The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Weekend edition: 24 - 26 October 2025
New concert hall gets £20m 'lifeline', St James Quarter in Westfield deal, weekend protests + Portobello Food Market returns
👋 Good morning Edinburgh. It’s a busy weekend of events in town. In today’s edition: all the local news I can find, your community notices and (for paying subscribers only) the weekend guide. Enjoy!
🌦️ Weekend weather: A chillier weekend. Wet on Friday afternoon, sunny intervals on Saturday and wet on Sunday afternoon/evening. Temperature high of 10C on Friday and a low of just 3C(!) on Saturday night into Sunday morning. - The full Met Office forecast is here (and its website has had a revamp).
⏰ Remember: The clocks go back an hour at 2am on Sunday.
🎵 Construction on the Dunard Centre concert hall behind St Andrew Square is expected to restart within weeks, after the Scottish Government ‘agreed a £20m bail out’. - Brian Ferguson, The Herald.
⮑ At a cost of £162m, the new concert hall is ‘wildly over budget and late — but it’s worth it’, writes Richard Morrison in The Times.
🛍️ The St James Quarter will be rebranded as a ‘Westfield’ centre, after French retail firm Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield acquired a significant stake in the site. - Brian Donnelly, The Herald.
🪧 Thousands of people are expected to march through Edinburgh on Saturday for the Scotland Demands Better event. Organisers say the rally will be ‘a visible call for secure jobs, affordable homes, strong public services, and social security that works for all of us.’ - The march is due to start at the Scottish Parliament from 11am and ends at the Meadows. - More details here.
⮑ Edinburgh’s Abandoned Artists group will lead creative activities for young people including mini placard design, printmaking and face-painting. - More details here.
🚔 Police have shared an update on their hunt for a hit-and-run driver who hit a 47-year-old man at the junction of Liberton Road and Gilmerton Road on Wednesday. They said blue Vauxhall Corsa failed to stop for officers on Newington Road and hit the man during a police chase. - Police Scotland published more details here.
🚒 The closure-threatened Marionville fire station should be rebuilt on its current site, according to Leith MSP Ben Macpherson. - Ian Swanson, Evening News.
🔌 Developers planning new data centres in Edinburgh for AI technology should be forced to invest in renewable energy security for the city, Scottish Greens councillors have said. They’ve tabled a motion at next week’s full council meeting calling on officials to review the rules. - Donald Turvill, The Herald.
🐈 A fundraising page has been set up to raise money to create a sculpture of Hugo the west end cat (first reported in Minute edition 577). - The fundraiser is here.
📰 Issue 170 of The Leither is out now and Bluey is the cover star. It’s available online and in physical format at venues and shops across Leith. Full of the usual engaging mix of culture, politics, gastronomy and history. - Thanks to a kind Minute reader for sharing this.
🚴♀️ People who want Edinburgh’s streets to be safer to cycle in are invited to join the Infra Sisters Glow Ride in support of the Out Streets Out Nights campaign. It starts at 7.30pm at Middle Meadow Walk. - More details here.
⮑ Meanwhile this month’s Critical Mass ride from the same location on Saturday at 2pm heads to Lochend to highlight the neighbourhood’s campaign for safer streets. - More details on that here.
If the newsletter gets cut-off in your email inbox, read it online at this link.
📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard - news you can use:
📌 “Saturday 25th October - Join us for our PINK social shuffle to raise money for Prevent breast cancer charity! Very chilled 5km jog starting at Arthur’s Seat and ending at the meadows for a sweat treat. Find out more at @buff__shady or @goxglow on instagram!” - Thanks to Ruth & Alexa at Go and Glow social group for sharing this.
📌 “Saturday 25 October - Screen Porty screens 1922 silent film HÄXAN with live music accompaniment. Bar from 6:30pm with film start at 7:30pm. See screenporty.org for Early Bird & on door tickets, venue and further film info.” - Thanks to Screen Porty for sharing this.
📌 “Saturday 25 October at Stockbridge Parish Church: Pulse & Pineda showcases Scottish composer-guitarist Brandon Walker’s work blending flamenco and contemporary classical styles. A compelling new voice in Scotland’s contemporary music scene, presented in a variety of ensembles of Edinburgh’s finest young musicians.” - Thanks to Brandon Walker for sharing this.
📌 “Sat 25 Oct; 2 - 5pm: Special Meditation Course ‘When Everything Feels Too Much’ with Buddhist nun Gen Tubchen at Kadampa Meditation Centre in Leith. 2 sessions of talks, guided meditation & refreshment break. Pause, breathe, & reconnect with more resilient state of mind - £15pp; Everyone Welcome.” - Thanks to Kadampa Meditation Centre for sharing this.
📌 “Saturday 25 Oct - Sunday 2 Nov. Step into the Coburg Print Room, a vibrant celebration of Scottish printmakers and the rich traditions of printmaking. This dynamic exhibition showcases bold techniques, fresh voices, and timeless craftsmanship, bringing together emerging and established artists.” - Thanks to Evie Rose Thornton, Coburg House Gallery Curator & Coordinator, for sharing this.
📌 “Saturday 25 October - Greenbank Church is delighted to be hosting the Heart and Soul Swing band for Christian Aid. Entry is free but donations are welcome.” - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.
📌 “Saturday 25 October - St Andrew Camerata presents “A Silence Haunts Me” - an hour of autumn-and-Halloween appropriate choral music by Kodaly, Jake Runestad, Elgar, Vaughan Williams and more. 7.30pm at Christ Church, Morningside, £12/£10.” - Thanks to St Andrew Camerata for sharing this.
📌 “Sunday 26 Oct 1pm to 3pm: A Lunch for Gaza for local Palestine charity In Solidarity. Delicious Gazan food, poetry with Diline Abushaban and Nada Shawa at The Crannie, 9 Cranston Street. Last few tickets remaining!” - Thanks to Amnesty International Edinburgh Central for sharing this.
📌 “Sunday 26 October – Edinburgh joins over 100 cities worldwide for the global “Returning the Names” action at Mercat Cross to honour victims of Soviet terror. Come at 3 PM to read names aloud and stand in solidarity with political prisoners.” - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.
📌 “This Sunday, Slonk Wine is at Port of Leith Distillery popping on a Premium Sparkling Wine Tasting - with a decadent cheese platter. 🍾 Sip through six sparklings — from Champagne to Langham’s award-winning English fizz to a rich Gran Reserva Cava. Bubbles, bites, and brilliant vibes guaranteed. 🧀” - Thanks to Isobel for sharing this.
📌 “Needing some deep relaxation? Join Eniko for a Yoga Nidra & Sound-bath at Ashtanga Yoga Edinburgh this Sunday 26th, on Montgomery St Lane.” - Thanks to Ashtanga Yoga Edinburgh for sharing this.
📌 “Tuesday 28 October - Frame Life Drawing are thrilled to announce their FIRST session at their NEW VENUE: the beautiful Don’t Tell Mama Brunch Bar in Tollcross! Expect chill music, low pressure creativity & new friends. Bring your own supplies, first timers very welcome, last entry 6:15pm.” - Thanks to Amy Penrose, founder of Frame Life Drawing, for sharing this.
📌 “Sunday 26th October, 3-5pm at Upland Roasters (7-9 George Square Lane): Join us for a cosy afternoon of creativity and connection at our Acrylic Painting Workshop. Guided step-by-step by @saraxartistx, you’ll learn techniques for blending colours, layering textures, and more! Whether you’re a complete beginner or someone who loves to paint, this workshop is designed to be relaxed, welcoming, and fun. No experience needed, all materials provided — just come ready to paint, laugh, and make a new pal or two!” - Thanks to Oremi for sharing this.
🛝 There are lots of family-friendly things to do this weekend, including pumpkins, parties and the new Pianodrome in Bruntsfield. Find more weekend ideas in the latest edition of Gayle’s Guide.
