Funniest Joke of the Fringe
The Funniest Joke of the Fringe is an award presented each year at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe by the British television channel U&Dave. The award highlights the best single joke by a standup comedian and is voted on by members of the public from a shortlist selected by a panel of comedy critics.
Background and Context
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival takes place each year in August. It is the UK's largest arts festival. Each year hundreds of comedians perform across the city, making it one of the largest comedy festivals in the world.Although the award often generates headlines and draws attention from around the world it has been broadly criticised by comedians and critics as a poor representation of comedy in the UK. Since the award's inception only two women have won, and almost every joke that is shortlisted has been a pun. In 2023 winner Lorna Rose Treen stated that she felt men more often won "because there are fewer women in comedy so the likelihood of a woman doing puns is less".
In July 2025 U&Dave announced that they would not be giving the award at that year's festival, stating that they wished to continue to support grassroots comedy in other ways.
Records
- Masai Graham and Tim Vine are the only acts to win the award more than once, with Masai winning it three times and Tim winning it twice.
- Adele Cliff was featured in the top 10 every Fringe from 2016 to 2021, a record five lists in a row.
- Five acts have had two jokes in the same year's top 10: Gary Delaney, Stewart Francis, Tim Vine, Olaf Falafel, and Mark Simmons.
- The 2021 list was compiled by Will Mars. In lieu of the sponsored list, which was not running that year, he organised the " Dave Joke of the Fringe 2021". The winner was chosen by a random member of the public called Dave whom Mars found by walking up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.
Most Top 10 Jokes
| Name | Top 10 Jokes |
| Olaf Falafel | 7 |
| Masai Graham | 6 |
| Tim Vine | 5 |
| Adele Cliff | 5 |
| Mark Simmons | 4 |
| Mark Watson | 3 |