Chesham Fringe Festival - 22 to 24 May 2026

Start: Friday, May 22, 2026 6:00PM
End: Sunday, May 24, 2026 11:00PM

Now in its 3rd year, Chesham Fringe Festival continues to grow as one of Buckinghamshire’s most vibrant arts celebrations, filling venues across the town over the May Bank Holiday weekend (Friday 22 May to Sunday 24 May) with music, comedy, theatre, cabaret, spoken word and family entertainment. Entirely volunteer-run, Chesham Fringe exists to showcase creativity, community and connection, offering a platform for both seasoned performers and first-time acts, bringing an Edinburgh Fringe type vibe to Chesham! With over 120 acts in 6 genres, performing in 14 different venues over 3 days in and around the centre of the town, this year's headliners are Stereo MCs, Adam Kay (of This is Going to Hurt) and Henning Wehn and friends. One of the biggest highlights just confirmed is Alex Horne and The Horne Section, performing live at Chesham Football Club on Friday 22 May. Expect a gloriously chaotic mix of comedy and music from the creator of Taskmaster and his brilliantly talented band of musical mischief-makers. It promises to be a huge night to kick off the May Bank Holiday weekend. A host of brilliant comedy acts will also be performing. Catch the hilarious The Adventures of Jasper Cromwell Jones (known for warming up audiences for The Graham Norton Show and Mock the Week) appearing at Chesham Cricket Club. Later that evening, enjoy surreal and wonderfully eccentric comedy from Paul F Taylor at Chesham Library. Award-winning comedian, writer and compere, Sally-Anne Hayward (Best UK Compere 2019 and Holsten Pils ‘Fans of Comedy’ Award) is appearing at Chesham Cricket Club on Friday 22 May. Celebrating 40 years at the mic, legendary political comedian, Mark Thomas, brings his show ‘40 in Stand Up Years’ to Chesham. Expect rants, jokes, swearing and plenty of sharp political humour. Also on Saturday, comedian and broadcaster Robin Ince (best known for co-hosting the BBC Radio 4 show The Infinite Monkey Cage with physicist, Brian Cox) will be at Chesham Cricket Club bringing his signature blend of intellect, curiosity and comedy. Sunday’s comedy line-up is equally strong. Award-winning comedians Lou Conran and Eddy Brimson, married in 2024, join forces for a gloriously unfiltered double act at Chesham Football Club. Later that afternoon, Paul Sinha (star of The Chase) brings his latest Edinburgh Fringe show to Chesham Football Club, while Adam Flood delivers his high-energy mix of observational comedy, surreal twists and music upstairs at The Queen’s Head. In the evening, Stephen Carlin will perform his sharp, subversive and brilliantly deadpan comedy. Also appearing are Esther Manito and Matt Richardson, who will be testing new material in a double bill. Expect fearless storytelling and fresh stand-up from two brilliant comedians. Comedy fans can also look forward to performances from Sophie Duker, Marcel Lucont, Ninia Benjamin, Sara Barron, Annie McGrath, Josh Weller, Steve Bugeja and Jonny Pelham, offering a rare chance to see some of these top comedians performing “work in progress” shows before they hit major stages such as the Edinburgh Fringe. If it's music you're after, Ultimate Green Day and The Ed Sheeran Experience are two of the best tributes on the circuit and will be smashing out the hits at Chesham Youth Centre. There’s a lot of rockin’ going on with a fantastic three band bill of emerging talent featuring Kerrang! favourites, Matted, a new and exciting alt-heavy band, supported by young local talent, Clear Air Turbulence and two-piece Midlands rockers, We Three Kings. Kimosabe, return with more dub reggae beats following a lively performance at the Fringe in 2025. Brass Beats Collective, are also back at the Red Lion & Drawingroom with their ‘different sort of heavy metal’! For some theatre and dance, brand new, one-man, musical comedy?with some toe-tapping jazzy tunes, Love in Slough, will take you with Jack on a journey of self-discovery. Offgridland playing at The Little Theatre by the Park, is the true story of a man trying to switch off from the perils of technology and people. Local group, the Panda Players are back for another year performing songs from well-known films and musicals. There's dance from Euphoria, a piece performed by Isabelle Russell-Fibuch?inspired by a woman’s suffering and Flamenco Fiesta offering the chance to dress up and join in! Dee Riley, close-up cabaret magician, returns with his sell out stage show ‘Magic & Moments’ giving a glimpse of all his favourite stage magic routines he has developed over the years. There’s loadsa stuff for kids (and big kids too) with Olaf Falafel, back with an hour of fabulous, family-friendly fun. Or try How Curious! - an exciting, fun and immersive science show. There’s so much more! Our Free Fringe schedule will soon be announced, featuring a wide range of music and spoken-word performances across the town. So don't miss out – check out the website for more details and book your tickets. https://cheshamfringe.com/