Edinburgh Fringe Cancels Jewish Comedy Shows Over Staff Safety Concerns

Two Jewish comedians, Rachel Creeger and Philip Simon, had their shows canceled at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival due to safety concerns expressed by staff at the Whistlebinkies venue. The staff reportedly felt unsafe despite added police protection, leading the venue to remove the Jewish acts from the lineup just a week before the festival started. Creeger and Simon described the cancellations as part of a broader pattern of exclusion and silent boycott faced by Jewish performers in the UK, a situation exacerbated by rising antisemitism and tensions related to Israel. The venue cited previous incidents, including anti-Israel graffiti and unrest following a 2024 festival joke, as reasons for the cancellations. Attempts to find alternative venues for the comedians were unsuccessful, and the shows were removed from the official festival listings. Free Fringe organizers clarified that the decision was made solely by Whistlebinkies and expressed willingness to support the performers in finding new venues.