It's almost time to paint the town pink! Gilded Balloon, one of the major venue operators of the festival, has announced the first round of its 2024 Edinburgh Fringe programming.

Running July 31 to August 26, the Gilded Balloon programming will be presented in their longstanding Patter House and the National Museum of Scotland venues, with their Teviot venue reopening in 2025 following extensive renovations.

Begun by Karen Koren in the mid 1980s, Gilded Balloon is comedy central, with solo shows and stand-up acts dominating their lineup. While the venue operates year-round, they leap into action during the Fringe, and it is here that you’re most likely to find a form of performance art you aren’t familiar with.

Once again, Gilded Balloon will host the Fringe comedy staples Late’n’Live and Best of So You Think You’re Funny?, with the companies Pals in Pink transforming their venues into rosy hued homes for creativity, making it impossible to mistake whose venue you are in. 

Patter House will host the majority of Gilded Balloon's programming this season, including a new comedy hour from Louise Atkinson, John Robertson’s The Dark Room, and the return of hypnotist Matt Hale, whose Top Fun! '80s Spectacular sold out the 2023 Fringe. Glasgow comic Kathleen Hughes will present her debut hour, and Britain's Got Talent featured magician Cameron Young will present a series of mind-bending and side splitting illusions. 

Also part of the 2024 Patter House program will be the sketch show Biscuit Barrel: Not Another 69 Sketch Show, as well as the comedy murder mystery show Locomotive for Murder: The Improvised Whodunnit. Programming for the National Museum of Scotland will be announced at a later date.

Said Karen and Katy Koren, the Artistic Directors of Gilded Balloon, “We’re delighted to reveal the first few shows of this year’s Fringe program, ahead of what will be another exciting year for Gilded Balloon. As we transfer our full operation into two of our pre-existing venues, it’s a chance to refresh our programme this year. We’re looking forward to bringing a bigger and better operation to Patter House for 2024 including some brilliant programming—from kids shows to international comedy, thrilling theatre and lots of famous faces.

We will, of course, miss Teviot Row House which has been a major part of Gilded Balloon’s Fringe operation since 2001, but we look forward to returning next year for a big pink birthday bash to celebrate 40 years of Gilded Balloon. Planning is already underway for 2025’s very special celebrations, but in the meantime we can’t wait to welcome Fringe fans back to Patter House and the National Museum of Scotland for a month of wonderful shows.”

For more information, visit GildedBalloon.co.uk.