Thursday August 27th 2026
Political comedian Sid Singh
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
“It’s actually very hollow for a political comedian to talk about politics and not do anything about it,” Sid Singh explained when highlighting his 2026 Fringe show, which donates a portion of its proceeds to refugee charities and causes.
Award-winning comedian Sid Singh has returned to this year’s Fringe with his new show ‘Love Bombing’, offering a political stand-up hour that makes you laugh and teaches you how to stand up to the Trump administration.
Part of the Free Fringe, Singh has committed to donating 50 per cent of the money made from the show to the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, with the comedian using his platform to turn political frustration into tangible support for those affected by current policies.
Raising over £100,000 overall through the Fringe and tours, the comedian expects to raise between £10,000 and £11,000 during this year’s festival.
“I think the world is changing and I think it’s actually very hollow for a political comedian to talk about politics and not do anything about it”, Singh explained, “the more you study society, if you are a real political comedian, you start to see the cracks in society and you also start to see opportunities to help people in need.”
Returning to the Fringe after first performing at the festival in 2012, the human rights lawyer-turned-comedian studied law before shifting his comedy towards a more political standpoint midway through his career.
His legal background has continued to influence his approach to comedy, with Singh using humour to explore issues surrounding politics, human rights and social justice while encouraging audiences to engage with the world beyond the stage.
Born in California and now living in Europe, Singh began performing comedy in 2009 before attending law school, a decision he joked was made “for my Indian parents”. His Indian heritage has also become part of his comedy, with Singh exploring his family history and the origins of his surname, which is typically associated with northwestern India, despite his father growing up in the south. His research into his ancestry led him to discover a more complicated history involving ancestors he believes were mercenaries who fought for Muslim rulers during their expansion into southern India.
Singh explained: “When you’re a lawyer, especially in law school, you understand what is called issue spotting, where they give you a fact pattern and they ask you to spot as many issues as you can.
“Law school definitely made me more actively political on stage.”
Describing his new show, Singh explained: “So I’m a political comedian and I do a show about how I’ve taken Donald Trump to court multiple times to protect asylum seekers and this year’s show is additionally about how burnt out I feel because of that and how it led me to go on a date with my stalker.”
“I was like, ‘Oh, that was nuts. That was a nuts thing for me to have done. That was a crazy thing that I agreed to do.’ And that ended in the silliest way it could have ended. So just immediately I was like, ‘Well, that’ll be a show.’”
Sid Singh (photo by Adrian Tauss)
Using that unique experience as the subject of his show, Singh draws on his life experiences to create a performance that blends political commentary with personal storytelling and plenty of humour.
He added: “It’s very connected to comedy. I mean, I think the best comics are often people who observe things in the world and go, ‘Hey, that doesn’t make any sense. Hey, isn’t this weird?’”
Singh’s career has also taken him well beyond the Fringe, having written for Sikisa’s Border Control on BBC Radio 4, as well as Comic Relief, BBC Three’s Muzlamic and Comedy Central UK’s Modern Horror Stories. A former cast member at Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, whose alumni include Jason Sudeikis, Jordan Peele and Seth Meyers, Singh has also taken previous Fringe shows to bigger stages, with his 2022 show Illegally Funny transferring to Soho Theatre and follow up Table For One winning the Comedian’s Choice Award for Best Performer.
Taking part in the Free Fringe, it works on a first-come first-served basis by letting performers use venue spaces at no cost on the condition that they do not charge an entry fee, relying on voluntary donations by the audience. This means Singh’s fundraising relies on these audience donations, aiming to attract large audiences despite explaining that this year’s Fringe has not been without challenges.
“It just feels like there’s less people than normal on the weekdays”, he explained, “I think rent is finally so high that most people can afford to be here on the weekends.”
The fundraising has become a regular part of Singh’s work, with the comedian donating proceeds from shows to causes since 2019. He said he typically holds “six or seven main fundraisers throughout the year” in addition to his Fringe fundraising.
He explained: “Listen, I’m not a saint. If I do a cruise ship, I keep that money. If I do a commercial, I keep that money.”
Across his Fringe appearances and touring shows, Singh said the fundraising has now generated more than £100,000 for charity, with this year’s festival alone expected to bring in another £10,000 to £11,000.
“My room is smaller than normal and my actual audience numbers have been down, but we found a way to get to 10 or 11k.”
Despite highlighting his shows being quieter on weekdays, Singh highlights this year’s Fringe as still a success with his performance earning him a nomination for the Comedian’s Choice Awards which he previously won in 2023.
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