Underbelly Raises Over £15000 From 7th Annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit

Underbelly has announced that the 7th Annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit has raised £15,203 for The Brain Tumour Charity, the world's leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally.

A stand-out in Underbelly’s 25th Anniversary programme, the one-off show hosted by Ivo Graham featured performances from O’Doherty, Michelle Wolf, Celya AB, Emmanuel Sonubi, Garry Starr, Ahir Shah, Bella Hull and Abandoman in his only Fringe performance of 2025. 100% of profits (ticket income less box office commissions and other costs related to the event) from this promotional venture will be donated to The Brain Tumour Charity.

The Big Brain Tumour Benefit was created by Underbelly in 2017 following the diagnosis of an aggressive and rare form of brain cancer called Ependymoma in Alfie Bartlam, the son of Underbelly’s co-founder Ed Bartlam. At the end of August in 2019, Alfie sadly died, aged 7.

Ed Bartlam, Underbelly’s co-founder said: “I’d like to extend a massive thank you to everyone who performed in, and attended Underbelly’s 7th annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit last night. It makes me immensely proud that together we have raised more than £15,000 with donations going to a specific research project to find new treatments for some of the most aggressive forms of paediatric brain tumours.”

“Our goal is to raise £1.5 million for this project through a series of special fundraising events such as Underbelly’s Big Brain Tumour Benefit. Together we can continue to raise vital funds for research and awareness so that nobody’s life expectancy is dictated by their tumour.”

Sally King, Corporate Partnerships Manager at The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “We're thrilled that this year's Big Brain Tumour Benefit has raised over £15,000 and want to thank everyone for their incredible support and generosity. This event is a true highlight of Edinburgh Fringe 2025 -  uniting us in comedy to raise awareness and vital funds - and we are hugely grateful to the team at Underbelly for their unwavering commitment to helping us defeat brain tumours.”

Brain tumours are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children and adults under 40. They shorten life expectancy by an average of 27 years, the most of any cancer. Despite this, brain tumour research is underfunded compared to many other cancers.

Research into brain tumours is severely underfunded in the UK and yet represents the biggest cancer killer for under 40s. Around 500 children and young people in the UK are diagnosed each year but diagnosis times of childhood brain tumours are longer in the UK than in many other countries. The Brain Tumour Charity is committed to improving the lives of everyone affected by a brain tumour diagnosis. To find out more about the vital work that they do and to get help from their support services, please visit www.thebraintumrcharity.org or call their Information and support line on 0808 800 0004.

Further donations to the fund are welcome by visiting the link here: https://pay.sumup.com/b2c/QVV19ZDB?utm_campaign=pdf&utm_medium=print&utm_source=qr

Underbelly’s Big Brain Tumour Benefit is a one-night-only show. For more information on the wider programme for the remainder of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, please visit the website here.