | Awards | |
| Male / he | 36% | 25% | 39% | 33% |
| Female / she | 49% | 59% | 47% | 48% |
| Non-binary / self-defined | 9% | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| Not known / prefer not to say | 6% | 4% | 5% | 7% |
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Applications | Awards | Applications | Awards | |
| Under 25 | 14% | 9% | 22% | 15% |
| 25–34 | 44% | 57% | 40% | 49% |
| 35–44 | 22% | 18% | 19% | 21% |
| 45–54 | 10% | 10% | 9% | 8% |
| Over 55 | 7% | 4% | 7% | 6% |
| Unknown | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Applications | Awards | Applications | Awards | |
| No | 57% | 49% | 59% | 44% |
| Prefer not to say / not answered | 12% | 13% | 28% | 14% |
| Yes | 27.5% | 33% | 12% | 41% |
| Unknown | 3.5% | 5% | 1% | 1% |
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Applications | Awards | Applications | Awards | |
| Prefer not to say / not answered | 19% | 10.5% | 17% | 19% |
| Bisexual | 18% | 21% | 20% | 19% |
| Gay | 5% | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Heterosexual | 37% | 36% | 36% | 32% |
| Lesbian | 3% | 2% | 3% | 4% |
| Pansexual | 4% | 6% | 3% | 4% |
| Queer | 13% | 18% | 10% | 13% |
| Other (self-defined) | 1% | 0.5% | 3% | 3% |
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Applications | Awards | Applications | Awards | |
| Black | 3% | 5.5% | 2% | 2% |
| East Asian | 2.3% | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Mixed | 6% | 5.5% | 5% | 6% |
| Other Ethnic group | 5.5% | 5% | 5% | 8% |
| South Asian | 2.3% | 4% | 2% | 2% |
| White | 80.9% | 79% | 84% | 82% |
We used three questions provided by the Social Mobility Commission to capture data on the socio-economic status of applicants.
What was the occupation of your main household earner when you were about aged 14?
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Applications | Awards | Applications | Awards | |
| Professional | 44.6% | 46.7% | 47% | 39% |
| Intermediate | 14.8% | 11.1% | 13% | 13% |
| Working class | 27.5% | 30.5% | 27% | 34% |
| Not known / other | 13.1% | 11.7% | 13% | 14% |
Which type of school did you attend for the most time between the ages of 11 and 16?
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Applications | Awards | Applications | Awards | |
| A state-run or state-funded school | 66% | 77% | 67% | 67% |
| Attended school outside the UK | 16% | 8% | 14% | 13% |
| I don't know | 0.5% | 1% | 0.4% | 1% |
| Independent or fee-paying school | 9% | 8% | 8% | 7% |
| Independent or fee-paying school, were I received a means-tested bursary covering 90% or more of the total cost of attending throughout my time there | 3% | 2% | 3% | 2% |
| Prefer not to say / not known | 5.5% | 4% | 7% | 11% |
If you finished school after 1980, were you eligible for free school meals at any point during your school years?
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Applications | Awards | Applications | Awards | |
| Yes | 25.5% | 33.5% | 27% | 33% |
| No | 36.5% | 36% | 36% | 29% |
| I don't know | 5% | 16% | 7% | 14% |
| Not applicable / prefer not to say / not known | 33% | 14.5% | 17% | 23% |
