We're back!
Bigger audiences &
Bolder conversations!
Help build a live daily podcast hub at Edinburgh Fringe 2026
The Martin Talk Show is heading back to Edinburgh Fringe with one clear mission: to amplify changemakers, give artists space to be heard, and bring the energy of the world’s biggest arts festival to audiences everywhere.
We took the podcast to the streets of Edinburgh in 2024 and fell in love with the people, the place and the festival. We recorded conversations with performers, creatives and community voices in the middle of the Fringe’s glorious creative chaos.
In 2025, we returned with a bigger dream: to create our own live podcast stage. We didn’t raise enough money in time to secure a venue, but we turned that setback into something electric. We recorded over 60 Fringe episodes, captured the stories of independent artists, and reached hundreds of thousands of listeners and viewers through podcast episodes, video clips and social media.
We learned a lot. We started too late. We could not secure the dedicated venue we needed. We had to work around weather, street noise, limited kit and the pressure of doing everything on the move.
This time, we are doing it properly.
What we want to create in 2026
For Edinburgh Fringe 2026, we want to build a professional daily podcast hub: a dedicated live venue where artists, creatives and changemakers can come together for interviews, livestreams, audience conversations and digital promotion.
The Fringe is packed with incredible work, but many independent artists struggle to be seen. Shows open, close and disappear in a storm of posters, flyering and competition for attention. The Martin Talk Show can help cut through that noise by giving artists a high-quality platform to tell their story, share their purpose and reach audiences far beyond Edinburgh.
This project will create:
A dedicated live podcast venue during the Fringe.
Daily interviews with performers, artists, creatives and changemakers.
Professional livestreams and recordings.
Accessible captioned clips and podcast content.
A promotional platform for independent and emerging artists.
A festival hub rooted in community, creativity and conversation.
Why this matters: Creativity maybe the path to 'A Better World'?
The Edinburgh Fringe is one of the most exciting creative spaces in the world, but it is also expensive, busy and overwhelming. For many artists, especially independent, emerging and underrepresented creatives, getting noticed can be one of the biggest challenges.
The Martin Talk Show exists to amplify changemakers. We do not just ask guests what they are promoting. We ask who they are, what drives them, what they have overcome, what they are building, and why their creative work matters. Building to one important question which is asked of all our guests "How Whould You Make This a Better World".
This project will help artists reach new audiences, give listeners free access to the Fringe, and create a lasting digital archive of conversations from one of the most important cultural events in the world.
Not everyone can afford to travel to Edinburgh. Not everyone can buy dozens of tickets. Not every artist has a marketing team. This project helps bridge that gap.
Looking back at 2024
"Creatives In The Wild"
Edinbirgh Fringe Festival 2024
Braveheart | Adam Waters | Edinburgh Fringe Festival UNCUT #292
The Right Amount of Wrong | After-Show | Natasha Pearl Hansen | Edinburgh Fringe Festival UNCUT #265
(Dead) Dad Jokes: Hailey Jones | After-Show | Edinburgh Fringe Festival UNCUT #286
A major return to the Fringe in 2025, recording over 60 episodes.
Edinburgh Fringe 2025
Toussaint Douglass Accessible Pigeon Material - Episode #386
Pathetic Little Characters with Rory Marshall #407
Jena Friedman - Motherf*cker #389
The plan for 2026
Book a dedicated live venue now, giving the show a proper home during the Fringe.
Upgrade livestream, audio, lighting and recording equipment so every episode looks and sounds professional.
Hire a small production team to support live recordings, guest coordination, camera operation, livestreaming, editing, captioning and distribution.
Promote artists widely before, during and after the festival through podcast episodes, short clips, social posts and livestreams.
Create a professional, accessible and welcoming space where artists can share their stories with confidence.
How the money will be spent
Our target is £7,000. This includes public donations and potential Creative Scotland match funding.
Estimated budget breakdown:
Venue hire / live podcast hub booking: £1,200
Project lead / host / producer fee: £800
Livestream / audio technician: £1,000
Camera / production assistant: £750
Editing, captioning and distribution support: £700
Equipment hire / upgrades: £1,000
Marketing, design and promotion: £650
Travel, subsistence and local transport: £600
Contingency, access and insurance: £300
Total: £7,000
We are committed to fair pay. Freelancers, artists and staff will be paid at least the Real Living Wage and, where relevant, in line with appropriate sector guidance. Nobody will be asked to provide professional creative labour for free.
What your support will do
Your support helps us build the platform properly.
It helps us move from street-based survival mode to a professional daily podcast hub.
It helps artists get seen.
It helps audiences experience the Fringe for free online.
It helps independent creativity travel beyond Edinburgh.
A small donation fuels the journey.
A larger donation helps build the stage.
A share helps bring more people into the room.
The amplification
has already begun:
Edinburgh Fringe 2026
Navigating Life | Em Stroud | Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 | Episode 522
Like A Good Neighbor | Jake Alexander | Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2026 | Episode 521
