Edinburgh Culture Minute 🪩 25 - 31 March 2026
Another music venue closing, Children's Festival programme launched, city's top creatives at Town Hall event, live shows from Thundercat, Basement Jaxx & Richard Ayoade + a new local art zine
👋 Welcome to the 124th 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! You're why this exists.
👀 The most-viewed links from last week’s Edinburgh Culture Minute:
- 🎻 Full programme for May's Edinburgh Tradfest revealed.
- 🏖️ This year's programme for Fringe by the Sea.
- 🎭 🥧 🍺 Lunchtime theatre: A Play, A Pie and A Pint at the Roxy.
- 🇮🇸 Final tickets for Sigur Rós with Scottish Chamber Orchestra at the Playhouse.
- 🎭 One-off performance in memory of The Great Lafayette.
🗞️ News
The programme for this year's Edinburgh International Children’s Festival (30 May to 7 June) was published this morning. It covers theatre, circus, dance, music, puppetry and more, with events for all ages. - Thom Dibdin, All Edinburgh Theatre.
📰 New local art publication alert 🚨
Hot Butter Press promises to bring 'new flavour to the Edinburgh art zine scene' with open calls, new art, new writing and creative prompts. The quarterly riso print zine is produced by local artists Sarah D (aka Ghost Bros.) and Miriam Morris. - They invite you to the zine's launch party tonight from 7pm at Typewronger.
🎹 Another music venue closing
After nearly 21 years in business, The Rat Pack Piano Bar at Shandwick Place in the West End is closing. The venue's owners posted a farewell message on Instagram saying it will close on 5 April. They said:
"As our loyal customers over the years have matured with time, it’s been hard bringing in the new generation of party goers to appreciate the entertainment and what we offer, at the same time it is also very hard to source and have some of the Musicians we have had in the past, maybe it’s just that times change and tastes evolve. So rather than try and sit it out and go through the inevitable pain of survival- as many businesses similar to ours are and have been doing, we would prefer to close with dignity and let some younger blood revive the space."
🍿 The organisers of Cinetopia and Leith Kino are planning a new folk horror film festival at venues across Leith in April. - Find out more about Fiends in the Furrows on their website and Instagram.
📙 Happy birthday to Argonaut Books. The Leith Walk shop is celebrating its fourth anniversary with a 25% off deal today only and by launching a 10% off deal for students forever. - More details here.
🎭 James Brining, the Lyceum's Artistic Director, will be on the theatre stage on Thursday for a post-show discussion. He'll answer questions and share 'behind the scenes insights' about One Day: The Musical. - Lyceum.
🎼 Did you know that the current site of the modern wing of the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street was once proposed (in 1898) as a location for the Usher Hall? The venue has a fascinating history and local historian Andy Arthur shares his excellent research on Threadinburgh.
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🎟️ Big tickets this week
🎤 TONIGHT: Some of the city's most successful (and hardworking) creative people will be sharing their stories and wisdom at the Creative Town Hall event this evening at the Out House. Titled 'Have Swagger', the event focuses on ways to increase your confidence in your own work. Organisers say: "Creativity is being devalued, and we can’t let it." The speakers (in alphabetical order) are: Ian Greenhill of Studio Something, Debbie Morgan of Leith, John Osborne of Queer Ad Folk, Marie Owen of LS Productions, Barrington Reeves of Too Gallus and Pamela Scobbie of John Doe. - The last remaining tickets are here.
🔊 A second batch of tickets has been released for Auntie Flo's full live band show at The Pitt's Box Energy Day Party (+ Moncaya + Eclair Fife + Lord of the Isles) on Sunday 3 May. - The last batch of tickets is here and here's a video of what to expect.
🎤 Funnyman Dara Ó Briain is back at the Playhouse on Saturday night with his new live show 'Re:Creation'. - A handful of tickets are here.
🎟️ Richard Ayoade is bringing his tour to the Usher Hall on 10 June. - Tickets go on sale on Friday.
🎸 A couple of big gigs at the Usher Hall next week:
