Edinburgh Culture Minute 🪩 21 - 27 October 2026
Arts 'crisis' meeting for Summerhall, St Margaret’s House & ECA + win £3k to tell Leith's story + Sam Fender's big gig + a £65k Edinburgh YouTube job
👋 Welcome to the 146th 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 all the local legends who contribute!
👀 Most-viewed links from the previous Edinburgh Culture Minute:
- 📆 Fringe organisers consider changing festival dates.
- 🎭 An Evening with The Fast Show at the Playhouse.
- 🧙♀️ New Edinburgh Witch Map by Wheel of Fate.
- 🖼️ National Galleries of Scotland's 2027 exhibition programme.
- 🎟️ Minute exclusive just for you: get 25% off Gilded Saloon's comedy show (USE PROMO CODE: MINUTE75).
🗞️ News
🚨 An emergency public meeting has been called by leaders and users of Summerhall, St Margaret’s House and Edinburgh College of Art. All are facing closures of various kinds, financial hurdles and a 'state of crisis', says meeting host Q Manivannan MSP, who adds: "Let your local representatives and the world know that the arts in Scotland are not for sale." - More details here.
- A consultation on early plans to potentially demolish up to 80% of Summerhall buildings for a hotel and student accommodation is open until Friday at this link.
- A petition launched last week has more than 6,000 signatures.
⚓️ Locals are invited to help shape Leith’s bid for UK Town of Culture 2028 at an event this weekend. It's a drop-in at the Wee Museum of Memory, in Ocean Terminal, on Sunday between midday and 4pm. - More details here.
💰 There are also three £3,000 commissions up for grabs now, with bigger opportunities ahead if Leith wins the Town of Culture bid. Projects should celebrate an aspect of Leith’s culture, heritage or identity, bring people together and leave something behind, whether that is skills, relationships, confidence, memories or knowledge. Susie Gray and Jenny Mungall, co-Directors of Leith Culture Partnership, said:
"Culture isn't something Leith is short of – it's all around us. In the pubs, the bowling clubs, the church halls, the streets, artists spaces and renowned kitchens, and it has been for 900 years. This call is about finding the people who can tell our story brilliantly and backing them. We want ideas from everyone, locals with things to say and dreams for Leith and those who have been captivated by Leith’s character and spirit far and wide."
- To submit your idea, simply email hello@leith2028.com or contact them on Instagram. There's no application form. Just send your idea in writing, by voice note or short video by the end of the day on 6 November. - You can read more about the commissions call-out here.
🎟️ Big tickets this week
📚 The fourth annual Edinburgh Women’s Fiction Festival is on this weekend at Christ Church Morningside. It features writers' panels and an Agent Speed Dating event for aspiring writers. - More details and tickets are here. There's a helpful preview of the festival and dozens of other local book events on Edinburgh Shelfie.
Edinburgh Shelfie
🏟️ Sam Fender has announced a stadium concert at Murrayfield on Thursday 8 July next year. Tickets go on sale from Wednesday 28 October at this link.
🎸 There will be some tickets on the door for Damian Lewis' sold out gig at La Belle Angele tonight, according to Tickets Scotland.
🎤 Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer Li Jin Hao is bringing his latest show 'Falling From A Moon' to Monkey Barrel Comedy on Thursday on his first UK tour. - Tickets here.
🪩 There's a headline set from Horse Meat Disco at Cab Vol on Thursday night (11pm - 3am). - Tickets.
🥁 On Friday London's Ibibio Sound Machine play at The Liquid Room. - Tickets.
🔲 Local legends Bombskare are joined by Gimme Some Lovin for the annual Skalloween party at The Liquid Room on Saturday night. - Tickets here.
🎤 Hue and Cry play the Usher Hall on Saturday night. - Tickets.
🎶 Cowgate Block Party
Sat 24 October - 'Cowgate Block Party returns to Edinburgh this weekend with the best lineup yet! We would like to offer Edinburgh Minute subscribers a discounted £12.50 + fees ticket to the event to celebrate the final Block Party of 2026.'
3pm to 10pm | Sneaky Pete's · Old Town | £12.50 + bf - More details here, shared by Craig Gornall, PCL Presents.
nick
🪩 On Sunday Fruitmarket Gallery’s warehouse hosts the Both Hands album launch party, along with dancefloor fillers from Supper Club DJs. It's a daytime show, 2pm to 7pm. - Full details here.
🍿 There's a horror + Black History Month theme planned for Leith Kino at Leith Depot on Sunday 1995 portmanteau horror anthology film Tales from the Hood. - Tickets here.
🎤 Alison Moyet plays the Usher Hall on Monday night. - Tickets.
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🎭 What's on Edinburgh's stages this week?
⭐️ Here's Thom Dibdin of All Edinburgh Theatre:
A week of theatrical plenty see the return of Emma Rice's legendary Tristan & Yseult, Jordan & Skinner sticking the boot into Monopoly (the game) and a lunchtime Bottom blast at the Trav.
To the Lyceum first where Emma Rice's original Kneehigh production of Tristan & Yseult (ends Sat: tickets) is attracting all the positives (visceral, playful, and heartbreakingly beautiful). Yup. That is a "must see” in any house.
Jordan & Skinner explore the origins of Monopoly in Do Not Pass Go at the Studio (ends Thurs: tickets), and find out that the woman who actually invented it got narry a penny for her pains. Their physical theatre style is perfect for building BSL into the production.
The Traverse has saved the best for last in its Autumn lunchtime theatre season. Bottom's Dream (ends Sat: tickets) finds Shakespeare's Midsummer Night weaver as a modern day thespian, still wanting all the roles. "★★★★☆ Smart" said our Hugh - but hurry: few tickets remain.
For the rest: The EUTC is having a Party at the Bedlam (ends Fri: tickets) with Tom Basden's satire, first staged at EdFringe 2009, about five idealists forming a political party in a shed.
Tom Basden
Leith-based Jaggy Edina return with The Rhinestone Cowboy at Summerhall (Fri/Sat: tickets), a raw but darkly humorous play about the effects of schizophrenia on one young man.
A quartet of new pieces are on view at the Studio in the Open Floor Scratch Night (Fri: tickets). It's a particularly interesting and wide selection this time.
Youngsters at the ready: Toto the Ninja Cat sleuths into the King's (Fri - Sun: tickets) in the stage adaptation of Dermot O’Leary’s books, illustrated by Nick East.
There's plenty for dance fans, too. Barrowland Ballet’s Chunky Jewellery at the King's (Wed: tickets) is a deeply personal piece between Natasha Gilmore and Jude Williams; at the Traverse, Al Seed places three trios of women at the end of Macbeth in Thrice (Fri/Sat: tickets); while Edinburgh Ballet Theatre are staging Coppelia at the St Brides Community Centre (Fri/Sat: tickets) with a relaxed Saturday matinee.
Dropping before next weeks' Culture Minute, all with tickets selling fast, you have 1984 (Lyceum: tickets), Dirty Dancing (Playhouse: tickets) and Rollers Forever (King's: tickets). Shang-a-lang! Full details of these and all future productions on Æ's listings pages, all linked here.
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📌 Edinburgh Culture Minute Community Noticeboard
💃 Dance Base x Project X Scratch Night
Fri 23 October - 'An exclusive first look at works-in-progress by some of Scotland's leading Black dance artists from the African and Caribbean diaspora, curated and supported by Project X and hosted by Dance Base Artistic Director Tony Mills.'
7pm to 9pm | Dance Base · Tollcross | £10 (£8 Concession) - More details here, shared by Dance Base.
🎭 'The Rhinestone Cowboy' [Until Sat]
Fri 23 October - ''Rhinestone' is a bold, darkly humorous, multimedia production exposing the ravages of the effects of schizophrenia, based on a true story and told by a real-life mother and son. A blistering road trip from Auld Reekie to the Land of Fire and Ice.'
7pm to 8pm | Summerhall Arts · Southside | £11.25 - More details here, shared by Jaggy Edina Productions.
🎶 Songs You Know, Harmonies You'll Love [Until Sat]
Fri 23 October - 'A concert of familiar songs, brilliant harmonies and musical surprises as The Rolling Hills Chorus is joined by Vocality, Trondski Beat, Lickety Split and Forth Harmonic, bringing a fantastic range of vocal styles and performances to the stage.'
7.30pm to 9pm | Polwarth Parish Church · Bruntsfield | £12 Concession £6 - More details here, shared by Rolling Hills Chorus.
🎨 Colour it!
Sat 24 October - 'Join us at Quality Yard for a large scale colouring in event. Three Edinburgh street artists have painted the outlines of three new murals on the walls and we'd like you to colour them in! Drop in event. Free. All materials provided. All welcome.'
12pm to 4pm | Quality Yard - 360° Street Art Exhibition & Art Studios · Leith | FREE - More details here, shared by Heather Marshall, Creative Electric.
🎶 Benefit cabaret night with Mairi Campbell, Davie Luhanga & friends - sharing music food & Community
Sat 24 October - 'Award winning musicians Mairi Campbell and Davie Luhanga are joined by acclaimed traditional musicians, fiddler Sarah Hoy and piper Fin Moore & indie folk-rock musician, Chef. Ticket price includes a plate of hot food.'
6pm to 10pm | Bellfield · Portobello | £20 including food - More details here, shared by Emma Wood, STEKAskills.
🎶 Music + Connection | Share and Listen
Sat 24 October - 'This music event is more than just a gig. We'll take a journey together through music, learn about the stories behind each piece. We'll listen, write, talk, share our own experiences, and simply spend some time with each other.'
6.30pm to 9pm | The Tailor Cafe + Wine Bar · Abbeyhill & Meadowbank | £8/12 - More details here, shared by Parasol, Wu.
🖼️ As I See It [Until Fri]
Sun 25 October - 'Edinburgh artist Colin Maxwell Bryce returns to Dundas Street Gallery. Inspired by ordinary and often unlikely subjects, from the scraped and weather-beaten hulls of sailing boats to fading flowers, landscapes and the shapes of our built environment'
10am to 6pm | The Dundas Street Gallery · New Town | FREE - More details here, shared by Colin Bryce.
🎨 Sundays by the Sea [Every Sunday]
Sun 25 October - 'Me and Yuki have prepared 3 different types of workshops for you to choose from! The Leaf Art Making @11am,1pm; Foam Printing @3pm, Relaxing Watercolour@5pm.'
1pm to 7pm | The Craft Hub · Granton & Pilton | From £28 - More details here, shared by WU Tong, Bonding Space.
📚 Pentlands Book Festival [Until 25 Nov]
Mon 26 October - 'Pentlands Book Festival starts next week. All events are free but donations welcome. Some events already "sold out" but tickets still available for most. Events cover literature but also history, poetry and others.'
6pm to 9pm | Colinton Library · Colinton | free, donations - More details here, shared by Pentlands Book Festival.
📚 Publishing Scotland's Silent Reading Group
Mon 26 October - 'Come along to our monthly Silent Reading Group on the 26th of October! We'll provide an hour of solid reading time (there's no assigned book), a guest author reading and a chance to chat with fellow friendly readers. Free drink with every ticket!'
6pm to 8pm | Fruitmarket · Old Town | 4 - More details here, shared by Chantelle Streete, Publishing Scotland.
🌊 Portobello Hygge - Book Launch and Meet the Poet
Tue 27 October - 'Poet Lindsay Martindale will read from and talk about her beautiful new collection on sea, nature and Portobello with fellow poet and author Lynn Davidson. Book your free ticket from Portobello Library or tinyurl.com/portyhygge'
6.30pm to 7.30pm | Portobello Library · Portobello | FREE - More details here, shared by a Minute reader.
🎻 Celtic supergroup Ímar visit The Brunton at Corn Exchange, Haddington Fri 30th Oct. - 'Ímar feature members of Mànran, Mec Lir, RURA and Talisk. Winners of Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Emerging Act '18, this Scottish/Irish/Manx alliance blend music from fiddle, bouzouki, uillean pipes, flute, whistle, bodhran AND guitar.' - More details here, shared by a Minute reader.
🎭 Dead Souls [Until Fri]
Tue 03 November - 'EGTG presents the theatrical premiere of Dead Souls - a rambunctious stage adaptation of Gogol's seminal satire from award-winning playwright and dramatist Dan Rebellato.'
7pm to 10pm | Pianodrome Bruntsfield Community Hub · Bruntsfield | £15.90 - More details here, shared by Hannah BC.
🖼️ Touching Light
Wed 04 November - 'Blind artist Rosita Mckenzie's exhibition Touching Light at Summerhall this November is exploring the blind imagination and who gets to make and experience art through colourful abstract photography, tactile elements and detailed image descriptions.'
7pm to 10pm | Summerhall · Southside | FREE - More details here, shared by Miss Charlotte F Buckley.
🎶 Piccalilli presents an evening of folk music with Kevin Parker and Charlie Macsween
Wed 04 November - 'Join us for a cosy evening of folk music from the UK and the USA. Tickets are £15 and include a drink (glass of wine, soft drink). Available by email or from the bar.'
7pm to 10pm | Piccalilli · Southside | £15 - More details here, shared by Emma Urquhart, Piccalilli.
🎶 Beaten Docket Plays Leith Depot
Wed 09 December - 'Beaten Docket is a songwriter and producer recording out of Big Spec Studios in Leith, Edinburgh. Blending his acoustic guitar with dynamic lyricism, Beaten Docket's music is hopeful in the face of occasional desperation. Plus Guests'
7.30pm to 10pm | Leith Depot · Leith | £12 - More details here, shared by Beaten Docket.
🎭 Scottish Opera's new production of Turandot [Until Fri]
Wed 11 November - 'Scottish Opera's new, visually opulent production of Turandot by Puccini opens on 11 November at Festival Theatre. It is directed by Sir David McVicar, and Stuart Stratford conducts a stellar cast including Trine Møller and Victor Starsky.'
7.15pm to 10.15pm | Festival Theatre · Old Town - More details here, shared by Scottish Opera.
🤝 This week’s local creative jobs and opportunities...
🎬 A rare gig here! The National Film & Television School is looking for a Director to lead the newly established NFTS Sean Connery Institute in Scotland. Salary: £90,000. Deadline: 18 November. - Apply here.
🤳 The NFTS is also recruiting a Programme Lead: YouTube Creator Incubator. Salary: £65,000. Deadline: 1 November. - Apply here.
🎼 The new National Centre for Music is recruiting for a Director of Operations & Commercial. Salary: £55,000 - £65,000. Deadline: 28 October. - Apply here.
🎵 The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is seeking a Head of Concerts and Projects. Salary: £43k-£46k. Deadline: 17 November. - Apply here.
🎹 The Big Noise charity is looking for a temporary Support Musician (Instrumental or General Musicianship) to work on its Wester Hailes programmes. 2 days (14 hours) per week. Pay: £26,624 per annum, pro-rata (£14.63 per hour). Deadline: 28 October. - Apply here.
🎟️ The Queen's Hall is hiring a full time Box Office and Customer Service Manager. Salary: £28,000-£32,000. Deadline: 9 November. - Apply here.
🎨 Garvald Edinburgh is looking for a creative person to fill its vacancy for a Fixed Term Workshop Support Worker – Media Workshop and Art Studio. Salary: pro rata £25,877.80, three days per week. Deadline: 6 November. - Apply here.
💰 Craigmillar-based Drake Music Scotland is seeking a Fundraising Officer. Salary: £28,000. Deadline: 12 November. - Apply here.
🎭 Creative Scotland is offering a Professional Development Secondment within its theatre team. It's temporary and fixed-term for six months at 35 hours per week on a salary of £36,953.00 (pro-rata). Deadline: 30 October. - Apply here.
🎭 Capital Theatres are looking for someone to lead their technical crew across the venues as Head of Electrics. Salary: £52,583. Deadline: 30 October. - Apply here.
👍 STILL OPEN ↴
🟡 Edinburgh International Festival: Director of Development (maternity cover until end of January 2028). Salary: circa £90,000. Deadline: 22 October. - Apply here.
🎺 Jazz Promotion Network shared this freelance job vacancy: Jazz conference/showcase producer wanted for Edinburgh 2027. Pay: 18 days at £200 per day, £3600 total. Deadline: 25 October. - Apply here.
🔊 Make/Change Collective CIC seeks a Freelance Marketing and Communications Lead. They say: "We’re looking for a freelance creative with a feel for grassroots marketing to help tell Soundwave’s story. This role is about amplifying youth voices, growing our reach and keeping our identity bold, real and community-rooted." Salary: £25/hour. Deadline: 23 October. - Apply here.
🏴 The organisers of Hands Up for Trad are looking for a Scots Language Week Administrative Producer. Pay: £25 per hour. Deadline: 23 November. - Apply here.
🧵 Studio Nine Edinburgh seeks Freelance Sewing Teachers. Pay: £18 per hour. Deadline: 30 November. - Apply here.
🎭 Lung Ha Theatre Company, based on Grindlay Street, seeks a Company Manager to lead support team coordination, safeguarding, operational management and administrative functions. Salary: £30k. Deadline: Monday 2 November. - Apply here.
💻 Commissions of £8,000–£12,000 are available to around seven people to create 'curious and unexpected work that challenges, complicates and reimagines responsible AI'. Winning works are to be presented at the Edinburgh festivals next year. The commissions are funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and delivered by BRAID UK in partnership with Inspace Design Informatics, University of Edinburgh. Deadline: 2 November. - More details here.
👀 Find more local roles on the Creative Edinburgh jobs & opps board.
💌 Thanks to everyone who contributed to the 146th weekly edition of The Edinburgh Culture Minute. Thank you for reading and subscribing. Feel free to forward this email to help it reach more people who want to have a good time!