Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023: Irish funnyman Jason Byrne looks forward to another Edinburgh run

Irish stand-up comedian Jason Byrne is ready for some laughs in Edinburgh as he gets set for his annual trip to Scotland's capital to wow the crowds at the world’s largest arts festvial.

Jason, 51, has played the festival almost every year since making his debut in 1996, and can’t wait to get back over from Ireland to entertain locals and visitors at the Fringe next month with his ‘Ironic Bionic Man’ show at the Assembly Mound from August 3-27.

Speaking to the Evening News, he said: “I have kind of stopped counting how many Fringe runs I’ve done. I arrived there in 1996 and the only Fringe I missed was obviously during Covid, that was it. It was so weird when I had to miss it.

"I have been building up my audience in Edinburgh from tiny rooms to much bigger venues. I know the Scottish audience well, I love them, it’s just a case of ‘let’s go for it’! Even though Edinburgh has a good mixture of people coming from all over, I see a lot of Scottish people coming to my shows, especially on two for one nights! I’m very proud of them.

"I love coming to Edinburgh, I love the city, there is something weird about Edinburgh. It’s really old and I walk the same steps every year, going to the same places and I noticed those steps are eroding away, so I wonder if I’m responsible?

"I always stay by the Meadows and go to my shows on my bike, rolling down the hill to the Assembly Rooms. There's always great shows going on too, it’s great to see all the talent still coming to Edinburgh.

"It’s a beautiful city and I love to catch as many shows as possible. I love to see acrobats, I love the danger! And I like comedians that are a bit odd, where the audience are not sure what’s going on, proper madness!”

Despite playing the festival around 25 times, Jason still loves coming to Edinburgh every August.

He said: "I’m still excited about it. But I’m just as miserable as any Scottish or Irish man in his 50s. My show this year is nuts. My favourite shows are when it all just goes out the window and I have no plan, like Billy Connolly a bit.

"It’s comedy, it’s funny. I tell stories about my dad, I get people on stage, we do a mock ‘play your cards right’. I have people coming on to substitute me on stage. So nice audience participation with improv. It’s just good fun.

"It’s just good craic with my own dark humour thrown in. The audience know what they are getting and I work as hard as I can during that hour. When a comedian has to think too much they are not going to have a good show, but when it’s naturally coming to them then it’s great.

"Everybody just has good fun. I make sure everybody is laughing and every year I have to top the show from the year before and make it better and better.”

Jason Byrne’s The Ironic Bionic Man comes to the Assembly Mound, Assembly Hall, August 3 – 27. Tickets on sale now.