The fifth annual Edinburgh Deaf Festival (EDF) will be bigger, brighter and bolder than ever before – offering a superb line-up of home-grown and international shows and events.
The 2026 programme was launched last night by the festival’s newly appointed director, the actor and writer Nadia Nadarajah, during a special event at the main venue, the Deaf Action headquarters in Albany Street, Edinburgh.
Running for 10 days from 7-16 August, and featuring more than 80 scheduled events, the fifth annual Edinburgh Deaf Festival is run in collaboration with the Edinburgh Fringe and showcases some of the best of Deaf culture.
One of this year’s main attractions will be A Night in Sign – Produced by Fuse Theatre, it sees acclaimed deaf actor and theatre maker Nadeem Islam host an evening of quality cabaret by deaf and hard of hearing performers featuring comedy, music, poetry.
Among those taking part in a Night in Sign will be:
- Glaswegian Bea Webster’s drag alter-ego Mimi King comes to the stage with a performance that follows a chaotic, genderless deaf alien attempting to understand human behaviour through musicals, performance and audience interaction.
- Chris Fonseca, award-winning dancer and Co-Artistic Director of Fuse Theatre, whose dynamic performances make him one of the UK’s most visible deaf artists.
- Amy Murray, from Glasgow, brings her trademark wit and warmth to the stage with a playful, highly visual performance. In a first for EDF, she will perform in Visual Vernacular (VV)*, a powerful Deaf storytelling artform that combines sign language, mime, movement, facial expression and cinematic techniques to create vivid, immersive stories that can be enjoyed by deaf and hearing audiences alike.
- William Grint: The Deaf Bard explores Shakespeare through the lens of VV and storytelling.
The festival is designed to appeal to all ages and for deaf, hard of hearing and hearing audiences. This year it welcomes:
- Pray For Me: Written and performed by Sarah Adedeji – a powerful new drama exploring faith, deafness and identity, as a Black Deaf woman through poetry, movement and live music by ISRA3L.
- Sign Slam: From Brazil, a highly visual, fast-paced interactive performance blending improv, comedy and audience participation through sign language.
- John Smith: The award-winning deaf comedian returns with a brand-new show Planes, Trains & Misunderstandings about travelling the world as a deaf performer.
- Michael Woods: A presentation by the 36-year-old who, this May, became the first deaf British person to climb Everest.
- The Librarians: The eccentric Miss Book and Mr Page are in a magical library where stories leap from the page. A playful family theatre production performed in BSL and English, combining storytelling, comedy and audience participation in an accessible and imaginative live experience for children and families.
- Lights & Lanterns: Spectroscope offers a beautiful immersive visual storytelling experience – some using a 130-year-old magic lantern. A workshop that combines shadow play, projection, movement and deaf history. It draws inspiration for the work deaf Victorian artists Harry Ash and Harry Bow, connecting historical with contemporary deaf creativity.
There will also be Deaf Karaoke* – a popular and, to many, unexpected EDF event – which attracts deaf and hearing audiences. It’s energetic and entertaining with participants choosing whether to sing or sign their songs – do both, or perform a duet. Or just come along to watch the fun unfold.
Nadia, who joined the festival as an ambassador before becoming its Creative Programmer last year, has now become its director thanks to Creative Scotland funding.
She said: “The fifth Edinburgh Deaf Festival is bigger, brighter and bolder than ever, bringing together an exciting mix of deaf talent from Scotland, across the UK and overseas. But what makes the festival truly special is the sense of home and belonging it creates.
“For 10 days each August, people come together to celebrate deaf culture, share experiences and feel part of something bigger.
“Thanks to Creative Scotland’s support, we have the confidence to be more ambitious, champion more deaf artists and continue building a festival where creativity, community and belonging are at the heart of everything we do.”
There will also be a National Museum of Scotland Deaf Families Takeover Day, BSL tours of the Botanics and a Sonic Patterns Workshop.
The workshop, led by deaf professional flautist and educator Ruth Montgomery, shows how sound frequencies, vibration and visual art techniques, can be used to create intricate geometric patterns and physical movement, transforming invisible vibrations into art.
Dana MacLeod, Executive Director of Arts, Communities and Inclusion at Creative Scotland said: “Edinburgh Deaf Festival begins an exciting new chapter, expertly directed by Nadia Nadarajah, bolstered by the security of Multi-Year Funding through Creative Scotland.
“This is reflected in its programme of deaf artistry and talent across music, comedy, theatre and visual art. We look forward to Nadia’s creative direction and welcome her vision into the Scottish festivals landscape.”
The festival is a celebration of deaf culture, language and heritage.
Organised by Deaf Action (the world’s oldest deaf charity and deaf-led organisation which dates back 190 years to 1835) the festival continues the pioneering work that made Edinburgh a world-leader in championing the interests of deaf people.
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Notes for editors
- See the Edinburgh Deaf Festival website at https://edinburghdeaffestival.co.uk.
- Tickets available through the Fringe box office at https://www.edfringe.com.
* Visual Vernacular (VV) – a unique visual storytelling artform that originated within Deaf signing communities. Using sign language, mime, cinematic techniques, movement and highly visual expression, performers create immersive stories without relying on spoken language. Performers shift seamlessly between characters, perspectives and visual scenes, using the body, facial expression, rhythm and spatial storytelling to create vivid and emotionally powerful narratives. See https://youtu.be/Ckeim6wyoOY?si=IKA-aBzLRuGbOE3F
* Deaf Karaoke is an EDF event but not part of the Edinburgh Fringe.
Supporters and sponsors: This year’s festival supporters and sponsors are: Creative Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council, Heriot-Watt University, Association of Sign Language Interpreters, The Scotch Whisky Experience, LumoTV.
About Deaf Action
- Deaf Action is a deaf led charity based in Edinburgh, supporting people in Scotland and the South of England – see https://www.deafaction.org
- Founded in 1835 it is the world’s oldest deaf charity and the first formally constituted deaf organisation.
- It exists to support the diversity of deaf people, including deaf users of British Sign Language (BSL), and those who are deafened, deafblind or hard of hearing.
- Deaf Action’s work is geared towards empowering all deaf people to achieve their potential and fully participate in society, with equality of rights, access and opportunity.
- Almost half of the staff are deaf, and many more have grown up with deaf parents or siblings. Deaf Action truly understand the challenges deaf people face, and believes that its collective experience allows it to honestly position itself as having the expertise to unlock deaf people’s potential.
Social media: www.instagram.com/edindeaffestival/ www.twitter.com/EdinDeafFest/ www.facebook.com/EdinDeafFestival/
About Creative Scotland: Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow Creative Scotland on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
For media information contact Matthew Shelley at SFPR on 07786 704 299 or at Matthew@ScottishfestivalsPR.org
