Edinburgh Culture Minute 🪩 3 - 9 December 2025
Local artists take over gallery on the Mound, Shirley Manson brings Garbage to the castle, Peter Capaldi hits the Cowgate, creative markets at Fruitmarket & OOTB + festive shows on local stages
Welcome to the 110th 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!
- Too long for your email inbox? View the Culture Minute online here.
👀 The most-viewed links from last week’s Edinburgh Culture Minute:
- 🎭 King's Theatre reveals programme ahead of 2026 reopening.
- 📆 All Edinburgh Theatre's comprehensive festive listings.
- 📙 Argonaut Books on Leith Walk has a new website.
- 🎨 New Summerhall Arts residency programme for locals.
- 🪴 Bardware exhibition at Leith gallery.
🗞️ News:
🎭 The Fringe Society has published its annual 'year in numbers' report. The headline figure is that the festival predicts it would generate £6.5m for the city via the new tourist tax when it's introduced next year. - More details via the Fringe here.
🎨 Opening at 10am on Saturday, daily until next month: Visual Arts Scotland's 2025 exhibition in the upper galleries of the Royal Scottish Academy building on the Mound. Titled 'The Thread That Pulls', the show contains more than 400 artworks in a continuation of the country's longest-running contemporary art exhibition, delivered in partnership with the Exhibiting Societies of Scottish Artists. - More details here.
🏰 Garbage have announced a concert here in singer Shirley Manson’s hometown, headlining Edinburgh Castle on Saturday 11 July. Shirley said: “Bringing my band home for what most likely will be our last headline show in Scotland feels both poignant and triumphant. It’s a full circle moment for me and it means the world. To be asked to grace the stage with Edinburgh Castle as our backdrop will be, without doubt, one of the greatest honours of my professional career.”- Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday at this link.
🎧 The final EHFM Culture Show of the year features presenters Katie Goh and Katie Hawthorn sharing local creative news and their predictions for 2026. Plus a lovely shout out for the foodbank fundraising efforts of this newsletter. Congrats to the Katies for another brilliant year of shows, highly recommended if you enjoy the Minute! - Tune in any time on Mixcloud here or on Soundcloud.
🪄 The programme for this month's MagicFest, the Edinburgh International Magic Festival, has been announced. Celebrating its 16th edition, the festival features events at multiple venues across the city. - Full details from Matthew Shelley in All Edinburgh Theatre.
🎨 On Saturday and Sunday: Fruitmarket is hosting 30+ independent creatives for the Winter Makers Market. - A full list of the traders is in the caption here.
🎨 Leith Creative Trail continues this week and runs until Sunday 7 December. It's a series of events linking Leith's creative markets and open studios; an opportunity to discover and buy unique artistic gifts and meet the makers. It's the definition of 'shop local & support local'. - Find the full programme here. Here's what's on:
- Custom House hosts Open Studio & Exhibitions on Saturday 6 December, 10am to 5pm at 65 Commercial Street, EH6 6LH. - Full details here.
- Stampalofi hosts Open Studio Sessions from Tuesday 2 to Saturday 7 December, 10:30am to 5:30pm at Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre, EH6 6JJ. - Full details here.
- Leith School of Art's Albion Road Campus hosts an Arts & Makers Market on Saturday 6 + Sunday 7 December, 10:30am to 4:30pm at 66 Albion Road, EH7 5QZ. - Full details here.
- Paradigm Shift Open Studios opens its Studio, Shop & Workshops on Monday 1 and Thursday 4 – Friday 5 December (11am to 8pm), then Saturday 6 + Sunday 7 December (10am to 6pm) at 9 Tolbooth Wynd, EH6 6DN. - Full details here.
- Out of the Blue Drill Hall hosts its Winter Arts Market on Friday 5 December (5pm to 9pm) and Saturday 6 – Sunday 7 December (11am to 5pm) at 36 Dalmeny St, EH6 8RG. - Full details here.
🎭 What's on Edinburgh's stages this week? Here's Thom Dibdin of All Edinburgh Theatre
December is a-creeping in, with three full-on pantomimes opening this week - two panto versions of Beauty and the Beast and a Dick Whittington - and three non-panto Xmas shows:
Pantos first. The St Serfs Players' take on the rags-to-riches story of Dick Whittington at Inverleith St Serf's Church Centre (ends Sat: tickets), in what will no-doubt be a proper community show - remember to take change for the raffle!
Big production values and a bigger company are likely at the Church Hill Theatre for the first Beauty and the Beast the Pantomime, from the Balerno Theatre Company (ends Sat: tickets).
While Portobello Town Hall's Beauty and the Beast the Pantomime, comes from Stage Door's professional cast, with big laughs, a big dame and a more traditional format (Fri 5 – Sun 28 Dec: tickets).
For the Xmas shows, its the last chance to catch Scottish Ballet's revival of The Snow Queen (★★★★☆ A magical adventure) which "brings a flurry of icy magic to the Festival Theatre (ends Sat: tickets). But plenty of time for the Lyceum's bird-bedecked Cinderella: A Fairytale (★★★★☆ Magical) - a "sparkling, visually wonderful and consistently entertaining piece of family entertainment" (ends Jan 3: tickets). While A Fairytale for Christmas has just the one performance at the Playhouse (Sat: tickets).
And unseasonal offerings? Terry Pratchett fans have a real treat as Strawmoddie take on The Fifth Elephant at the Pleasance (Thurs - Sun: tickets), while the Traverse open their reassuringly non-seasonal Dancing Shoes (Thurs - Sat 20: tickets). Leaving a couple of one-offs. Turan Ali has his Queer Folks' Tales a the Storytelling Centre (Thurs: tickets) and there is a rehearsed reading of Sally Hobson's Untethered at the Traverse (Sat: tickets).
For full details - and listings for next week's panto shower - check out Æ's listings pages: all linked here.
🎟️ Big tickets this week:
💃 Friday night from 10.30pm to 3am: it's the annual winter warmer: Balkanarama at La Belle Angele. - Tickets here.
"Come join our epic Hot Balkan Instrumental Orgy on a cold winter's night! Featuring incredible live performance by our special guests Balamuc, mesmersing dancers and circusants, as well as the best Balkan Beats DJs these isles can offer, free shots of home-made rakija, costume boudoirs, glitter stalls, early live acoustic jam session (starts as the doors open!), electric atmosphere and general mayhem on the dance floor! OPA!"
🎸 Local singer-songwriter Callum Beatie, who's playing Edinburgh Castle next summer, has announced two smaller shows at The Liquid Room on 28 January. - Tickets here.
🎤 Peter Capaldi, best known for his acting in 'Dr Who' and the ‘Thick Of It’, picks up where he left off 40 years ago when he was a new wave wannabe rock star in a Glasgow band. He's just announced his first ever live music tour, including a night at La Belle Angele in the Cowgate on Friday 27 February. - Tickets here.
🔊 Basement Jaxx have just announced a gig at The Usher Hall on 30 March. - Tickets.
📖 On Friday night at the Assembly Roxy: Cold Turkey's Honey Roast Hope. A festive fandango of words & music featuring: Hollie McNish, Withered Hand, Michael Pedersen, Gemma Cairney & more. - Tickets.
👀 Find even more local literary events and news in Naomi Head's Good Egg Project newsletter:
The Good Egg Project
🎵 This month at The Usher Hall: Tonight: The City of Edinburgh Council Instrumental Music Service Childline Concert, Thursday: SCO 2025-26: The Nutcracker, Friday: RSNO Season 25-26: Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Saturday: Christmas with Origin Scotland, Friday 12th: RSNO Season 25-26: Home Alone in Concert, Wednesday 17th: James Gillespie’s High School Christmas Concert, Friday 19th: RSNO Season 25-26: Christmas Concert featuring The Snowman + Monday 22nd: Del Amitri.
🎵 This month at The Queen's Hall: Tonight: AMPLIFI: Uninvited &. Lamaya, Thursday: Flook, Malin Lewis, Sian, Friday: Chasin the Horizon; The Railway Suite with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and the SNYJO, Sunday: SJM Performance Academy's CHRISTMAS CRACKER 2025, Friday 12th: PorkPie Live plus Pretty Green (The Jam) Christmas Special, Saturday 13th: Comedy with Sam Campbell, Tim Key, Josie Long, Amy Gledhill: Live At Christmas, Saturday 20th: Badly Drawn Boy + across three dates: 19, 21 + 22 December, it's Phil Cunningham's Christmas Songbook.
🎤 Hamish Hawk has announced a fundraiser gig in aid of Gig Buddies at Sneaky Pete's on 17 December. - Tickets.
🎸 For my fellow metalheads: After Raging Speedhorn's triumphant sold out show last weekend, some of their members will return this weekend when the mighty Viking Skull play Bannerman's on Sunday night. - Tickets. And local legends The Exploited play La Belle on Saturday 13th - tickets here.
📌 Edinburgh Culture Minute Community Noticeboard
📌 “Sat 6th & Sun 7th Dec. Shop local this Christmas at the Out of The Blue Winter Arts Markets. Across the two days, over 80 hand-picked local independent artists and makers will be selling their work. From paintings, prints and homewares through to jewellery, textiles and ceramics, there’s something for everyone.” - Thanks to Out of the Blue for sharing this.
📌 “Saturday 06 Dec: Local comic Liam Withnail is filming his fringe hit Big Strong Boy at Monkey Barrel. “One of the finest comic storytellers in the business right now.” ★★★★ The Scotsman. “I shed the odd tear, absolutely. I also laughed and laughed.” ★★★★ The Guardian.” - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this. Tickets here.
📌 “The Hong Kong Film Festival UK returns to Edinburgh on the 5th - 7th December at Filmhouse! Come along to see three special screenings of new releases and restored classics from one of Asia's most celebrated film industries.” - Thanks to Fraser Elliott from Leith Kino and Hong Kong Film Festival UK for sharing this.
📌 “Friday 12th - Sunday 14th December (afternoon & evening shows) - St Salvador's and St David's Episcopal churches, Edinburgh in association with The Forth Act, present an adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol'. This show is free for everyone with any donations going to local food projects.” - Thanks to St Salvador's and St David's in association with The Forth Act for sharing this.
📌 “Sat 13th December - Edinburgh folk and roots community choir Castle Chorus present our Winter Concert. Come along to hear songs ranging from Christmas carols to traditional folk songs to arrangements of songs by contemporary songwriters. In St Ninians Hall at Greyfriars Charteris Centre.” - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.
📌 “Saturday 13 December - Christmas Celebration with the Edinburgh Kevock Choir and special guests brass quintet, Members of Brass Tracks. Palmerston Place Church, 7.30pm. Tickets £15/13 (accompanied under-16s free): includes programme and interval refreshments.” - Thanks to Peter Nicholson, President, Edinburgh Kevock Choir, for sharing this.
