Edinburgh Shanty Night vs The Fringe
★★★★☆ Seafaring sing-a-long
Argyle Cellar Bar (Venue 293): Tue 11 & Tue 25 Aug 2026
Review by Bri Boehm
Beloved Edinburgh institution Edinburgh Shanty Night brings their rousing anthems to the Argyle Cellar Bar with Edinburgh Shanty Night vs the Fringe, a swash-buckling, beer-sloshing musical experience, with a storied twist.
Edinburgh Shanty Night might be outside Æ’s normal ambit but, for two performances only, it has framed itself with a narrative conceit, added a dash of fringe theatricality and (just) enough of a narrative thread to find an excuse to join in the shanty fun.
Edinburgh Shanty Night vs The Fringe. Pic: ESN.
This narrative conceit is better left undefined because, well, spoilers. It is also entirely nonsensical and lacks internal logic; to call this premise flimsy would be an understatement. But it is, at the end of the day, a slapped-on excuse to experience Shanty Night at the Fringe, for which it does its job perfectly. Besides, a few pints and a few shanties deep, who is keeping track of narrative consistency?
The real storytelling in this production lies in the shanties themselves. The performers lead the audience in a song session of old pub classics and new original shanties by members of the company (written by Peter Adams, Ash Elliot, Fox Kelly, and Julia Koenig), covering stories of lost love, historical adventure, and current nautical fears.
beards, flannels, and jumpers
Though the script’s premise is tenuous at best, the props made by Julia Koenig, one of Shanty Night’s founders, bring comedy and delight to the performance, used to laugh at the easy-to-poke holes in the expositional device. And the shantymen fashion of beards, flannels, and jumpers authentically donned by the cast makes them feel like characters straight out of a storybook, welcoming the audience into their world.
Due to the confidence and leadership skills of the crew, led by Adam Muir, much like the Edinburgh Shanty Night’s regular events, anyone who steps aboard—from shanty veterans to nervous newcomers—will find themselves swept away in song, transformed into lonely sailors out at sea.
Edinburgh Shanty Night is a raucous, rousing good time, and if you’re a local who has been hoping for a Shanty Night daytime event, a shanty expert ready to show off your skills, or someone looking for a good excuse to grab a pint and set off on a rousing adventure in song, get yourself down to Edinburgh Shanty Night vs The Fringe. (Beards and jumpers not included.)
Running time: 45 minutes (no interval).
Argyle Cellar Bar (Cellar Bar), 15-17 Argyle Place EH9 1JJ (Venue #293.
Tuesday 11 & Tusday 25 August 2026.
Two dates only: 5pm.
Tickets and details: Book here at EdFringe.com.
Edinburgh Shanty Night website: https://www.edinburghshantynight.com
Instagram: @edinburghshantynight
YouTube: @EdinburghShanty
ENDS
