EDINBURGH 2026: DARKFIELD Q&A

BWW catches up with Darkfield co-director to chat about the shows they're bringing to the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about the three shows you're taking to the Fringe this year.

This year we have three shows at the Fringe. Arcade in our regular Pleasance home and two shows at a new spot with Assembly in George Square. 

Arcade puts you in the body of an avatar trying to make sense of the world. You make choices that dictate what sort of outcome they get. 

Flight plays out the unsettling idea that more than one version of an event may exist simultaneously, by glitching between two flights.

In Coma you get to have a lie down while taking part in a shared fever dream with the rest of the audience. What's the worst thing you can imagine together? 

What sets them apart from other shows at the festival?

They're all in complete darkness in shipping containers, I guess that's particular and unique.

Are the immersive experiences suitable for those who experience motion sickness?

Yes, sure, you don't get to move anywhere.

What is so appealing about these immersive shows during such an overwhelming theatre month?

They're fast and fun and you can squeeze them into any busy day.

What would you like audiences to take away from the experience?

We want our audiences to be open to having an experience that might not match what they think a 'play' is. The more open they are the better the show will be for them. Our shows are fun and we want our audiences to leave excited. Usually there's a lot of chat among the audience about what they have just experienced.

• ACCLAIMED RETURNING SHOW FLIGHT by DARKFIELD

Assembly George Square, 5-31 August, Various Times (30 mins), [Theatre, Immersive, Interactive] | First Review Date: 6 Aug

One of DARKFIELD's most popular and critically acclaimed immersive experiences, FLIGHT, returns to the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time since 2024. In an interior that resembles an Airbus 320 economy cabin, FLIGHT explores the Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, taking audience members through two worlds, two realities and two possible outcomes to their journey. There are many worlds in which this plane lands safely.

• ACCLAIMED RETURNING SHOW COMA by DARKFIELD

Assembly George Square, 5-31 August, Various Times (30 mins), [Theatre, Immersive, Interactive] | First Review Date: 6 Aug

For the first time since 2023, COMA returns to the Edinburgh Fringe. COMA invites audiences to take part in a mass experiment and, together, slip into a collective dream, encouraged by a mysterious voice in their headphones. Harnessing all of the skills in DARKFIELD's technical arsenal, COMA takes place in the pitch-darkness, utilising 360-degree binaural sound, and with some unique additions developed specifically for this show that leave audiences wondering what's real and what's a dream.

• ACCLAIMED RETURNING SHOW ARCADE by DARKFIELD

Potterrow Plaza, Pleasance Dome, 5-31 August, Various Times (30 mins), [Theatre, Immersive, Interactive] | First Review Date: 6 Aug

DARKFIELD are also delighted to be returning to their signature spot at Pleasance Dome, Potterrow Plaza - just a stone's throw away from George Square. For the third year in a row, DARKFIELD will bring their newest and most interactive experience, ARCADE, to Edinburgh. Using the nostalgic aesthetic of 1980's video games, ARCADE's interactive narrative explores the evolving relationship between players and avatars. Over 30 minutes, in the darkness of one of DARKFIELD's trademark shipping containers, audiences choose their own path through the story whilst experiencing DARKFIELD's signature 360-degree binaural sound and sensory effects for a fully immersive  experience. 

Get Broadway News on WhatsApp

Receive the latest updates, breaking news, and exclusive coverage from Broadway directly in WhatsApp.

Don't Miss a Scotland News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...