Qatari Police Band visits Edinburgh’s restored Palm Houses
The Qatari Police Band, currently performing at this year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, stepped into one of the capital’s most remarkable landmarks as they visited the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s newly restored Palm Houses, offering a rare glimpse inside the spectacular space before it officially reopens to the public on the 2nd of October.
The band’s captivating presence created a striking visual within the towering heritage structure, described as the world’s tallest traditional stone-built Palm House, as two distinct worlds came together beneath its newly renovated glass roof.
The Qatari Police Band are among more than 800 performers taking part in this year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, bringing together musicians and performers from across the world for A Call To Gather.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo runs until 29 August on Edinburgh Castle’s Esplanade.
Part runs and new shows kicking off at Assembly Festival
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has been in town for over two weeks now but there’s still plenty of new acts kicking off the latter half!
Assembly Festival today showcase their line-up of part-run gems, with everything from club bangers to experimental circus and hilarious Aussie comedy – the circus is well and truly still in town.
‘Yes Person’ from experimental circus company based on kimberley take on radical yes-saying, killing your darlings and allowing discarded ideas to flourish on stage. Premiering in Helsinki, and following a successful run across Sweden, Denmark, Spain and beyond, the Berlin-based company will debut ‘Yes Person’ at Edinburgh Fringe at Assembly Roxy from 25-31 Aug. A circus show that celebrates ideas too peculiar to live…but too fabulous to die.
Elsewhere in the programme, absurd comedy and the rise of right-wing populism takes centre stage in ‘The Terribly Credible Definitely Edible Tale of the Town of Cropshire’, at Assembly Roxy. A farcical town of welly-wearing farmers and perpetually confused politicians deal with a nationwide ban on vegetables in this Shedload of Future Fund winning show.
Aussie Comic, and host of Australian Bake-Off, Claire Hooper is doing what it takes to become fun in ‘Claire Hooper: Fun Show xx’. A rollercoaster of jokes from an adult who hates rollercoasters, the host of Claire Hooper’s House of Games does her best to become fun again, with the show running from 20-30 Aug at Assembly Roxy.
Other comics with short runs at this year’s festival include star of Taskmaster NZ ‘Guy Williams: Rich people are stealing from you and blaming brown people and trans people and some people believe them aaahhhhhh!’and award-winning dancer and comedian Sam Burkett’s improv and experimental dance show ‘GOSS’.
Brian Bilston: How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside sees one of the UK’S most beloved poets take audiences through the hows, whys and whats of enjoying poetry every day.
‘Hot Dub Time Machine Presents House Party’ takes over Assembly Hall for ten days of bangers from 1970-2026, and Australia’s best tribute act dazzle audiences with the ultimate 70s party in ‘70s Jukebox by The 60 Four’.
Hailing from Austin, Texas, the internationally acclaimed ‘Movin’ Melvin Brown: Hit The Road Jack! The Music and Story of Ray Charles’ is an unforgettable journey through rhythm, blues and soul.
There’s the BAFTA award winning Kimberley Nixon’s new play about motherhood, postpartum psychosis and stand up in ‘Baby Brain’, immersive Afrofuturism in in ‘Arcana’ from writer-composer Fay Guiffo, and a celebration of Ireland’s national sports in ‘Ham Sandwiches and Discipline’.
Ariana and The Rose debut ‘The Breakup Variety Hour’ with soaring synth-pop anthems and razor-sharp wit, Primal Scream blends opera and psychodrama, and ‘Divas: From Stage to Screen’ sing everything from Carole King to Cher, Sabrina Carpenter to Shirley Bassey.
The full Assembly Festival programme continues to receive rave reviews across the board. Alaa Shehada’s ‘The Bridge’, which won a Fringe First last week, will return for a special run of extra shows in Assembly George Square Studios from 28-30 Aug.
‘Scaramouche Jones’, Justin Butcher’s timely tragic clown, continues to dazzle audiences at Assembly St Andrew Square, and the lives and legacies of beloved rock musicians are celebrated in ‘27 Club’.
Tickets for the full Assembly Festival programme are now available at:
You may have made it to the final week of the Fringe, but the curtains haven’t come down just yet. Here at theSpaceUK, we’ve got a whole host of shows about to begin their Fringe runs.
So, as the festival enters its final week, it’s time for Act 3:
Part rock concert, part coming-of-age drama, this gripping new musical follows young musicians haunted by their past. With a bold, genre-blending score, this electrifying show explores ambition, identity and the struggle to move forward.
The Tears of Nerakhis (theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 24-29 August) Written, composed and staged from scratch: this original epic fantasy musical brings a modern myth to life, telling the extraordinary love story between a human girl and the daughter of the God of the Night.
Swing Gum (theSpace @ Niddry St, 24-29 August) A true story of love separated by war and reunited 75 years later. Swing Gum blends tap, swing, Lindy hop and archival broadcasts into a toe-tapping, heart-stopping musical. Experience the UK premiere of this unforgettable wartime love story.
Nuns of Fury! (theSpace on the Mile, 24-29 August) The nuns are back in town! The Nuns of Fury must battle both vice and virtue in this rock-gospel extravaganza. A comedy for fans of sisterhood and having faith in yourself!
Music
To Be Arranged… (theSpace on the Mile, 24-29 August) University of Exeter’s Illuminations A Cappella presents ‘To Be Arranged…’. Their Fringe show is about to begin, but they are yet to decide on a theme. Come and listen to see if they figure it out!
Sixty-five years after Judy Garland’s iconic concert, two NYC drag artists resurrect her performance via messy, virtuosic experiment. Through impressions, lip sync, monologue and rainbow cake, this show interrogates societal expectations around fatness.
Comedy
Got Mushroom For Sketch Comedy? (theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 24-29 August) Got Mushroom for Sketch Comedy? The students of Exeter Comedy Society are back with their latest sketch show!
Outlaugh: Edinburgh (theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 24-29 August) A comedy and social strategy competition show using the rules of the reality show Survivor. Twelve comedians compete in comedic challenges for immunity, while the losers have to vote each other out at tribal council.
Silly Goose! (theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 24-29 August) We’re on the hunt for the Silliest Goose in town! Join us and three comics as we discuss your silliest stories, whether it’s saucy scandals, funny first dates or office outrages.
A baptism in the blood of life. Salty stains of prayer and memory. You are complicit in a sensory-led, psyche-bending world where all the angels on Earth have fallen because their mother couldn’t fall with them.
Winner of Creative Corner Festival 2026! If you can read this, you’re ahead of Hannah! With a mix of humour and heart, this autobiographical play sheds light on the misunderstood world of dyslexia.
Join Liz, on her last morning at Number 10, in an exploration, comic and tragic, of the tensions in politics: between ambition and ability, vision and reality, going short and playing it long.
Fisch and Neck are two lost souls picking for what’s left in the Trashcan of Spirit. Dregs is a dark, absurdist comedy exploring the ugly underbelly of capitalism and greed through a series of hilarious clownish hijinks.
SQUAT! (theSpace on the Mile, 24-29 August) Join the Squat as they stumble through loss with too much alcohol, too many bad decisions, and absolutely no filter. SQUAT! is a dark comedy about masculine vulnerability, friendship and the f*cking weird ways men say “I love you”!
Is This Your First Crime? (theSpace on the Mile, 24-29 August) A new comedy set within a police interrogation, showcasing the corruption and ineptitude of the force. When Tim’s brought in for questioning nothing can prepare him for what the desperate detectives have in store!
Come As You Are (theSpace Triplex, 24-29 August) Katherine turns 45 today! A warm, joyful celebratory dinner with all the family awaits her – until an uninvited guest sours the festivities.
It Couldn’t Get Worse; or, The Margarita Boat Tour Incident (theSpace @ Venue 45, 24-29 August) Locked in a lighthouse, Claire and Judy form a reluctant alliance to save Maggie, Judy’s daughter and Claire’s fiancée. It couldn’t get worse. Probably.
What’s Rotting in the Office Fridge? (theSpace on the Mile, 24-29 August) A seemingly regular office prepares for a retirement party, but something’s amiss. As characters unravel, they find themselves trapped by capitalism, the stages of grief and their own ambition.
I Killed My Father (theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 24-29 August) This darkly comedic excavation dissects a lineage of absentee fathers, explores what we inherit, and reveals the high cost of a graceful exit. A bitingly funny autopsy on masculinity.
Can You Teach Me How To Breathe? (theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 24-29 August) Four people wake up on a sinking submarine with no idea what’s going on. There’s nothing to do but wait. And the empty feelings they’ve long ignored creep in.
Fringe magician Elliot Bibby took to the streets of Edinburgh on Thursday in a bespoke Walker’s Shortbread ‘Magic Taxi’ to surprise festival-goers with free rides, close-up magic, and buttery shortbread.
Serving as an on-the-move venue with a difference, the tartan-clad cab – which features brand ambassador Sir Andy Murray – transported busy Fringe-goers across the city between venues while keeping them entertained and fuelled with shortbread.
The Skinny / Fest magazine team commented: “We wanted to call this the Fuck the Government Award but then we thought the award name should probably come from a more positive place, so we’re putting it in the copy instead. It’s been ten years since essay anthology The Good Immigrant was released and in those intervening ten years, everything has gotten a lot worse.
“We are giving this award in recognition of the seminal work The Good Immigrant has done in reframing conversations around immigration in this country, and to recognise how much work we all still have to do in the next ten years, and the next and the next. Congratulations to the team behind The Good Immigrant, winners of The Truth to Power Award! Here to collect the award is Nikesh Shukla, who edited the anthology.”
The Skinny / Fest magazine team commented: “Here at The Skinny, we love a puppet. And so when it came to awarding a show for its puppetry credentials, which obviously we had to do, Dracula: Lucy’s Dream was an easy call.
Plexus Polaire have created a production which showcases the magical possibilities of physical theatre: the ways in which materiality and liveness can be central to the emotional and narrative qualities of a piece.
From our review: “Dracula: Lucy’s Dream is both a visual and literary tour-de-force, using astonishing puppetry to frame Lucy’s descent into vampirism as an act of violation and psychological devastation.” Congratulations to Dracula Lucy’s Dream, winners of The No Strings Attached Award!”
The Skinny / Fest magazine team commented: “There are some comedians you come across who you feel were simply born to do it, and Tia Rey is the perfect example. First trying stand-up in 2024, as well as hosting Too Queer, a comedy night in Glasgow, she is one of the most exciting emerging Scottish talents to burst on to the scene.
Her debut hour ‘Oot Ma Banger’ takes us with her on a wild psychedelic journey which she experienced in her twenties, told with the skill and tenacity of a performer who would appear to have been on the circuit for years – decades, even. We’re so excited to see where Tia Rey will go next and how she will develop.
And of course, to see her back at the Fringe next year with a brand new hour! Congratulations to Tia Rey, winner of The Debut Award.”
The Skinny / Fest magazine team commented: “Theodore Schafer’s dizzyingly experimental sophomore feature, The Arrow at Rest at Every Instant of its Flight, recalibrates the very notion of what a film can be.
This black-and-white portmanteau triptych acts like a love letter to New York, unfolding as three surreal stories centred on love, money and faith that feel closer to poetry than any straightforward narrative.
Schaefer’s filmmaking style is as unpredictable as the plot, and the resulting work is one of the most confident, original and exciting American indies we’ve seen in quite some time. The Arrow at Rest at Every Instant of its Flight had its world premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival. Congratulations to the team behind The Arrow at Rest at Every Instant of its Flight, winners of The Visionary Award. Here to collect the award on their behalf is Lynda Myles.”
The Skinny / Fest magazine team commented: “Part of the Sao Paolo showcase at this year’s festival, Border Bodies is unlike anything we’ve seen before – a frenetic celebration of plurality and collectivity told through meticulous choreography and seven dancers’ bodies. In a time of increasing political and geographical division, it speaks to what is possible when we transcend the borders between us. Congratulations to Border Bodies, the winners of the Outwith Award.”
The Skinny / Fest magazine team commented: “It’s getting to that part of the Fringe where tiredness is setting in and it takes the rumblings of something special to tempt many a punter to stay out past 11pm.
Well, Basil Crumbwick – AKA Sam Eley and his giant papier mâché head – is that something special. Boiling over with “impotent rage”, as Fest’s reviewer put it, Basil Crumbwick is an act worth sacrificing many a good night’s sleep for. Congratulations to Sam Eley, winner of The Night Owl Award.”
The Skinny / Fest magazine team commented: “not for glory meets at the crossroads between dance, theatre, gig and comedy, as well as therapy for those who have survived the youth competition culture of the traditional arts world. In it, dancers Jack Anderson and Charlotte Mclean and piper Malin Lewis bind together their pasts in order to examine the interaction between passion, reward, and memory.
The show has a genuinely unique point of view – Fest reviewer Eilidh Akilade singled it out for its “thoughtful dissection of heritage and all its complexities” and “empowered disregard of tradition for tradition’s sake”.
We also loved it for its humour, for the weird and obscure elements of the scene that the trio so generously bring to life for us – after all, bearing witness to these absurd joys is normally the privilege of an exclusive club, one whose membership is earned through years of toil and despair. Congratulations to the team behind not for glory, winners of the Collaboration Award.”
Reflecting the broad and diverse coverage both magazines produce every summer and celebrating the breadth of Edinburgh’s Festivals, The Besties span all the festival activity taking place in the city over the month of August, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Winners of The Besties are chosen each week by the editorial teams of The Skinny and Fest, drawing on their cross-festival expertise to celebrate the best work happening anywhere in the festivals. 2026 winners will be announced at weekly ceremonies taking place at Festival Theatre in Edinburgh on 15, 22 and 29 August.
The Besties awards, designed by artist Camillo Feuchter a graduate of Interior & Environmental Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, use recyclable plastics gathered by the partners and leftover wood sourced locally.
New Zealand Army Band brings the Haka to Jupiter Artland
The New Zealand Army Band swapped Edinburgh Castle Esplanade for the great outdoors as they took to Jupiter Artland’s iconic Cells of Life to perform the Haka as part of their appearance at this year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
The band’s powerful performance provided a striking Kiwi soundtrack to one of Scotland’s most distinctive art installations, as the musicians join more than 800 performers from around the world at the spectacular “A Call To Gather”.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo runs until 29 August at Edinburgh Castle.
The eighth annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit has raised £20,000 for groundbreaking research into new treatments for brain tumours.
Eight acts performed for this year’s benefit: Nish Kumar, Rosie Jones, Rhys James, Larry Dean, Catherine Bohart, Emmanuel Sonubi, Felicity Ward and Justin Moorhouse.
Underbelly announces the 8th Annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit has raised £20,000 for Professor Richard Gilbertson’s lab at The Cancer Research Centre in Cambridge, helping to fund new treatments for the most aggressive forms of brain tumours in children.
This year’s star-studded lineup included performances from Nish Kumar, Rhys James, Rosie Jones, Larry Dean, Catherine Bohart, Emmanuel Sonubi, Felicity Ward and Justin Moorhouse.
Underbelly created the Big Brain Tumour Benefit in 2017 following co-founder Ed Bartlam’s son Alfie being diagnosed with Ependymoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. Alfie passed away two years later, at the age of seven. 100% of the profits from the Big Brain Tumour Benefit will be donated to Professor Richard Gilbertson’s lab to fund brain cancer research.
Ed Bartlam, Underbelly’s co-founder said: I am so grateful to everyone who attended Underbelly’s 8th annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit last night, and to the fantastic line up of comedians who gave their time and talent to make it such a success.
“It’s incredible that as a community we have raised more than £20,000, with all of the funds going to Professor Richard Gilbertson’s lab and directly funding cutting-edge tumour prevention and treatment.
“The Big Brain Tumour Benefit is always such a special night, and together we can continue to raise vital funds that save lives.”
Professor Richard Gilbertson said: “We are truly excited and humbled by the amazing partnership with Underbelly and Angel Child. Everyday, we work to end the devastation caused to children and their families by brain tumours.
“We will accept nothing less than total eradication of these devastating childhood cancers. Thanks to the support we have already received we are about to take a completely new therapy to the clinic.
“We could not have done this without Underbelly and Angel Child. Together with our collaborators, we have developed a number of other, completely new and kinder treatments, taking us even closer the day when no child will suffer or die from a brain tumour.
Brain tumours are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in people under 40. They shorten life expectancy by an average of 27 years, the most of any cancer. Despite this, brain tumour research is underfunded compared to many other cancers.
The principal aim of Professor Richard Gilbertson’s Lab is to improve the accuracy of brain tumour classification and treatment, with a particular focus on children’s brain tumours.
Their research involves conducting genomic analyses of brain tumours to identify cancer-causing abnormalities, and using that knowledge to develop effective new cancer cures through clinical trials of molecular targeted therapies.
Underbelly’s Big Brain Tumour Benefit is a one-night-only show. For more information on the wider programme for the remainder of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, please visit the website here.
Following its Fringe First Award win last week, critically acclaimed one-man show ‘The Bridge’ will extend its Edinburgh Fringe run with a limited series of three additional performances from 28-30 August at 8pm.
Written and performed by Palestinian artist Alaa Shehada, who also secured the prestigious accolade last year for ‘The Horse of Jenin’, and produced by the Palestine Comedy Club, ‘The Bridge’tells the extraordinary story of the only route Palestinians in the West Bank have to the outside world.
It originally opened for a limited run at Assembly Roxy. Following its major award win and strong audience response, the production will now move to Assembly George Square Studios, Studio Two, for three additional performances.
The Fringe First Award recognises outstanding new work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The additional performances give audiences another opportunity to catch one of this year’s award-winning productions before its Fringe run comes to an end.
Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Global Ink 2026
First Minister John Swinney MSP, welcomed some of the world’s leading festival directors and cultural leaders to Bute House last night (17 August) as part of the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Global Ink 2026 programme.
The reception brought together 20 international delegates from 15 countries who travelled to Edinburgh from across Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania for Global Ink, the Book Festival’s flagship forum for festival directors.
Attendees represented organisations including Jaipur Literature Festival, Kerala Literature Festival, Adelaide Writers’ Week, Centre for Ideas at UNSW Sydney, Toronto International Festival of Authors, Auckland Writers Festival, San Miguel Writers’ Conference & Literary Festival,Gothenburg Book Fair, Emirates Literature Foundation and Ubud Writers & Readers Festival among others.
The invitation to Bute House marks the start of a week of networking, industry discussions and public engagement activities embedded within the wider Edinburgh International Book Festival programme, creating opportunities for international delegates to connect with Scottish writers, publishers, cultural organisations and policymakers.
They will be joined by representatives from leading UK festivals and sector bodies including Cheltenham Literature Festival, Cambridge Literary Festival, Bradford Literature Festival, Wigtown Festival, Open Book, Arts Council England, Wales Arts International, Scottish Book Trust, CILIPS, Publishing Scotland, Literature Alliance Scotland and Creative Scotland.
Together, these gatherings position Edinburgh as a unique meeting point for cultural leaders from across Scotland, the UK and around the world, reinforcing the city’s role as an international hub for literary exchange, collaboration and cultural diplomacy.
Jenny Niven, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said:“The relationships built through Global Ink extend far beyond a few days in Edinburgh.
“The conversations and partnerships that begin here have the potential to open doors for Scottish writers and creatives across the world for years to come – supporting cultural exchange and strengthening Scotland’s place within an international community of ideas, literature and creativity.
“We are grateful to the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland for their support through the Festivals EXPO Fund, which has enabled us to expand this work and deepen our international connections.”
Edinburgh’s status as the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature reflects the strength of a creative ecosystem that delivers significant cultural and economic value.
A major 2026 impact study found that literature and publishing contribute £50.9 million annually to Edinburgh’s economy, while literary festivals attract more than 256,000 visitors each year and help sustain the city’s global reputation as a centre for ideas, storytelling and cultural exchange.
The wider Edinburgh Festivals are estimated to generate £852 million in economic impact across Scotland annually, welcoming audiences from more than 100 countries and providing an international platform for Scottish creativity.
Alan Wake, who poignantly tells his personal story of breast cancer in a stand-up comedy show, Manogram – a man with breast cancer, put on an exclusive performance in The Caves, for Edinburgh-based The House of Hope, Scotland’s first bespoke wellbeing centre for people impacted by breast cancer.
Alan’s incredible story is taking the Edinburgh Fringe by storm and explores a man’s experience of mammograms, mastectomies and hormone therapy, in a light hearted one-man show, which celebrates laughter and love through adversity, while raising awareness and funds for breast cancer.
When Alan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2025, his wife had already been treated for the disease twice, and having to tell their two boys of a third breast cancer diagnosis in the family was unthinkable and according to Alan; ‘somewhat ridiculous.’
The special show received a standing ovation from the House of Hope community and supporters in the audience, when Alan asked the question; ‘Has anyone here been impacted by breast cancer?’
Alan said: “I was blown away by the support shown for the show and the audience unexpectedly taking to their feet was incredible. It was really moving and very powerful to see the whole room unite against breast cancer.”
House of Hope Manager, Hazel McLinden said: “Alan’s show adds a lot of love and light to people going through a breast cancer journey, which is so important.
“We are thrilled that Alan selected The House of Hope as a charity partner and all donations will go towards improving and enhancing the wellbeing services for people impacted by breast cancer in Scotland and their families.”
Alan continues: “The impact breast cancer had on my wife Julie was totally devastating. While I have lost a breast and have a scar, most people wouldn’t realise I’ve been through breast cancer and that’s just not the same for women, who often lose a part of their identity through treatment and surgery.
“While breast cancer is no laughing matter, I wanted to raise awareness through humour, because that’s what I know best and my show gives a totally different perspective by exploring the weird and often humorous ways men support each other through banter and comradery.”
Manogram – a man with breast cancer – will continue to raise funds for breast cancer charities throughout its run at the Edinburgh Fringe, with shows running until 30th August.
For more information about Alan’s story and the important wellbeing services provided by the House of Hope visit houseofhope.org.uk.
