Gig hailed as 'a true highlight of Edinburgh Fringe 2025'

Underbelly’s annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit last night raised £15,203 for cancer research. 

The one-off show was hosted by Ivo Graham and featured performances from David O’Doherty, Michelle Wolf (pictured on stage at the gig), Celya AB, Emmanuel Sonubi, Garry Starr, Ahir Shah, Bella Hull and Abandoman.

The gig was created by Underbelly in 2017 after Alfie Bartlam, the son of venue co-founder Ed Bartlam, was diagnosed with an aggressive and rare form of brain cancer called ependymoma. Alfie died at the age of seven at the end of August 2019.

All profits from last night’s event go to The Brain Tumour Charity, the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally.

Ed Bartlam said: ‘I’d like to extend a massive thank you to everyone who performed in, and attended Underbelly’s 7th annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit last night.

‘It makes me immensely proud that together we have raised more than £15,000 with donations going to a specific research project to find new treatments for some of the most aggressive forms of paediatric brain tumours.’

‘Our goal is to raise £1.5million for this project through a series of special fundraising events Together we can continue to raise vital funds for research and awareness so that nobody’s life expectancy is dictated by their tumour.’

Sally King, corporate partnerships manager at The Brain Tumour Charity, said: ‘We want to thank everyone for their incredible support and generosity. This event is a true highlight of Edinburgh Fringe 2025 -  uniting us in comedy to raise awareness and vital funds - and we are hugely grateful to the team at Underbelly for their unwavering commitment to helping us defeat brain tumours.’

Brain tumours are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children and adults under 40. They shorten life expectancy by an average of 27 years, the most of any cancer. 

To find out more about The Brain Tumour Charity, visit www.thebraintumrcharity.org. Further donations to the fund are welcome here.

Published: 14 Aug 2025