The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Weekend edition: 5 - 7 December 2025

👋 Good morning Edinburgh. As promised since day one, nearly 800 daily editions ago, the Minute is still 100% AI-free and advert-free. It takes me pretty much all day to put together every edition and I'm proud of that. There's nobody else getting up at 5am every day to do this and I still absolutely love doing it. I'm a trusted Edinburgh-raised journalist of 20 years who was fed up with the struggles of local media and wanted to try to improve things for the city while also supporting publishers by sending them more readers. It's working! Thank you to everyone who subscribes to keep the lights on here. I'm honestly so grateful for your support and hopefully together we're all helping local news evolve and survive the onslaught of AI slop and internet cowboys wasting your time. Local news matters too much to let that happen. OK, off my soapbox and on we go with your weekend Edinburgh Minute...

🌦️ Weekend weather: It's dark just now but looking like Friday could start with some sun, becoming cloudier in the afternoon then wet in the evening. The rain continues into Saturday morning but it's due to be a drier afternoon. Sunday starts dry but rain is forecast from midday onwards. Temperature high of 9C on Saturday and a low of 6C on Sunday night into Monday morning. - The full Met Office forecast is here.

💰 Some local cultural organisations were celebrating last night after securing multi-year funding from Creative Scotland. - Jane Bradley, The Scotsman.

• ⮑ The Traverse (£3,691,400) and Lyceum theatres (4,974,570), the Hidden Door festival (£363,126) and Edinburgh International Festival (£11,750,000) are among those sharing a total of £208m over the next three years. - A spreadsheet containing all the awards can be found here.
• ⮑ I have exported all the Edinburgh-based winners here. Together the local groups will share £79,356,046 across three years.

All Edinburgh-based orgs receiving CS multi-year funding 2025-2028

Google Docs

• ⮑ Hidden Door’s Director Hazel Johnson said: "This support from the Creative Scotland Multi-Year Fund is truly transformative for Hidden Door. As a volunteer-run organisation, securing funding for 2026 and 2027 gives us the stability and freedom to be more ambitious than ever, allowing us to focus entirely on finding and championing incredible emerging Scottish talent. We are so excited to immediately open our visual art open call and to welcome the innovative ideas that will define our next chapter. We look forward to working with artists to turn another forgotten space into a vibrant cultural hub."

🏗️ Councillors have approved plans to demolish two Muirhouse tower blocks after costs for proposed renovation works spiralled. Some residents are unhappy with the decision. There could be a stand-off situation brewing, as all tenants at Inchmickery Court except one have already left. - Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan, in Midlothian View.

🏗️ The removal of scaffolding on the G&V Hotel on George IV Bridge has been delayed by another year, reports James Delaney, BBC Scotland News.

🚔 Gang-related violence between criminals in Edinburgh and Glasgow has been blamed for Police Scotland spending up to £100,000 a day on overtime to cope with the demands of investigating crime. - Norman Silvester, Daily Record.

🛬 A plane heading from London to San Francisco landed at Edinburgh Airport yesterday after a 'burning smell' was reported onboard. United Airlines put up 162 passengers in hotels. - Keiran Fleming, STV News.

🌳 An argument between neighbours in Barnton about 40ft-high garden hedge has gone all the way to the Scottish Government, which has ordered it to be cut down. - David Meikle, Edinburgh Live.

🎓 The University of Edinburgh is selling two buildings worth a total of £5m. But there are no plans to use that income to tackle the uni's ongoing £140m budget 'deficit', reports Jamie Calder in the Edinburgh Tab.

• ⮑ Queen Margaret University and Edinburgh College are teaming up with four other Scottish universities in a new shared knowledge agreement. - Craig Williams, The Herald.

🏗️ Community group Action Porty have lodged plans to turn Portobello's decommissioned police station into a community hub. - Donald Turvill, The Herald.

• ⮑ The group previously transformed a local church into the successful Bellfield centre in 2018. - There's an excellent BBC Radio Scotland feature on the group here.

🍻 The new owners of The Globe Bar on Niddry Street have been revealed as Encore Bars Group. The firm also owns The Boston Bar on Hanover Street, Freddy’s on Frederick Street and Westside Rodeo on George Street. It will remain as The Globe until new year, then reopen as a new venue in 'February 2025' (presumably with a time travel theme). - Brian Donnelly, The Herald.

🚦 Around six months of roadworks have begun in South Gyle on the first phase of the new West Edinburgh Link project, which includes new segregated cycleways. - The council published more details here.

🎄 Festive greetings card designs by pupils from 12 local schools will appear on Princes Street's digital bus shelter screens this weekend. - The council published more details here.

📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard - news you can use:

📌 "Take a morning to deliver meals this December with Empty Kitchens Full Hearts. Using your own car or bike, you can help us support those across Edinburgh experiencing food insecurity. Please email edith.macdougall@emptykitchens.co.uk for more information." - Thanks to Empty Kitchens Full Hearts for sharing this.

📌 "Making Rights Real is delighted to announce grant funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery to support housing rights at Cables Wynd House. Residents are invited to join the resident's group regular meetings, and share their views in their current human rights survey. See weblink for all info." - Thanks to Making Rights Real for sharing this.

📌 "Issue 171 of the Leither magazine is out. The feature article is on Leith-raised artist and musician Bee Asha. Physical copies have now been distributed across Leith, while the digital version is now online." - Thanks to a subscriber for sharing this.

📌 "Sat 6 Dec - Join us at LifeCare’s free Christmas Fair 11 AM–3 PM at The LifeCare Hub, 2 Cheyne Street, EH4 1JB. Enjoy festive stalls, treats, gifts, and community cheer. Perfect for all ages — come along, support local, give to a good cause and celebrate the season together!" - Thanks to Claire at LifeCare Edinburgh for sharing this.

📌 "4-7th December - Roslin Handmade for Christmas Popup Shop is open. 3 makers and 4 days of sparkle!. Open 10-4pm Venue-Mustard Seed, Roslin (next to the library)." - Thanks to Michelle Stewart of TheCrimsonCoo for sharing this.

📌 "Queer as Punk's Xmas party: It's a Synth! is Saturday 6 December, 7pm-10pm at the Wee Red Bar, with live music from local acts Thundermoon, Gravelle, Demi and the Urge. Ticket holders also get free entry to new queer club night SOUR, in the same venue 10pm -2am." - Thanks to Suky Goodfellow of Queer as Punk for sharing this.

📌 "Saturday is the last CVGV Reverence of 2025 at the Banshee Labyrinth with Angelica Mode, The Lost Conformists, Dylan Wilson & The Screamin Kick. A fantastic lineup of local bands to what has been a fantastic year of supporting grassroots music!" - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.

📌 "One of Edinburgh's oldest orchestras, The St Andrew Orchestra present their winter concert at Stockbridge Parish Church! Michael Graham will conduct Grieg's In Autumn, the Mozart Clarinet Concerto featuring local player Ken Knox, and Tchaikovsky's rousing Symphony No 1. Sat 6th Dec, 7.30pm £10/5." - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.

📌 "Sunday: 11am-6pm: What are your experiences of AI? - the good, the bad, the ugly. Have a cuppa, write your story on a strip of fabric and weave with others' stories to create a collective tapestry. LLOOM at Leith walk policebox is an interactive textile installation - all welcome, drop in." - Thanks to Monty from the Leith Walk polisbox for sharing this.

📌 "Sunday: Portobello Festive Christmas Tree Lights Switch-On at the tree on the High Street. 4:15pm — children’s choir & fiddle group. 4:30pm — the lights are switched on! Come along, bring the family, and soak up the magic as Portobello lights up for Christmas." - Thanks as always to Carmen for sharing this.

📌 "Sunday - Edinburgh Shanty Night is calling on all those who need a break from Christmas and want to sing about the perils of life at sea for a night. If that‘s you, join us at the Argyle Cellar Bar at 7pm! If that‘s not you, come anyway. It‘s fun, free, and there‘s no need to sign up." - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.

📌 "Sunday - Arise o morning star, Carols and readings for Advent, at St Vincents Chapel, Stockbridge, 6.30pm" - Thanks to Emma for sharing this.

📌 "The Dominion Cinema hosts six French Film Festival UK screenings from 7–11 December. Highlights include Aline – The Power of Love which includes a vocalist chat on 8 Dec, Shepherds (9 Dec), Testament (10 Dec), and Leave One Day on 11 Dec. Three more films complete the line-up." - Thanks to James Coutts of French Film Festival UK for sharing this.

📌 "Monday - Join us at Leith Depot for a live sketch comedy podcast recording: The Sketch Show. Support the best local comic talent Edinburgh has to offer as they perform brand new sketch comedy material. And why not put yourself forward for to write or perform for our next show?" - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.

📌 "Fri 12th Dec – Next Friday! TheGetDown#13 🎶 5pm - 1am
We’re buzzing to welcome Legendary DJ/Producer Neil Pierce, flying in for our pre-Christmas shindig! 2 Spaces → Soulful House & Disco in Leith Arches, and anything WITH SOUL at our Pre in Artisan Roast. 180+ tickets sold, a few remain." - Thanks to Ricardo at Luvin'Leith Events for sharing this.

📌 "Panto time is here! And if you are looking to take a little-one to their first panto this is the one! Macastory's Cinderella is an hour of panto perfect for wee ones. Scottish Storytelling Centre: Dec 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd 11.00am & 2.00pm." - Thanks to 'a Macastory fan' for sharing this.

📌 "01/01/2026 New Years Day Gong Bath. Welcome in the year with Daniel Killeen. There will home made cake and lovely fruit to finish off with. The threshold of the year being crossed, filling the space with sound and warmth helping bring your mind and body into alignment." - Thanks to Daniel Killeen Edinburgh Therapy Centre for sharing this.

🛝 The city's best family-friendly events listings newsletter is Gayle's Guide. This weekend: Kids' Christmas cinema screenings, many many 'meet Santa' (and 'meet Mrs Claus') events + Saturday's 'Edinburgh Sings' event at the Ross Bandstand.

Gayle’s Guide ✨ 4th Dec 25

Issue 83 - Kids Balkanarama, a festive unicorn dance party, so many Santas and much more!

Gayle's GuideGayle’s Guide

📆 For more local events, check out Neil Cooper’s Shop Local weekend guide, including: Edinburgh Record and CD Fair, Pure Mania Punk & New Wave Christmas Market, La Beat Soul Club + more.

📆 What else is on this weekend in town? The next bit is for paying subscribers only. It includes a special festive fairs section featuring 12 unique local markets, none of which are the Princes Street Gardens market...