Edinburgh Culture Minute 🪩 18 - 24 February 2026
£172k available for local creative events, three Japan-inspired vinyl listening bars, The Streets at the Corn Exchange + win lunch with George Clooney
Welcome to the 119th weekly Culture Minute: a round-up of Edinburgh’s local creative news, events, jobs and opportunities. If I’ve missed anything please get in touch. Thanks to everyone who contributes!
👀 The most-viewed links from last week’s Edinburgh Culture Minute:
- 🎭 First 350 Fringe shows go on sale.
- 🎻 Tradfest line-up revealed.
- 🏖️ Tickets on sale for Fringe by the Sea.
- 🎹 West end Downstairs at Betty's piano & cocktail bar reopens.
- 🔊 UNESCO Week of Sound events: 16-20 February.
🗞️ News
⭐️ Hollywood star George Clooney is continuing his support of the Social Bite charity. Having visited its Rose Street cafe in 2015, now the actor and humanitarian is helping raise money for the homelessness charity by offering to have lunch with competition winners. - More details via Social Bite.
📚 Leith Walk's Argonaut Books and the Meadows' Book Lovers Bookshop are finalists for the Independent Bookshop of the Year award at the 2026 British Book Awards. - Rose Moncur, The Herald.
🎵 Three vinyl-focused listening bars (Lounge 33 on Leith Walk, The Caley Bar on Lothian Road and Lucky Liquor on Queen Street), inspired by Japan's jazz kissa bars, are featured in Edinburgh Life Magazine.
💰 A new council funding pot of £172,000 is available to support the local creative sector. Applications are open until 8 March. - Find out more about the Local Events Open Fund here.
🖼️ The Sett Studios team are holding a sale 'to let go of our items we have gathered over the 5 years we have been at 127 Leith Walk'. It's on Sunday 1 March and more details are here. (Thanks to reader Elliot for sharing this)
🎭 Just how big is Edinburgh's grassroots theatre scene and what help does it need to thrive? A new survey aims to find out. - More details via Thom Dibdin in All Edinburgh Theatre.
😰 How can creative team leaders stave off burnout and keep teams and colleagues inspired and healthy? Edinburgh-based Youth Theatre Arts Scotland is hosting an online knowledge exchange workshop on this topic next week. - Find out more here.
🎶 Aged 16-25 and looking to get into the music industry? Off The Record Edinburgh is an all-day event of workshops covering rights and royalties, how to get started in the music industry and develop your network, organising your own gigs and digitally releasing your music. It's on Saturday at the Pleasance. - More details here + watch last year's sessions here.
🎟️ Big tickets this week
🎤 Mike Skinner brings The Streets to the Corn Exchange tonight (Wednesday). - Tickets here.
🍰 Dame Prue Leith will be at Edinburgh New Town Church on Wednesday 4 March to discuss her latest book: Being Old... And Learning to Love It! - More details via Topping.
🖼️ Painter and printmaker Jenny Martin has been announced as the next monthly CreativeMornings speaker. It's on Friday 27 February (from 8.30am) at the Royal Scottish Academy building, where Jenny will share insight into how the 145th Open Annual Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour has come together. - More details and limited free tickets are here.
🎨 At Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Leith this Saturday: Celebrate culture, creativity, and the spirit of the Lunar New Year with HelloArt. 'Immerse yourself in Chinese culture, indulge in your favourite Chinese treats and dive into meaningful New Year activities. A festive gathering to share the joy, warmth, and traditions of Chinese New Year'.
🎵 Live at the Queen's Hall: Thursday 19th: SCO 25/26: Baroque Inspirations, Friday 20th: THE CLASSIC ROCK SHOW 2026, Saturday 21st: Edinburgh City Orchestra: Dvořák's Cello Concerto and Mahler's 1st Symphony, Sunday 22nd: SCO 25/26: Maxim and Friends, Monday 23rd: Kathryn Williams Mystery Park Tour, Thursday 26th: Randy Feltface – Gimmick, Friday 27th: Lucy Rose + Saturday 28th: Alex O'Connor.
🎵 What's on for the rest of this month at the Usher Hall: Wednesday 18th: The Elvis Years, Thursday 19th: The George Michael Legacy, Saturday 21st: Talking Sopranos (featuring two of the Soprano’s cast members, Steve Schirripa (who played Bobby Bacala), and Emmy Award Winner Michael Imperioli (who played Christopher Moltisanti)), Monday 23rd: Emerging Artists: Haver Quartet, Tuesday 24th: Disney in Concert: The Sound of Magic, Thursday 26th: SCO: Benedetti plays Mendelssohn + Saturday 28th: Boyzlife.
📲 Find even more local listings on Boom Edinburgh.
🎭 What's on Edinburgh's stages this week?
Here's Thom Dibdin of All Edinburgh Theatre:
A nice one this, with plenty of home grown talent on offer as the local round of the Scottish Community Drama Association's one-act festival takes place and QMU is celebrated in theatre.
Head. Heart. Hand (Traverse: Thurs - Sat: tickets) is a powerful new play by Stef Smith, marking the 150th anniversary of the institution now known as Queen Margaret University.
QMU's current students are putting two plays into the One Act Festival at the Church Hill (Thurs - Sat: tickets). There are eight plays over the three nights, with EPT, Leith Theatre, the Grads and St Serf's among the local groups participating.
It's a Porty weekend for musical theatre fans, with Stage Door doing the junior version of Moana at the Portobello Town Hall (Thurs - Sat: tickets)
Scottish Opera are at the Festival Theatre with The Great Wave (Thurs, Sat: tickets), a faithful, if not hugely dramatic, account of artist Hokusai and his famous woodblock print.
Varna International Ballet are at the Playhouse with three of the big ballets. Cinderella (Thu: tickets), Swan Lake (Fri: tickets) and The Nutcracker (Sat: tickets).
And finally, new local group Edinburgh Rep have an immersive whodunnit at the Waverley Bar on Saturday: Murder at the Speed Dating (tickets).
More details on Æ's listings pages, all linked here.
📌 Edinburgh Culture Minute Community Noticeboard
🎭 "Our Sunday Social Sessions at Edinburgh Acting School are now open. Suitable for everyone, regardless of prior acting experience! Acting workshops, audition prep, networking, and much more... ✔️Drop In each week if you want to join ✔️Pay on the website, or pay on the door ✔️12.30pm - 2.30pm Sundays." - Thanks to Edinburgh Acting School for sharing this.
🎶 "Saturday 21 February - Mediterraneo: Carnevale 2026 with The Badwills and Och Vey. A huge live music masquerade at Edinburgh's iconic Voodoo Rooms, featuring wild Italian pizzica and klezmer bands followed by a salsa/cumbia DJ set. Free mask with every ticket!" - Thanks to Och Vey for sharing this.
🎤 "CASTING CALL. Male actor, playing age 40 - 55, wanted for Edinburgh Fringe show (week 1, Greenside Venues) with local theatre company, Production Lines. Auditions taking place at Out of the Blue Drill Hall." - Thanks to Production Lines for sharing this.
🎹 Will Pickvance - Piano Diaries [Weekly]
Tomorrow, Thu 19 February - An evolving hour of musical musings, reflections and discovery with Will Pickvance. Find yourself written in to the weekly musical diary of our Pianist in Resonance every Thursday. Shows are free by donation after the event.
1pm to 2pm | Pianodrome Bruntsfield Community Hub, EH10 4NB | FREE - More details here, shared by Pianodrome CIC.
🎥 Quiz Night + Film Screening - A CFF11 Fundraiser
Sat 21 February - Join us to enjoy a film-themed quiz to test your knowledge and support our efforts to fundraise for this year's Catalan Film Festival. We will have the bar open, Colombian street food by our friends from Sabor al Toque, and a film screening!
6.30pm to 10.30pm | St Peter's Episcopal Church, EH8 9PE | 5-10 - More details here, shared by CinemaAttic.
🎭 Lightning Ridge by Catherine Wheels Theatre Company
Mon 23 February - For ages 8+ and their families. Winner of the CATS award for Best Performance for Young Children and Young People
6pm to 7pm | Lyra / ArtSpace, EH16 4NT | FREE - More details here, shared by Lyra, Scotland’s first theatre just for children and teenagers.
🖼️ "Thurs 26 Feb – 1 March: Wendy McCarroll Sandeman showcases expressive Scottish coastal inspired abstract paintings, prints and cards at The Shop With No Name, 2A Broughton Place, EH1 3RX (10:15–18:15). Browse and buy affordable originals, meet the artist, and connect in a relaxing environment." - Thanks to Wendy Sandeman, Artist, for sharing this.
🤣 One of Two by Jack Hunter
Thu 26 February - For ages 12+. One-man comedy-drama about two twins growing up with cerebral palsy. An inspiring solo show with sketch and spoken word, that celebrates disability and diversity.
7pm to 8pm | Lyra / ArtSpace, EH16 4NT | FREE - More details here, shared by Lyra, Scotland’s first theatre just for children and teenagers.
🎨 Matthew Wilson: I thought you were real. I am real. [Daily]
Fri 27 February - A solo exhibition of print-based works from the Edinburgh artist, created in residence, supported by the Royal Scottish Academy Residencies for Scotland Programme. Opening Event: 27th February, 6-8pm
10am to 5pm | Custom House Leith, EH6 6LH | FREE - More details here, shared by Matthew Wilson.
🎭 The Gaze - you, me, us, and them
Sat 28 February - An evocative new performance by choreographer and dancer Himadri Madan, The Gaze blends traditional form Kathak and contemporary movement, with spoken word, to explore the experience of existing as a woman under society's ever-present, critical gaze.
2pm to 3pm | Studio Theatre, EH8 9BL | £18 - More details via Himadri & Nandini.
🐉 Celebrate Chinese New Year at Camera Obscura - 'Until 1 March visitors can step into a joyful celebration filled with vibrant decorations, immersive illusions and a limited-time exhibit designed especially for Chinese New Year'. - Thanks to Camera Obscura & World of Illusions for sharing this.
📌 “Indie Leith bookshop Typewronger is pulling an all-nighter to pay their tax bill on Saturday 21st of February! From 9pm to 11am, the shop will remain open and feature a special time stamp for people to prove they were there for it. Come by for a unique browsing experience!” - Thanks to the Typewronger Team for sharing this.
