Following on from a sell-out run at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe, 100% Badgers returns to the Edinburgh Festival. This is a stand-up comedy show about how the worlds of humans and badgers collide. Matt takes us on his journey from a passing interest in badgers, to an obsession that led to him standing in a field looking at a caged, frightened badger caught up in the controversy of the bovine TB debate. We’ll learn about the European badger and its dachshund nemesis, the presidential American badger, the world-famous internet sensation that is the honey badger and many more.

“His storytelling is gripping, his facts are fascinating, and his punchlines are perfectly timed.” ★★★★.5, Edinburgh Reviews.

"A fusion of badger facts, sharp jokes and winning West Country charm..." ★★★★, Broadway Baby.

August 12, 2026    Edinburgh Reviews

Matt Hobs is an endearing character with a genuine and real passion for Badgers and small British wildlife. He originally started writing this show as a badger fan and submitted 100% Badgers as a “haha, I enjoy badgers” – but in his research for the show it became so much more than that. It became a comedy act both extremely funny yet very important and educational.

Hobs has collaborated with Badger Trust and Scottish Badgers, and has separately held a one-off fundraiser earlier this month which raised just shy of £1700 to aid their amazing work.

Why badgers?
This is one of the main questions Matt gets asked, and it is one of the questions he bases his set around. Originally it was just because he thinks badgers are cute, bumbly little creatures and he wanted to attract one to his garden, but it became more than that.

Standing in a farm field one day looking at a badger in a cage for vaccination he realised they all have different personalities and behaviours and that changed everything. He realised the cull of badgers and the lack of aid for them in our modern world was decimating the population.

With his background in science, Matt read so much data around TB in badgers affecting British cattle and found it all to be rather conflicting and no one coming to any real consensus on the matter. But somehow he managed to slip in these dark facts with levity and jokes that were just ridiculous fun.

The Matt Hobs Experience
The show began with us cramming into this teeny tiny karaoke room that was hotter than hell itself with Matt apologising and trying to hobble together the tech system with the TV not working and him having technical issues as his act revolves around slides and videos.

He again apologised, offered anyone who wanted to leave the opportunity and a refund. No one took it. We told him it was fine, and it happens and then from on high a staff member appeared with the remote and got the TV working. We were in business! Matt switched effortlessly between very funny jokes and actually educational content, throwing in some badger props and some proper cheesy dad jokes in there for good luck.

Overall
For a Free Fringe show this is an excellent offering and I can see why it was sold out. I would say it’s probably like 90% Badger – I think he was flying too close to the sun with 100% Badger, such a thing seems impossible. Shout out to Mr Prickles, who is definitely NOT a badger. The crowd involvement was very fun also.

If you love badgers, or would love to learn more about them from a lovely, funny comedian this is an excellent free fringe show to check out! Could use more badger, 100% badger nirvana not yet attained, but definitely close enough. Click Here For Review