Galaxy Train
Galaxy Train by 2ShoulderPads is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at Underbelly, Cowgate. It has 27 performances listed, running from Wed 5 Aug, 14:15 to Sun 30 Aug, 14:15. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.
About this show
Sold out for its entire run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025. Winner of the Spirit of the Fringe Award. A poetic musical inspired by Japanese classical literature. The male performers wear only two shoulder pads as their costume – playful, never sexual. What begins as laughter at wriggling bottoms soon releases the audience's imagination, revealing countless costumes and worlds. By the final scene, many are moved to tears. Overflowing with the joy and power of theatre, it explores life and death, parting, and human connection through humour, songs and Kabuki-inspired physical expression.
Details
- Performer: 2ShoulderPads
- Venue: Underbelly, Cowgate
- Space: Belly Button
- Genre: OPERA, Comedy, Physical theatre
- Country: JAPAN
- Running time: 60 minutes
- Room size: about 123 seats (Belly Button) — the Fringe box office sells a share of the room, not all of it
- Performances listed: 27, of which 0 still to come and on sale
Accessibility
- Venue notes: Accessible entry: There are 16 steps into this venue from the cowgate entrance. Stairs: 11- 20 Number of stairs is provided as guidance and is not in addition to any wheelchair access type (lift/ramp etc) stated above.
What the reviewers said
We have captured 3 published reviews and 54 audience reviews for this show from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s own listing. The excerpts below are the reviewers’ words, not ours — follow each link for the full review.
4.5 Stars In the age of AI, I greatly appreciated the multitude of handmade signs used throughout the performance, utilised as both subtitles in some segments and as cut-scene titles to inform us of our fictional…
Galaxy Train is the most ridiculous, ludicrous musical about the origin of the universe and the philosophy of being that you could imagine... They have great fun giving us great fun.
— UK Theatre Web (5 out of 5 stars)
Going into 2ShoulderPads: Galaxy Train, I genuinely didn’t know what to expect. With a troupe of Japanese performers and strategically placed shoulder pads, was this going to be Magic Mike, The Full Monty or perhaps…
Performance dates and ticket availability
- Wed 5 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £10.00
- Thu 6 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £10.00
- Fri 7 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £14.50
- Sat 8 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £15.50
- Sun 9 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £15.50
- Mon 10 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £15.50
- Tue 11 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £15.50
- Wed 12 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £14.50
- Thu 13 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £14.50
- Fri 14 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £15.50
- Sat 15 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £15.50
- Sun 16 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £15.50
- Tue 18 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £14.50
- Wed 19 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £14.50
- Thu 20 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £14.50
- Fri 21 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £15.50
- Sat 22 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £15.50
- Sun 23 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £15.50
- Mon 24 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £14.50
- Tue 25 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £14.50
- Wed 26 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £14.50
- Thu 27 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £14.50
- Thu 27 Aug, 23:50 — Already performed — £14.50
- Fri 28 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £15.50
- Sat 29 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £15.50
- Sat 29 Aug, 23:50 — Already performed — £15.50
- Sun 30 Aug, 14:15 — Already performed — £15.50