Performing at Assembly Festival
A good starting point is our Information Pack for Performers. This walks you through who we are and how we typically operate during the festival.
We welcome shows from a wide range of genres from theatre and comedy to dance and circus, spoken word and music, in addition to children’s shows and musicals, among others. Our programme typically comprises mostly new work but we will also occasionally consider shows which have previously performed at the festival.
We would advise that in order to maximise potential technical rehearsal time in your venue, please aim to be available to tech from at least three days before your first preview. For part runs we ask that you be as flexible as possible as there will likely be limited technical rehearsal time available after the festival starts.
This will vary depending on the size of venue you need – given the nature of the festival and the fact that many of our venues can have 8 or more shows on any given day, we ask that each company keep their get-in and get-out time as efficient as possible. If you have any concerns about your show requirements, please let us know at point of application.
Applying
You are welcome to apply at any time – ours is a fully curated programme so we do not operate on a first-come first-served basis. However we would encourage you to apply as soon as you feel you are ready, as we do intend to be fully programmed by April.
To be considered for our programme you will need to fill out our Application Form. This gives us full information about your show & who you are and helps us make a decision about your show. We welcome shows of all shapes and sizes, from anywhere around the UK or indeed the world! We love to hear from both established and emerging companies, and from both those familiar to Assembly and new faces.
Yes, but please make sure you submit an application for each production.
You are very welcome to apply to other Fringe venues; it’s all about finding the right home for your show and we only have limited space available, so we would hate for you to lose out elsewhere if we cannot offer you what you need. We only ask that you keep us informed if you’re keen to hear from us and you have an offer from elsewhere.
Many shows in our programme usually perform for the full run of festival dates (07 - 31 August 2026, previews 05 & 06 August 2026) with days off if applicable, but we are open to hearing from shows who want to perform shorter runs – however it can sometimes take longer to lock these in given the complexities of finding complementary dates with other productions & finding time in the festival schedule to ensure requisite technical rehearsal time.
Due to the volume of applications we receive each year we can sometimes take a little while to get back to you; please do bear with us as we endeavour to respond to all applicants in due course. Unfortunately we are unable to provide detailed feedback for individual applicants, but we can at least provide updates on the status of your application as the programming period progresses between January and April.
You are welcome to contact the Programming team on [email protected] with anything else you might need, including if you would prefer to do an application by phone.
We will accept additional supporting information at any time, just email [email protected] – ideally replying to or forwarding on your original application confirmation email in doing so.
Venues
Both our Information Pack and Perform With Us page (where you're reading this!) contain full information about our available venues for 2026, including technical specifications. Scroll down to see more about our performance spaces.
Please note that ALL Technical Specifications and Plans currently available are based on the 2025 festival venue set-up. These should be used as a guide ONLY. Any update of technical equipment and operating systems (including extras and charges for 2026) will be communicated by our Technical team once all details are finalised (to the main company contact provided, should your application be accepted). Assembly reserves the right to change, swap and update details at any time.
We do also consider site-specific work, especially if you have researched viable sites within the city of Edinburgh which would suit – please contact [email protected] for further discussion.
Dance Base, Scotland’s national centre for dance, have partnered with Assembly to deliver a programme of dance and movement-based work. The programme is curated by Dance Base’s Artistic Director Tony Mills and delivered by Assembly – artists are subject to Assembly’s financial deal, are ticketed by Assembly and listed as part of the Assembly programme, as well as by Dance Base. If you are interested in performing at Dance Base, please submit your application to Assembly via the application form, and your query will be directed to the Dance Base team. Dance Base is a fully curated venue, and as such their programme will be selected by the Dance Base team – applying to Dance Base registers your interest but does not guarantee a slot.
You can download our 2026 Venue Accessibility Guide for Artists here. Please note some details may change. If you have any questions about accessibility in our venues please contact [email protected]