Buxton Fringe – why the whole town is laughing!

Buxton Fringe (July 9-27) is celebrating around 184 entries, including its biggest ever comedy line-up plus theatre, music and a wealth of other entertainment taking place in a huge variety of venues.

One of the biggest UK Fringes between Edinburgh and Brighton, the Fringe runs in parallel with the prestigious Buxton International Festival (July 10-27) and is renowned for its friendliness, eclectic programme and lively atmosphere. It was established a year after the Festival in 1980 and 2025 marks its 46th event.

2025’s Fringe includes some 60 comedy shows plus bulging music and theatre categories. The Fringe is open to all and features both rising talent and established stars such as comedians Alasdair Beckett-King, Rob Rouse from BBC’s Upstart Crow and Radio 4 performers Tom Wrigglesworth and “useless millennial” Joz Norris. The combined offering of Comedy, Music and Theatre adds up to a whole cornucopia of events reflecting everything from stand-up to Shakespeare and classical music to rock. There is a mood of celebration with 20th anniversaries being marked by street theatre supremos The Shakespeare Jukebox and also by venue maestro Underground which hosts two spaces this year, one in the town centre and one at Buxton Working Men’s Club in Fairfield. Chapel-en-le-Frith Morris has its 50th anniversary, as does Chapel’s Ladies Choir, while Chapel Arts’ Creative Writing Group is marking the town’s 800th anniversary!

Visual Arts is well represented this year with large exhibitions at The Crescent and the Pavilion Gardens plus intimate and immersive events for all tastes. There are Children’s Events plus entries in every category including Spoken Word, Film, Dance and the genre-defying And More featuring everything from magic to an entire mini-festival at nearby Chelmorton.

July’s Buxton Fringe takes place in venues all over Buxton and beyond. Resourceful performers are using a wide range of different spaces; there is a weekend of comedy at the Lee Wood Hotel, and events in Harpur Hill, Brierlow Bar, Burbage and further afield, as well as in the town centre. During the Fringe, the Fringe Information Desk, this year in the Pavilion Gardens’ Octagon Lounge, will be open every day. The Fringe will present its free showcases of events, the Launch Party at Underground at the Working Men’s Club on July 8, Fringe Sunday, at the Pavilion Gardens on July 13 and Fringe on Friday at the Bandstand on July 11 and 18. It will also be in the town carnival on July 12. Events are listed on www.buxtonfringe.org.uk and the free to download Buxton Fringe app.

Fringe chair Ian Bowns says: “There is a jubilant atmosphere as Buxton’s friendly Fringe, one of the largest in the UK, takes residence across the town and beyond, offering diverse entertainment for all.”