Episode 10 - The Full Venue 13 2026 Programme + Here in the Long Now by Isla Cowan

This is the big one. Episode 10 of Podcast 13, and Ian and Vanesa use the milestone to reveal the full 2026 Venue 13 programme: eleven shows across theatre, comedy, musical theatre, dance fitness, immersive digital performance, and workshops. Five world premieres. Ten of the eleven companies are making their Edinburgh Fringe debut. Seven productions from Canada, two from the USA and two from the UK.The episode opens with a major piece of new research from Festivals Edinburgh: AI and the Festivals, a May 2026 collection of think pieces from University of Edinburgh academics and international voices including Brand USA's Chief AI Officer Janette Roush. The paper has direct relevance to Venue 13's closing show of 2026, A.I. Campfire [Return], which is built on the same Alan Turing Institute "Doing A.I. Differently" framework cited in the publication.Ian and Vanesa then take listeners through every show on the programme, grouped by theme and creative connection: the reimagined classics, the politics of body and voice, solo acts of reinvention, comedy with an edge, absurdist Canadian theatre, and the closing immersive piece on Scottish folklore and ethical generative AI.The programme is now live and tickets are available on www.venue13.com