HOWLIN’ FRINGE 2026

A mere eleven years after its only previous incarnation, HOWLIN' FRINGE returns for three consecutive Wednesday nights of music, merriment and mild unpredictability at Leith Cricket Club, this August.

We've lined up three very different evenings: alt-rockers Sulka and Suckle sharing a bill purely because their names look satisfying together; a rollicking full-band Pictish Trail show; and the triumphant return of psychedelic adventurers Free Love. Each of these shows will have special guests, still to be announced.

Tickets go on general sale at 12 noon this Saturday (6th June).

Click on these horrendous haircuts, to purchase tickets …

Lost Map's long-dormant Howlin' Fringe series returns this August, bringing three consecutive Wednesday nights of live music, merriment and mild unpredictability to Leith Cricket Club in Edinburgh.

A sort of sister event to the free-wheelin' Howlin' Fling festival on the Isle of Eigg, Howlin' Fringe was first launched in 2015 as a one-day Edinburgh Festival counter-programming experiment in Penicuik Town Hall. Combining adventurous music, comedy, an inexplicable obsession with terrible haircuts and a healthy disregard for convention, it brought together artists from across the Lost Map universe for one memorable day of organised chaos. Now, a mere eleven years later, the event returns in a new format: three carefully curated Wednesday evenings in Leith, taking place on August 12, 19 and 26, 2026.

Each evening offers its own distinct flavour, from slacker alt-rock thrills to folk-tinged psychedelic pop and cosmic electronic dancefloor wig-outs – all taking place within the cosy confines of Edinburgh’s most up-and-coming music venue, Leith Cricket Club.

The opening night on Wednesday, August 12 is presented in collaboration with Edinburgh promoters Play Nice and features a co-headline bill from Yorkshire's Suckle and Glasgow's Sulka. Fronted by comedian and performer Joe Kent-Walters (AKA the ghoulish landlord, Frankie Monroe), Sucklecombine swampy glam-rock energy, dark humour and powerful storytelling into a live show that is equal parts chaos and catharsis. They are joined by Sulka, the acclaimed project of songwriter Lukas Clasen, whose warm and emotionally direct indie rock balances lo-fi experimentation with beautifully crafted pop melodies. Accompanied by a full band, Clasen will be performing songs from Bute, his forthcoming third album for Lost Map, released in July.

On Wednesday, August 19, Lost Map founder and Isle of Eigg songwriter Pictish Trail brings his full band for a cosy headline show at what is, without a doubt, his favourite venue in Edinburgh. Fresh from the release of his acclaimed album Life Slime, the performance promises an immersive journey through shimmering psych-pop, driving rhythms and Johnny Lynch's uniquely unpredictable stage presence. Oh, and probably some slime, too.

The series concludes on Wednesday, August 26 with the welcome return of Glasgow's Free Love. Renowned for their euphoric and deeply communal live performances, Lewis and Suzi Cook's blend of ecstatic electronic pop, hypnotic rhythms and psychedelic exploration has earned them a devoted following. Joined by drummer Paul Thomson, their live show transforms any room into a joyful celebration of movement, connection and collective release.

Further artists will be announced for all three events in the coming weeks.