It’s nearly time for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to take over the theatres, gyms, hotels, streets and pubs of Scotland’s Capital.
Taking place from August 1-25 (although there are previews in the days running up to the official launch), there are over 3,352 show across 265 venues, from comedy and music, to theatre and spoken word.
In recent years circus has become a bigger part of the Fringe than ever - thanks in no small part to the Underbelly establishing a Circus Hub on the city’s Meadows.
Here are 11 of the most eye-catching circus shows you can enjoy this August - you can buy tickets for them at the Fringe website.
5. Newbie
This acrobatic show direct from China tells the story of a man who seeks to help a group of people in a cafe who are struggling with various aspects of their life. It's a family-friendly 50 minutes billed as a "thrilling, story-driven circus experience with a dynamic use of props, including the Cyr wheel, scrolls and aerial techniques." It's on at the WU - Banquet Hall from August 1-24. | Contributed
6. Hamlet by New York Circus Project
Combining Shakespeare with actobatics seems a very 'Fringe' thing to do, and that's exactly what New York Circus Project are doing in this acclaimed production. It's a "contemporary acrobatic spectacle weaving madness and passion into every heart-stopping moment. The ghost of Hamlet's father soars high above the young prince, Ophelia contorts in a display of agonized devotion and Hamlet himself is engulfed by madness, flipping through a tumultuous psychological landscape." It's at Assembly Roxy from July 30-August 24. | New York Circus Project
7. No Sugar No Milk (Prototyping)
Another show featuring talented Chinese circus performers, this also includes martial arts and dance. Set in a Hong King diner, it sees the nostalgic business "transformed into a stage for a profound story of home, identity and the restless drift of life." It's on at Assembly George Square Gardens from August 8-17. | Contributed
.jpeg?crop=4:3&trim=&width=800)
8. FLIP Fabrique: Six°
Flip Fabrique are set to make a return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year with their astonishing acrobatic show - Sixº. This family-friendly circus extravaganza follows five individuals who do not know each other, they receive a mysterious invitation that leads them, on a stormy night, to an old abandoned building deep in the forest. These visitors will discover that this house has a soul and a personality all its own. See every flip and twist at The Lafayette at Underbelly's Circus Hub from August 2-23. | Contributed