Article Source: Gilded Balloon
Last Updated: 6 August 2025 9:53
6th August - It’s time to paint the town pink once more as Gilded Balloon celebrates their 40th anniversary with another year of their legendary Pink Wednesday - a 24 hour charity day with £5 tickets for some of the Fringe’s most in-demand shows!
Join Gilded Balloon’s staff and performers as they bring out their most fabulously pink outfits to fundraise for this year’s charity partner Waverley Care, all whilst enjoying discounted tickets for Fringe shows, fancy dress, competition prizes and more. With over 200 shows across three venues, fans can snap up £5 tickets for comedy, theatre, family, cabaret and more, with a percentage of ticket sales donated directly to Waverley Care, Scotland’s leading HIV and hepatitis C charity.
Fringe fans can enjoy some great entertainment and give back to a good cause, as shows participating in £5 tickets include Baxter vs the Bookies starring Andy Linden, last year’s So You Think You’re Funny winner Alana Jackson with her debut show Last Orders, local Edinburgh comic Michael Welch, Jack Docherty as The Chief with The Chief: Still No Apologies, Kim Blythe, Late’n’Live, Sophia Wren and many more!
Make a night of it with fun interactive shows like John Robertson’s The Dark Room, modern mentalist and hypnotist show PENMAN: The Imaginator - You, karaoke extravaganza Sink or SING!, and IKEA WARS, which challenges two comedians to build Ikea furniture on stage in a battle of wits (and home improvement skills).
For a full list of shows offering £5 tickets and to book, please visit www.tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk or stop by one of the Box Offices across venues: Patter House, The Museum or our brand new Appleton Tower!
T&Cs: £5 plus handling fees. Tickets to participating shows only, whilst stocks last. Tickets cannot be purchased in advance and must be booked on the day via Gilded Balloon’s box offices and website.
Traditionally nicknamed ‘Black Wednesday’ and known as a day of slower ticket sales across the Fringe, Gilded Balloon introduced Pink Wednesday in 2018 to encourage locals and Fringe fans to take a chance on a new show and enjoy discounted tickets, all whilst raising vital funds for charity. Each £5 ticket sold will see a percentage donated to Waverley Care, as well as charity staff fundraising throughout the day with bucket collections, QR codes and information points.
Waverley Care was founded in 1989 in response to the HIV epidemic in Edinburgh, the charity now focuses on ending new HIV transmission in Scotland by 2030, while continuing to support people and communities affected by HIV, hepatitis C and sexual health inequalities.
Katy and Karen Koren, Artistic Directors of Gilded Balloon said, “We’re thrilled to offer £5 tickets all day for some of the biggest shows at the Fringe - from Late’n’Live to Jack Docherty, as well as some of the best rising talent like Alana Jackson, Michael Welch and Sophia Wren. Pink Wednesday is the perfect day to get out and see some new shows at a discounted price, all whilst supporting our fantastic charity partner Waverley Care. It’s wonderful to see so many of our acts opt in to support Waverley Care and donate a percentage of their £5 ticket sales today to a charity who are doing vitally important work across Scotland.”
Grant Sugden, Chief Executive, Waverley Care said, “We’re thrilled to be Gilded Balloon’s charity partner once again for this year’s Pink Wednesday event. As Scotland’s leading HIV and Hepatitis C charity, we’re committed to making sure no one feels isolated. We provide safe, inclusive spaces where people can access care and community with dignity, free from stigma.
“Thanks to medical advances, people living with HIV can now live long, healthy lives. But stigma remains a significant barrier that continues to harm many.
Fundraising events like Pink Wednesday are vital. They enable us to deliver life-changing services, expand access to testing and prevention, and tackle the misconceptions that still surround blood borne viruses. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone taking part and supporting our mission to improve lives across Scotland.”
Waverley Care is Scotland’s leading HIV and hepatitis C charity, and everything they do is guided by the experiences of the people they work with – this ranges from shaping the services they deliver through to how they influence national policy around sexual health and blood-borne viruses (BBVs). Waverley Care’s vision is a Scotland where anyone living with or at risk of HIV can expect to be treated with acceptance, support and respect. Find out more information and support Waverley Care - www.waverleycare.org
Tickets via: www.tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk
Image credit: Steve Ullathorne
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