Day: July 3, 2026

Tinderbox Orchestra announce vibrant summer programme

  • 6 July – Kelburn Garden Party with special guests Kate Young and RJ Hunter
  • 1 August – Fringe by the Sea, with special guest Kathryn Joseph performing their collaborative EP the blood, the weight, the weary in full
  • 22 August – Neighbourgood at Ross Bandstand, with special guests still to be announced
  • Tickets on sale via https://tinderboxcollective.org/orchestra-old/tinderbox-orchestra-upcoming-gigs/

Tinderbox Orchestra return this summer with a run of standout festival appearances and special collaborations, bringing their expansive, genre‑defying sound to audiences across Scotland.

Known for reimagining what an orchestra can be, the ensemble continues to fuse rappers and singers with strings, brass, woodwind and rhythm section in bold, large‑scale live performances. 
 
The summer opens at Kelburn Garden Party on 6 July, where Tinderbox Orchestra will join the festival’s eclectic line‑up, taking their high‑energy, collaborative set to one of Scotland’s most distinctive outdoor events. More information can be found at https://www.kelburngardenparty.com/. 

On 1 August, the band returns to Fringe by the Sea for a special performance in the Big Top Tent, joined by SAY Award‑winning artist Kathryn Joseph.

Together they’ll perform their collaborative EP the blood, the weight, the weary live, bringing new scale and texture to the critically acclaimed record. Tickets and further details are available at https://www.fringebythesea.com/tinderbox-orchestra-with-special-guest-kathryn-joseph/  
 
The summer series closes in Edinburgh on 22 August with a major outdoor performance at the Ross Bandstand as part of Neighbourgood’s six‑week residency, Neighbourgood Gardens.

Running from 3 to 4pm, this event will see Tinderbox Orchestra joined by long‑time collaborator, musician and composer Kate Young. Full details can be found at https://www.citizenticket.com/events/neighbourgood-market/the-tinderbox-orchestra-at-neighbourgood-gardens/.

Across these performances, Tinderbox Orchestra continues its commitment to collaboration, community and musical ambition, creating spaces where different genres, voices and audiences come together. 

Claire Docherty, Tinderbox Orchestra Manager, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing Tinderbox Orchestra to audiences across Scotland this summer.

“From playing at some of our favourite festivals to special collaborations with Kathryn Joseph, RJ Hunter and Kate Young, these performances celebrate everything that makes Tinderbox Orchestra unique – a set of multi-genre original music, artistic collaboration and bringing people together” 
 
Kathryn Joseph said: “I cannot wait to get to play with the beautiful tinderbox orchestra again. They are all the best humans of all.

“Thank you so much for let me Fringe by the Sea!” 
 
Tickets for all summer dates are on sale now via:

https://tinderboxcollective.org/orchestra-old/tinderbox-orchestra-upcoming-gigs/ 

Launch of Edinburgh Division City Centre Policing Unit

A new City Centre Policing Unit, supported by funding from the Visitor Levy, has officially launched in Edinburgh.

In January 2025, the City of Edinburgh Council formally agreed to introduce a 5% charge on overnight accommodation within the Capital for those visiting on or after 24 July 2026.

It is anticipated that £50m revenue will be raised each year to sustain and enhance Edinburgh’s reputation as one of the most beautiful and enjoyable destinations in the world.

Following the announcement of the visitor levy’s introduction, Edinburgh Division has been liaising with the Council, and an agreement was reached to fund the City Centre Policing Unit (CCPU).

The new team, which begins duties on Thursday, 2 July, will provide additional police officers dedicated to proactively patrolling the Capital’s city centre thanks to investment from the Council’s Visitor Levy over the next three years, which has been match-funded by Police Scotland.

 The CCPU comprises of an Inspector, three sergeants and 45 constables.

Having an expanded city centre resource will also allow Edinburgh Division to provide an early and effective response to spontaneous challenges, as well as reducing demand on frontline officers from other areas of the city – allowing them to increase their focus on serving other neighbourhoods across the city.

The CCPU will play a pivotal role in supporting planned city-centre events and will work alongside specialist units such as The Retail Crime Taskforce and Scottish Violence Reduction Unit to ensure specific crime-types affecting the city-centre community are affectively addressed.

Cllr Margaret Graham, Culture and Communities Convener at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: The Visitor Levy is already helping to deliver real, tangible benefits for our Capital city ahead of its full introduction on 24 July.

“By working closely with our partners at Police Scotland to support this new policing unit, we’re ensuring that the people who live, work and visit Edinburgh feel safer and better supported – not only in our bustling central streets, but in neighbourhoods across the city by reducing demand on existing officer resources.

“The results of this partnership demonstrate exactly what the levy is designed to do: reinvest in the services and infrastructure that keep our city welcoming, vibrant, and successful.

“We will now see the levy’s first investments making a visible difference on the ground, and there’s much, much more to come in the years to come.

“From investing more in our public spaces, parks, and greenspaces to restoring cultural heritage like the Royal High School and Leith Theatre, our visitor levy projects stand to benefit everyone.”

Chief Superintendent David Robertson, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh, said: “Edinburgh’s city-centre is a unique and vibrant destination for residents, businesses and visitors, and it is absolutely vital that we have appropriate resources in place to ensure it remains a safe place to live, work, and visit.

“Our partners at the City of Edinburgh Council recognised the importance of having a dedicated policing team to serve the specific needs of the city-centre and the Visitor Levy revenue was identified as an ideal opportunity to achieve this.

 “Almost 50 officers will now support policing operations and activity within the city-centre, and I am delighted that our council partners have shared our vision of how the CCPU can provide immense benefits to the city.

“With the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe only a few short weeks away, and the festive celebrations emerging on the horizon, the CCPU will have to hit the ground running. However, I am confident that the team will quickly demonstrate their value to not only the city-centre, but to the Division as a whole.”