First LGBTQ+ Wedding Takes Place on Stage at Edinburgh Fringe Festival
In a landmark moment for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, theatre-makers Linus Karp and Joseph Martin became the first LGBTQ+ couple to legally marry on stage in front of a ticketed audience.
The ceremony took place on Saturday 16 August at The Pleasance Grand, a 750-seat venue, marking a unique intersection of theatre and real-life commitment.
The couple, co-founders of Awkward Productions and known for cult shows such as Gwyneth Goes Skiing and Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, staged a wedding ceremony that combined theatrical flair with heartfelt sincerity. Edinburgh designer Cosimo Damiano Angiulli styled the event, with Joseph Martin entering to Charli XCX’s Von Dutch, while Linus Karp was carried onto the stage by three helpers to the tune of Jellicle Cats.
Edinburgh City Council’s Jackie Blackburn conducted the ceremony, which featured a blend of camp and earnest moments. Comedian Sooz Kempner serenaded the couple with 2 Become 1, and the best man delivered a dramatic reading of Miley Cyrus’ Party in the USA. Rings were handed over through a spoof Lord of the Rings routine performed by fellow Fringe troupe Recent Cutbacks.
When Blackburn pronounced the couple “husband and husband,” the audience gave a standing ovation, underlining the significance of the occasion. Following the vows, Karp and Martin invited guests for celebratory drinks before performing later that afternoon in their new show The Fit Prince, a fairytale romcom set in the fictional kingdom of Swedonia. The production has drawn positive reviews for its camp humour and unapologetically queer narrative.
This event marks the first time in the Fringe’s 78-year history that a legal wedding has taken place as part of the official programme, reflecting the festival’s evolving engagement with LGBTQ+ visibility and performance.
Elena Leo is the Arts & Lifestyle Editor of Ikon London Magazine.
