EventNewsPress releaseVenue
Following the impact of the fire on Princes Street, we’re moving two of our iconic outdoor venues from George Street to a new location - Assembly @ St Andrew Square. We’ve been working closely with the City of Edinburgh Council and Essential Edinburgh to ensure that Bijou and Front Room, hosting 17 shows from our Assembly Festival 2026 programme go ahead this Fringe!
Assembly @ St Andrew Square will feature everything you know and love from George Street Gardens, including bars, a box office and all facilities. Together, the venues will create a vibrant garden atmosphere within the square - the perfect place to relax and socialise before and after shows.
The programme across both venues includes classic theatre like Scaramouche Jones, and an adaption of a classic Shakespeare tale in Midsummer!, family shows including Cricket & The Freebugs and Smashing Shakespeare: Brave Macbeth, comedy and clowning in A Haunted House and The Van Gogh Shogh and comedy cabaret in Frisky’s Remix Roulette, which will run in St Andrew Square from 6 August until 30 August.
Shows indoors at Assembly Rooms on George Street will go ahead as originally planned alongside a box office and bar.
William Burdett-Coutts, Artistic Director at Assembly Festival said -
“The fire on Princes Street has had, and will continue to have, a significant effect on city centre businesses and residents. Following the subsequent investigations, it became clear that the usual Festival road closures Assembly Festival operates on George Street wouldn’t be possible for this year's Fringe season. This means we are unable to operate two of our external, outdoor venues - Bijou and Front Room - on George Street.
“We are grateful to the City of Edinburgh Council and other city and Festival partners for working closely with us to move the two affected venue operations to St Andrew Square, allowing us to deliver our planned programme in full".
See the full list of shows at Assembly @ St Andrew Square:
1954: Ella, Etta, Eartha
Bijou
06 - 16 Aug | 14:30
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70s Jukebox by The 60 Four
Bijou
18 - 30 Aug | 14:30
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Best of Burlesque
Bijou
06 - 30 Aug | 22:15
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Frisky’s Remix Roulette
Bijou
06 - 30 Aug | 20:30
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Midsummer!
Bijou
06 - 19 Aug | 12:30
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Scaramouche Jones
Bijou
06 - 30 Aug | 16:10
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44 Minutes
Front Room
06 - 30 Aug | 21:05
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A Haunted House
Front Room
06 - 16 Aug | 19:45
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A Play on Words
Front Room
06 - 30 Aug | 15:30
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Arachne / Athena
Front Room
17 - 30 Aug | 19:45
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Becoming Dr Ruth
Front Room
06 - 30 Aug | 16:55
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Cricket & The Freebugs
Front Room
06 - 30 Aug | 11:10
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Ludwig: Unfinished Business
Front Room
06 - 30 Aug | 12:35
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The Problem
Front Room
06 - 30 Aug | 14:10
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The Van Gogh Shogh
Front Room
06 - 30 Aug | 18:25
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Smashing Shakespeare: Brave Macbeth
Bijou
07 - 30 Aug | 10:45
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In Pour Taste: A Comedy Wine Tasting Experience
Bijou
06 - 30 Aug | 18:30
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