Comedian Simon Brodkin - The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is a WOKE Mess

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What happens when the world’s most famous comedy festival stops feeling like a place for comedy?

In this episode, comedian Simon Brodkin explains why his relationship with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival changed, what he experienced behind the scenes, and why he believes the environment for comedians there has shifted in a way that no longer supports risk-taking, experimentation, or genuine freedom of expression.

Simon describes how the Fringe once functioned as a space for creative failure, bold ideas, and unpredictable performances — and how that atmosphere has gradually been replaced by caution, fear of backlash, and an increasing pressure to stay within invisible boundaries.

He reflects on the moments that made him realise something had changed, the reactions he encountered when testing those limits, and how that affected both his work and his willingness to perform in that environment at all.

Rather than attacking individuals or institutions, this conversation looks at the cultural mechanics of how spaces change — how incentives shift, how reputations become fragile, and how artists begin to self-censor long before anyone tells them to.

Simon also talks about what it feels like to walk into a space that once felt creative and now feels constrained, how that affects confidence and performance, and why that change matters not just for comedians but for audiences too.

If you’ve ever wondered why comedy feels safer, flatter, or more cautious than it used to — or why so many comedians quietly stop appearing in certain spaces — this episode offers an inside perspective on that shift.

This is not a rant or a culture war argument. It’s a personal account of what happens when creative environments change faster than the people working inside them, and how that change reshapes what gets said, what gets laughed at, and what never makes it onto the stage.

🎧 Watch the full podcast here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuQFh6sPgak

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