The Famous Spiegeltent is returning to Edinburgh for this year’s Festival, it has been confirmed, with the venue setting itself up in the city’s St Andrew Square after a nine year break. The return coincides with the 21st anniversary of the venue’s most famous show, ‘La Clique!’, which will be performed in the space at this year’s Fringe.

Creative Producer David Bates says: “Leave your troubles at the doors of The Famous Spiegeltent and step into our Edinburgh-born international sensation, ‘La Clique’. This will be the sexiest, funniest and most dangerous birthday party in town, and we are honoured to share this celebration with the people and the place that has forever changed all our lives”.

The Famous Spiegeltent first operated as an Edinburgh Fringe venue back in 1996 – the first year ThreeWeeks covered the Festival – originally based on top of the Waverley Shopping Centre. The venue used different sites over the years, including George Square Gardens, and – from 2014 to 2016 – St Andrew Square.

An official statement confirming the venue’s return in 2025 says, “an iconic fixture at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for 20 years since 1996, The Famous Spiegeltent has been instrumental in promoting the international careers of variety, cabaret, independent music and new circus arts”.

The venue’s 2025 Edinburgh programme will actually kick off on 10 Jul, a few weeks before the Fringe itself, and then run until the end of August.

Photo: Thierry Franco