Celebrate National Cinema Weekend at Vue venues in Edinburgh with £4 tickets – including summer hits Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey
National Cinema Weekend is a two-day celebration of the big screen experience – from the latest blockbusters and family favourites to indie horrors and classic re-releases.
To mark the occasion, Vue is offering £4 tickets across all films and seats on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September.
Highlights include summer hits Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odysseyand Toy Story 5, which will all be showing over the weekend of the promotion. Ridley Scott’s latest film The Dog Stars, a post-apocalyptic drama starring Jacob Elordi, will also be screening.
Family favourites such as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie and Cars will also be screening over National Cinema Weekend, not to mention the David, the animated musical re-telling of David vs. Goliath.
Meanwhile, horror fans can also catch new releases Insidious: Out of the Further and indie horror Leviticus.
The offer applies to all screenings on Vue’s biggest screen, EPIC by Vue. Featuring HDR by Barco to create breathtaking colour sharpness and next level Dolby Atmos 3D sound, it’s the perfect way to celebrate National Cinema Weekend.
Film lovers can also enjoy Vue’s biggest and comfiest seats, Ultra Lux, as part of National Cinema Weekend. Strategically positioned to give the best possible view of the big screen, Ultra Lux seating also features an extra-wide armrest, back and leg rests that recline independently, personal table for snacks and beverages and a state-of-the-art wine cooler – the most luxurious way to immerse in a great story, with tickets at just £4.
Film lovers can also enjoy Lux seating as part of National Cinema Weekend. Offering extra space, soft leather seating, a headrest and armrest, plus a foldaway table for snacks and drinks, Lux recliners are the perfect way to immerse in a great story – with tickets at just £4.
Ian Chester, General Manager at Vue Edinburgh, said: “It’s been an incredible year for film, from the huge blockbusters to indie horrors – and everything in between.
“This National Cinema Weekend, we want to celebrate the big screen experience by giving back to our audiences. We encourage everyone to make the most of the celebration and enjoy a film at Vue.”
For the films and session times available at Vue, visit www.myvue.com or check out the app. For open captioned screenings, look for the OC accessibility attribute before booking.
Sir Chris Hoy’s stage four prostate cancer diagnosis has highlighted the importance of understanding the often-silent nature of the disease, after the six-time Olympic gold medallist revealed his cancer had spread to his bones.
Hoy has previously spoken about how he had no obvious symptoms of prostate cancer and initially sought medical advice after experiencing shoulder pain. A scan subsequently revealed a tumour, with further investigations finding that the primary cancer was in his prostate and had spread to his shoulder, pelvis, hip, ribs and spine.
In response, Dr Karen Faulkner, Associate Medical Director at Panthera Clinic, says Hoy’s experience is a powerful reminder that men should not wait until they feel unwell before taking their prostate health seriously.
Comment from Dr Karen Faulkner, Associate Medical Director at Panthera Clinic: “Chris Hoy’s diagnosis is a powerful reminder that prostate cancer does not always announce itself with obvious symptoms, and by the time symptoms develop, the disease can already be advanced.
“One of the most dangerous misconceptions about prostate cancer is that you will know when something is wrong. Chris Hoy’s experience demonstrates why this isn’t necessarily the case. He had no clear warning symptoms and initially sought medical advice because of shoulder pain, only for investigations to reveal that the cancer had originated in the prostate and had already spread to his bones.
“While every patient’s circumstances are unique, his story highlights why men shouldn’t use feeling fit, healthy or symptom-free as reassurance that everything is fine.
“Prostate cancer can develop silently, particularly in its earlier stages, which means men need to be aware of their individual risk rather than simply waiting for their body to tell them something is wrong.
“Symptoms men should speak to a healthcare professional about include:
Needing to urinate more frequently, especially at night Difficulty starting or stopping urination A weak or interrupted urine flow Feeling that the bladder doesn’t fully empty Blood in the urine or semen Pain or discomfort when urinating Persistent pain in the lower back, hips or pelvis
“However, it is important to stress that prostate cancer may not cause any noticeable symptoms in its early stages. The absence of symptoms should not necessarily be taken as reassurance, particularly for men who have other risk factors.
“Age remains one of the biggest risk factors for prostate cancer, with the likelihood of developing the disease increasing as men get older. Family history is also important. Having a father, brother or son who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer can increase an individual’s risk.
“Ethnicity is another important factor, with Black men statistically more likely to develop prostate cancer and often at a younger age.
“These risk factors do not mean that someone will definitely develop prostate cancer, but they can help healthcare professionals assess an individual’s level of risk and determine whether further investigation or discussions about testing may be appropriate.
“For men who are over 50, have a family history of prostate cancer or belong to a higher-risk group, Chris Hoy’s story is an important reminder not to wait until something feels wrong before speaking to a healthcare professional.
“It is also important to remember that prostate cancer is not one single disease and that a diagnosis does not automatically mean the same outcome for every patient. Treatments and outcomes vary depending on factors including how advanced the cancer is, where it has spread and how it responds to treatment.
“Chris Hoy has also spoken openly about continuing to live his life and finding hope despite his stage four diagnosis. His experience is an important reminder that even when cancer is advanced, patients should have open conversations with their healthcare team about treatment, symptom management, support and their individual options.
“For anyone who has been prompted by Chris Hoy’s story to think about their own health, this is a good opportunity to speak to a healthcare professional rather than waiting for symptoms to appear.
“The key message is simple: feeling healthy does not necessarily mean you are free from prostate cancer. Knowing your risk, understanding the potential symptoms and having conversations with a healthcare professional can all play an important role in detecting and managing the disease.”
Gilded Balloon is delighted to announce Verona Verbakel as the winner of the 2026 Filipa Bragança Award for her outstanding solo performance in Only Fans for Therapy at Zoo Playground.
The Filipa Bragança Award recognises an exceptional lead solo performance by an emerging female, female-identifying or non-binary actor in a theatre production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Established in 2017 in memory of the gifted actor Filipa Bragança, the award celebrates the extraordinary talent of performers working at the Fringe and honours Filipa’s own remarkable contribution to the festival.
Filipa delivered defining performances in critically acclaimed Gilded Balloon productions including Echoes and Angel before her untimely death in 2016, aged just 25.
Uniquely, the award considers eligible solo performances from across the entire Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with judges independently scouting work across venues throughout August.
Following weeks of intensive viewing by the judging panel, this year’s shortlist reflected an exceptionally strong field of solo theatre. Judges highlighted the outstanding standard of writing, characterisation and performance across this year’s Fringe, with Verona Verbakel ultimately standing out for the depth, originality and sheer commitment of her performance in Only Fans for Therapy.
Karen and Katy Koren, Artistic Directors of Gilded Balloon, said: “Filipa was an extraordinary young actor whose talent, generosity and presence made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of seeing her work.
“It is incredibly important to us that this award continues to celebrate the kind of bold, brilliant and distinctive solo performance that Filipa herself represented.
“Verona’s performance this year was completely compelling ,she commands the stage with remarkable skill and vulnerability, and we are thrilled to recognise her with the 2026 Filipa Bragança Award.
“Every year, the standard of work considered for the Filipa Bragança Award makes the judging incredibly difficult, and this year was no exception. We saw an extraordinary range of solo performances from artists working across the Fringe, but Verona’s work stayed with us.
“Only Fans for Therapy is fearless, uncomfortable and deeply human, and Verona gives an extraordinary performance at its centre. We are delighted to celebrate her achievement and to continue Filipa’s legacy through an award that champions emerging performers and the power of solo storytelling.”
The winner of the 2026 Filipa Bragança Award was presented on Friday at The Scotsman Awards.
City of Edinburgh Council Has Passed The Most Extensive List of Firework Control Zones So Far
Animals and vulnerable residents in Edinburgh will benefit from protections from fireworks noise, as the city has confirmed an extension of the successful Firework Control Zones policy, championed by Greens.
Five FCZs for two years were confirmed for Corstorphine, Longstone, Gracemount, Moredun and Sighthill/Broomhouse with a further five at Lochend, Liberton, Stenhouse/Gaskell, Wester Hailes and West Pilton. These join existing Zones in Balerno, Calton Hill, Niddrie and Seafield.
14 Zones will operate in total.
Edinburgh Green spokesperson for Culture and Communities Dan Heap welcomed the move saying: “Fireworks noise an be extremely distressing for vulnerable residents and also pets, as almost any dog and cat owner will tell you, and we also have strong evidence that they pollute the air and water.
“That’s why it is so crucial we have today extend FCZs further, encompassing a large part of the city.
“I am proud of the role Greens have played in championing these essential protections for people, paws and planet.”
On 25th September, I would like to invite anyone who has been affected by knife crime to come along to the Knife Angel (writes LISA PETRIE).
This will be an opportunity for us to come together, remember those we have lost, and show our support for those who have been injured or affected by knife crime.
If you have lost someone to knife crime, been injured yourself, or know someone whose life has been impacted, please feel welcome to join us.
I would also encourage you to bring a photograph of your loved one, yourself, or someone affected, if you feel comfortable doing so. We will also be lighting candles in remembrance and to honour those whose lives have been changed forever.
Everyone affected by knife crime is welcome.
Let’s come together as a community, remember those we have lost, support those who are still with us, and stand united against knife crime.
The Knife Angel will take centre stage at the Kirkgate at the bottom of Leith Walk in Edinburgh from September 1st to September 30th 2026.
Edinburgh Council, Police Scotland, Places for People Scotland and other partners will be working with schools, businesses and communities to raise awareness of the dangers of carrying knives and the impact of violence.
New social impact partnership supported by £200,000
Proposals to help cut reoffending and keep young people safe from crime and anti-social behaviour are to be developed through an innovative new partnership funding approach.
The Justice Social Impact Partnership (SIP), supported by £200,000 of Scottish Government funding, is a new way of developing and funding interventions. It brings together nine organisations – across service providers, funders and public bodies – to design three project proposals by the end of March 2027.
The Justice SIP will focus on:
creating safe spaces for young people
diverting young people from crime and anti-social behaviour
preventing reoffending and supporting reintegration into communities
Social Investment Partnerships ask investors to provide upfront funding for a project, and they are repaid based on the outcomes it achieves, allowing new ideas to be tested without financial risk to the public purse if they don’t succeed.
This work is also expected to help inform how similar funding and delivery models might be used elsewhere in government.
Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, said: “Preventing violence and diverting young people away from crime means working across the whole system, with police, charities, communities and investors all playing a part.
“This partnership brings together that breadth of expertise to design practical projects that give young people safe spaces and trusted adults, and support people to move away from crime and rebuild their lives.
“It builds on our existing commitment to prevention, including our continued investment in Cashback for Communities, and creates a new way of bringing funding into our communities so that early intervention work can be tested, proven and scaled.”
The following organisations form the membership of the Justice Social Impact Partnership:
The Scottish Government Social Investment Scotland The Growth Partnership The Robertson Trust YMCA Tayside Community Justice Scotland National Social Work Agency Scotland Bean Research (evaluation) University of Oxford’s Government Outcomes Lab (evaluation)
The fund will support the partnership’s work over the coming months, including technical, financial and legal expertise needed to develop robust, investable projects
Unlawful killing and historic child sex offences will be blocked from upcoming changes to prison sentences after the Prime Minister ordered more serious offenders to be kept behind bars for longer
Prime Minister blocks manslaughter, death by drunk or dangerous driving and historic child sex offences from sentencing changes
Builds on action to keep those in prison for rape, child sex or grooming offences behind bars
Victims of domestic violence will be better protected from perpetrators, with record numbers of offenders set to leave prison tagged and the new restriction zones put in place, some as little as a few miles wide, for some sexual and violent offenders
The government will deport thousands of foreign criminals and bring the injustice of IPP sentences to an end during this Parliament
Unlawful killing and historic child sex offences will be blocked from upcoming changes to prison sentences after the Prime Minister ordered more serious offenders to be kept behind bars for longer.
The Prime Minister’s intervention will mean offenders in prison for killing an emergency worker in the line of duty will not be released any earlier. Historic grooming offences, all forms of manslaughter, death by dangerous driving and causing or allowing the death of a child will also be barred from the changes to the prison sentences.
This builds on the action already taken by the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor to stop anyone in prison for rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming from being released earlier. Murderers or anyone deemed the most dangerous by a court and handed a life or extended sentence were already blocked from seeing any reduction to their sentence and will stay locked up until they go before a Parole Board.
As a result of these changes today, hundreds more victims will no longer face the anxiety of seeing their offender coming out sooner than they were expecting.
Since coming into office, the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor have made significant changes to the plans they inherited. They want to go even further, but cannot do so without risking the entire justice system collapsing. This would mean the police would be unable to make arrests, the courts would stop sending criminals to jail and criminals would be left unchecked on our streets.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: ”I know how strongly people feel about this issue. I understand the concern and anger because I share it. That’s why I took action during my first weeks as Prime Minister to block some of the very worst in society being released before they should. We moved quickly to block vile criminals who commit rape, sexually abuse children and groom vulnerable young people.
“But I always said I wanted to do more. We will now not only be keeping offenders serving time for indecent assault locked up, but also those in prison for manslaughter and death by dangerous driving. This means that the awful criminals responsible for the killing of PC Andrew Harper will not have their sentence shortened.
“The truth is I wanted to go even further. But I’ve pushed the system to the very limits of what’s possible without risking the prison system collapsing within months, putting the public at enormous risk.
“To protect victims, we will be introducing the toughest ever supervision measures for offenders, which effectively mean that someone’s sentence will not end when they leave prison.
“This includes tagging offenders and, for the very first time ever, putting restriction zones in place to stop offenders getting anywhere near their victims.”
The Prime Minister has also announced that he will end the injustice of Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences this Parliament, meaning people will no longer be trapped indefinitely under a sentence abolished more than a decade ago.
This decision recognises how deeply unjust it is that some offenders who have been locked up for nearly twenty years remain in prison, despite serving their sentence many times over, whereas many serious criminals convicted in recent years could have their jail time cut. While work on this will begin immediately, and on a cross-party basis, it will take time to get this right and balance fairness with public safety.
This is just one part of the government’s plan for a fairer justice system, looking at how some people can be punished more effectively outside prison – freeing up cells for those who pose the greatest risk to the public.
This will include considering how to safely reduce the number of and young offenders and women in custody, in particular those who are pregnant or have young children.
Powers will also be implemented early next year to deport some foreign criminals immediately after sentencing, blocking them from ever returning to the country, while keeping those in prison for the most serious crimes locked up for a substantial period before they are removed.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris said: ”The Prime Minister and I have rightly looked again at these reforms and we are clear that people responsible for taking a life, or for appalling crimes against children, should be kept behind bars for longer.
“But protecting the public also means fixing the prison system for good. We will build the cells we need, put offenders under much tougher controls when they leave prison and end the historic injustice of IPP sentences.
“This is a government running towards problems and not shying away from the tough decisions needed to build a justice system that is firm, fair and protects the public.”
The Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor have also insisted that victims must remain at the centre of the justice system, with survivors of domestic abuse seeing offenders put under some of the toughest restrictions to date.
This includes a presumption that all prison leavers will be tagged and imposing possible bans on pubs and public events.
Perpetrators could also be confined to a specific area – some just a few miles wide – giving victims greater freedom to live their lives. In a world first, new ‘restriction zones’, which have been directly shaped by the experiences and campaigning of victims, will limit the movement of some sexual and violent offenders, with victims having a say in how zones are drawn up.
Victims advocates Hetti Barkworth-Nanton CBE, chair of Refuge, Frank Mullane MBE, CEO of Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse, and Jo Early, chief executive of Support after Murder and Manslaughter, said: “We welcome the Prime Minister’s decision to exclude all manslaughter cases from the early release scheme.
“The original sentence lengths for these offences were, in part, intended to protect the public. The problem of prison capacity does not alter that underlying need for public protection.
“Therefore, making manslaughter offenders eligible for early release would risk undermining a key purpose of their sentences and could represent a significant compromise to public protection. This also re-assures families bereaved by homicide that they are not being asked to trade justice so prison overcrowding can be resolved.
The government says it inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse with fewer than 100 spaces left in the summer of 2024.
A lack of investment in the prison estate with just 500 net places added for over a decade has led to a situation where adult male prisons are now at 98% capacity. That is why this government is taking decisive action to fix the broken prison system for good.
Under this government, more than 3,200 prison places have already been built, with 14,000 expected by 2031 under the largest prison build expansion since the Victorian era.
The Westminster government says the Sentencing Act will restore order to the prison system and make sure we have cells available for dangerous criminals.
They say that, alongside record prison building, the reforms will put prisons on a sustainable footing and end the cycle of emergency release measures used before July 2024 when prisons repeatedly came close to running out of space.
We are delighted to announce our participation in Doors Open Day 2026 on Saturday 26 September, between 11am and 3.30pm.
Our main exhibition will focus on the industrial heritage throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th century, keeping Granton’s heritage alive and highlighting what was once a hive of activity. We are pleased to confirm that local historian Kenneth Williamson will be providing more insights and stories of his own experiences.
The Granton Archive Project (GAP) will offer informal drop-in sessions between 11:00am-2:00pm. We have photographs, films, newspapers and much more that will bring the past alive, and we’d like to invite you to come and explore, guided by our local volunteers.
Also on display will be a selection of the Quiet Heroes photo exhibition. These striking portraits celebrate these individuals and invite us all to reflect on the hidden contributions that keep a community strong.
Our collaboration with Edinburgh College of Art entitled ‘Cultural Heritage in the Metropolitan Peripheries’ records and celebrates Granton’s shifting heritage and the creative work by students from Craigroyston Academy and Edinburgh University.
The project will be launching HOPE, a new digital resource for people seeking to learn about how these urban peripheries mark and celebrate their cultural heritage and contemporary identity.
A family friendly walk (1:45-3pm) will start and end at the Granton Hub and free spaces are limited. PLEASE BOOK. Check the link for further details.
Business Minister Tom Arthur has published proposals for a visa system that supports Scotland’s distinct needs.
This includes existing proposals for a Scottish Visa, Rural Visa and Scottish Graduate Visa and making the current immigration system more accessible to the needs of different sectors.
The Scottish Government has highlighted the UK Government’s closure of the Adult Social Care visa route as an example of creating an increased risk of workforce shortages and service pressures, particularly in rural and island communities.
This newly-published Scottish Government policy paper highlights the economic and social challenges the country may face if the UK Government does not take action.
While migration remains a reserved policy area, the Scottish Government has taken forward several initiatives, including the development of Scotland’s Migration Service and delivery of the Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, funding for which was increased by almost 50% this year.
Mr Arthur said: “Mirroring a trend in many countries throughout the world, Scotland has an ageing population and areas where the population is falling. This makes immigration ever-more critical in ensuring we have working-age people to fill skills gaps, sustain public services, support communities and grow the economy.
“A migration system designed around UK-wide averages – which is what we have now – cannot adequately respond to Scotland’s demographic and geographic circumstances.
“In the spirit of the Prime Minister’s public commitment to reset relationships with devolved governments, I have invited the UK Migration Minister to engage with me in constructive discussions to ensure that the immigration system is tailored to Scotland’s needs.”
