By Grace Hatchell and trying this haggis.
Extant, the UK’s leading performing arts company of blind and visually impaired artists, is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2026 with a growing programme at Underbelly, aiming to make accessibility part of the creative process rather than an afterthought.
Now I’ll be honest with you — when I first heard this, I had to pause mid-delivery (somewhere between a haggis eating contest and realising I’d taken a wrong turn somewhere along the Royal Mile).. Because this isn’t just another Fringe announcement. This feels like something quietly important.
Extant are back, yes. But more than that, they’re building on something they started last year, and it’s starting to ripple across the whole festival. Partnering with Underbelly as a principal venue, they’re not just presenting work — they’re nudging the Fringe towards something more inclusive, more considered, and frankly, long overdue.
A couple of years ago, visually impaired accessible shows made up less than 1% of the Fringe. Then that crept up to around 2%. Now? There are projections suggesting it could reach as much as 10–12% in 2026. I mean… that’s not a gentle nudge. That’s a proper shift.
And Underbelly are right in the middle of it.
They’ll be hosting Extant’s ‘Enhance’ shows, which use things like touch tours and carefully crafted descriptions to bring audiences closer to what’s happening on stage. Not in a “special add-on” kind of way — but as part of the experience itself. Which, if you ask me, is exactly how it should be.
There’s also a one-off showcase bringing together visually impaired-led performance across theatre, comedy, dance and cabaret. The kind of event where you go in thinking you’ll stay for half an hour and end up staying for three, because something about it just clicks.
But what’s really caught my attention is what’s happening beyond the performances.
ZOO Venues have already committed to making every show in their programme visually impaired accessible with at least one adapted performance, and the likes of Pleasance and Assembly are stepping things up too. It’s that ripple effect again. One company pushes, and suddenly the whole village starts to shift a little.
Extant are also working with the Fringe Society to share guidance and run workshops, helping other artists build accessibility into their work from the beginning. Not as an afterthought, not as a tick-box — but as part of the creative process.
And I think that’s the bit that matters most.
Because if this keeps growing — and it feels like it might — we’re not just talking about a handful of accessible performances dotted around the programme. We’re talking about a Fringe where accessibility becomes part of the norm. Something audiences can expect, rather than hope for.
Now wouldn’t that be something.
If Extant really are leading the way here, and venues like Underbelly are backing it properly, this could be one of those moments we look back on and go — “that’s when things started to change.”
And trust me, in a place like the Fringe, those moments don’t come along every day.
https://extant.org.uk/
https://underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/
https://underbelly.co.uk/
https://www.zoovenues.co.uk/
https://www.visuallyimpairedcreatorsscotland.co.uk/
https://sightscotland.org.uk/
About the Author
