With over 3,000 shows lighting up the stages of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe each year, standing out is no easy feat. That's why, in partnership with the Fringe Society, we are proud to offer vital support to emerging and independent performers.
Earlier this year, we launched our Fringe Marketing Bursary, designed to help five selected acts cut through the noise and reach audiences with powerful, targeted promotion.
Each bursary includes professionally designed marketing assets, flyer and poster printing, premium outdoor advertising placements throughout Edinburgh, and digital visibility on edfringe.com. In short: a tailored campaign to amplify the voice of each performer.
After a flood of incredible applications from performers across genres and disciplines, we're thrilled to announce the five recipients of the 2025 Marketing Bursary!
The 2025 Bursary Winners Are:
1. “The Tale of the Lonliest Whale” by Hoglets Theatre
This new production for young audiences is a music-filled deep-sea adventure about a whale whose song no one else can hear.
Inspired by the experiences of neurodivergent children, the show explores themes of difference, empathy, and belonging in a gentle, joyful way. Developed through workshops with children with autism, ADHD, and other neurodivergences, it's a heartfelt celebration of being uniquely yourself.
The production also champions sustainability, with all puppets and props crafted from recycled materials, finding beauty in the unexpected, both in story and staging.
For more information and tickets, click here
2. “VanagwenyaMbira -Vibes of the DRUM!”
Hailing from South Africa and Zimbabwe, this unique family-friendly show brings the spirit of Ubuntu (humility and unity) to the Edinburgh Fringe through song, rhythm, and movement.
Fusing ancestral traditions with contemporary energy, VanagwenyaMbira offers a powerful, heart-lifting experience rooted in love, joy, and cultural pride. Audiences of all ages are invited to clap, sing, and move along to a rich tapestry of mbira melodies, expressive African dance and percussion.
As a self-funded community-based group from underrepresented backgrounds, performing at the Fringe is a rare and meaningful opportunity to share African heritage on a global stage. This is more than a performance, it's a cultural bridge, a celebration of unity, and a joyful call for connection across borders.
For more information and tickets, click here
3. “Boyboss” by Daniel McKeon
Through anecdotes of spectacular failure and unexpected resilience, Boyboss champions the bounce-backers, the people who fall flat and keep going anyway. Part anti-motivational seminar, part personal storytelling hour, this solo show is a step-by-step guide to unlocking your inner Boyboss - the version of you that refuses to succeed in any conventional way, yet somehow stumbles into joy (and a wife on Tumblr in 2015).
For more information and tickets, click here
4. “PUB GRUB” by Luke Wright
In this sharp, soulful poetry show, long-time Fringe veteran and master wordsmith Luke Wright serves up greasy-spoon nostalgia and sticky-floor beauty with poems that celebrate the overlooked corners of everyday life.
In a world of curated perfection and avocado enlightenment, PUB GRUB finds poetry in bypasses, boozers, and the brilliantly mundane. It's for anyone who's ever felt out of step, out of place, or just a bit hungover and still showed up.
For more information and tickets, click here
5. “Ghosted! A New Musical” by Pocket Opera
GHOSTED! Is a hauntingly hilarious new musical for fans of Rocky Horror and Beetlejuice. A whip-smart, campy, and surprisingly heartfelt tale of grief, friendship, and finding light in the darkest places.
Created by an international, queer-led team of emerging artists from six countries, GHOSTED! was born from personal grief and shaped by a passion for storytelling that connects and comforts.
With powerful themes, bold performances, and a lot of heart, GHOSTED! is a musical that sticks with you, because sometimes, being haunted isn't such a bad thing.
For more information and tickets, click here
Why It Matters
Marketing at the Fringe isn't just about posters and flyers, it's about visibility and voice. These five shows were selected not only for their artistic merit but also for how effectively this bursary could elevate their platform. With audiences having more choice than ever, we want to make sure emerging talents don't just participate in the Fringe but they thrive in it.
We can't wait to see what these incredible artists bring to the stage this August. If you're in Edinburgh, keep your eyes peeled for their posters, digital banners, and, most importantly, book a ticket and support their work.
Congratulations again to our winners, and thank you to everyone who applied. We're inspired by the passion and creativity of this community and are proud to play a small part in helping it shine.
See you at the Fringe!