Mysteries of the Picts
Mysteries of the Picts is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at Summerhall. It has 24 performances listed, running from Thu 6 Aug, 12:00 to Mon 31 Aug, 12:00. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.
About this show
Smoke, scent and steam conjure the sweathouses of ancient Scotland and the mysterious painted Picts who gathered there. Traditional sauna rituals invoke our legendary ancestors who congregated in the dark of underground shelters to summon spirits and tattoo each other with magical symbols. In the warmth of our modern-day sauna theatre, stories emerge like hazy memories in Highlands mist and the mysterious symbols and vanished kingdoms of the Pictish slowly reveal themselves. A show about how sauna rituals can connect us with traditions that history forgot, forged in heat and steam.
Details
- Venue: Summerhall
- Space: Sauna Theatre
- Genre: THEATRE, Event, Immersive
- Country: UNITED KINGDOM - ENGLAND
- Running time: 90 minutes
- Room size: about 80 seats (Sauna Theatre) — the Fringe box office sells a share of the room, not all of it
- Performances listed: 24, of which 0 still to come and on sale
Accessibility
- Access features: Step-free access, Accessible toilet
What the reviewers said
We have captured 6 published reviews and 6 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.
There is something wonderfully Fringe about sitting in a sauna with 47 other souls while being invited to contemplate whether the Picts were partial to a good steam. 4 Stars
3.5 stars Promised to be the “hottest new venue in town,” Summerhall’s Sauna Theatre is a conceptually innovative space that hosts a multitude of sensory performances such as club sessions, comedy shows, and…
I arrive at Mysteries of the Picts completely unprepared. I have no towel. I have no swimwear. I’m not overjoyed when I discover I can rent two towels for £5 and a pair of trunks — although the money is going to…
— One4Review (5 out of 5 stars)
Performance dates and ticket availability
- Thu 6 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Fri 7 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Sat 8 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Sun 9 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Mon 10 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Tue 11 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Wed 12 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Thu 13 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Fri 14 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Sat 15 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Sun 16 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Mon 17 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Wed 19 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Thu 20 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Fri 21 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Sat 22 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Sun 23 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Mon 24 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Wed 26 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Thu 27 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Fri 28 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Sat 29 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Sun 30 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00
- Mon 31 Aug, 12:00 — Already performed — £25.00