Edinburgh Fringe 2026 shows increasingly use AI on stage and in plots

In short: More Edinburgh Fringe 2026 acts are putting artificial intelligence into their shows, not just as a joke, but as a theme, a tool, and sometimes a live partner.

What's going on

The 2026 Edinburgh Fringe programme includes a noticeable number of shows that directly involve AI. AI, short for artificial intelligence, is software that can produce text, images, or ideas based on instructions, a bit like a very fast autocomplete.

Some acts use AI as the main topic. Copycat at Pleasance has Fringe First winner Joe Sellman-Leava asking whether AI could lead to human decline or a better future. An Echo in the Void at Assembly is a thriller where characters weigh real life against a perfect AI-designed world.

Other shows use AI as part of the performance. RapGPT: Macshane at Hoots is built around audience prompts, with a custom AI creating obstacles the rapper must improvise through. Improbotics Presents: Artificial Reality at Just the Tonic uses tools like deepfakes (video that makes someone look like they said or did something they did not) and chatbot-controlled dialogue to create a satire involving “celebrities.”

There are also shows focused on ethics and atmosphere. The Provocateurs: Ethical Innovators? / Satellites Destroy Privacy at The Stand looks at whether new tech, including AI, can be fair and responsible. AI Campfire at Venue 13 uses a “personified AI database” called Symbiolene as part of an immersive folklore-and-technology experience.

What to watch

If audiences respond well, AI could become a regular part of Fringe formats, like music loops or projected visuals. The bigger question is whether these tools stay in the background, or start to shape what gets written, performed, and credited.

Source: NYTimes