Last year, I loved giving everyone a weekly update during Edinburgh Fringe (you can read them all here).
This year, the last post of every month will be an update for how I’m preparing for this year’s festival.
So, as of the last week in January, 2026, here’s where I’m at:
I have a venue
Securing a venue is the biggest hurdle you have to clear. The process is like applying to college—you will get in, but you might have to lower your standards.
I’m thrilled to have secured The Subway (part of Just the Tonic). It’s a 60-seater that can flex to an 80 located on Cowgate road. For anyone who hasn’t been, this is an excellent location with loads of venues, bars, and restaurants in the center of town.
The stage and room setup looks like The Gutter, where we did Stand-Up Magic for two years in New York, so I’ve performed in a very similar environment dozens of times.
Crucially, and unlike most venues at Fringe, The Subway has moveable folding chairs. Often, the rooms are so packed that the chairs are zip-tied together, which can make the audience feel quite cramped. Folding chairs, as I’ve talked about so many times, can make the room feel more full than it actually is, because you can put out as many chairs as you have ticket sales.
I have a great time slot
My show is at 5:50 PM daily. That is…pretty much perfect. It’s late enough to feel like an evening event (as far north as Edinburgh is, it won’t get dark until around 9:00 during Fringe).
It’s also early enough that I’ll be out of the venue by 7:00 each night. This preserves my energy and leaves enough time to watch other shows afterward.
I have PR
I recently signed with Rosaline Hodgetts PR. This is the biggest tactical shift from my previous Fringe run. Professional PR is a proven way to get reviews and build legitimacy.
You can go to Fringe without PR, just know it will objectively be harder to fill seats and get reviews, because you have to do it all yourself.
Note: If anyone is currently prepping for Fringe, most PR agencies fill their rosters by mid-February. Now is the time to act.
I’m repping the show
Some performers treat Fringe as a way to develop a “work in progress.” That strategy only works, in my opinion, if you’re famous.
People enjoy seeing Seinfeld bomb, but they won’t pay to watch a stranger struggle on stage.
I want to go into Edinburgh with a “missile” of a show. To do that, I’m repping the show 12 times in February, three times in March, and I’m lining up a bunch more dates.
Specifically, I’ll be filming every show and watching the footage to improve. It’s one thing to get reps, it’s another to learn from them.
(You can get tickets to my tour here).
I’m just…talking about it more
Last year my BIG THING was the Ironman. This year, it’s Edinburgh. I’m making that known to everyone around me.
That may seem small, but it’s not. People are very willing to support you when they see that you’re working on something.
This isn’t “manifesting,” which is fake. Nothing is magically coming to me. But when people know your specific mission, they instinctively look for ways to help or connect you.
Many people avoid stating their goals publicly in case they fail. And maybe Edinburgh won’t go well. I just think—be willing to fail publicly.
Fringe is my A-goal for 2026. I’m psyched.