Three people have been charged following a day of action in Edinburgh city centre to address retail crime.
On Wednesday, 18 June, local policing officers joined colleagues from the Retail Crime Taskforce to undertake high-visibility patrols and visit retail premises to deter offences such as shoplifting and identify those involved in criminal activity affecting the area’s shops and businesses.
As a result, 13 stop and searches were conducted and three people are now subject to reports to the Procurator Fiscal.
A 49-year-old man was found in possession of drugs, which have been sent for analysis.
A 40-year-old male was stopped following a shoplifting and was arrested and charged with conditions not to enter the city centre. Stolen property worth £400 was recovered at this time.
A 24-year-old female was also charged with theft following the recovery of £50 worth of stolen goods.
Over 30 premises were visited, and extensive intelligence was also gathered for further inquiry throughout the day of action.
Inspector Gordon Duff said: “Our day of action was supported by key partners at Retailers Against Crime, Essential Edinburgh, BTP, Lothian Busses and the retailers operating within the city centre.
“We want activity like this to send a very clear message that retail crime is being treated as a priority and extensive time and resource is being dedicated to reducing offences and bring those responsible to justice.
“I’m grateful to all of the officers and partners that provided vital assistance, and the public can rest assured further activity will take place as we actively target all of those involved in the various forms of retail crime affecting Edinburgh’s businesses.”
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh 28 June–30 November 2025
Tickets for Monkeys: Our Primate Family are available to book at nms.ac.uk/Monkeys
The biggest exhibition of primate behaviour ever staged returns to the National Museum of Scotland this weekend. From huge gorillas to tiny mouse lemurs, Monkeys: Our Primate Family (28 Jun – 30 Nov 2025) explores the remarkable lives of our closest relatives.
Ahead of the opening on Saturday 28 June, experts at the National Museum of Scotland have been adding the finishing touches to more than 60 spectacular monkey, ape, lemur and loris specimens featured in the exhibition.
Monkeys: Our Primate Family is the first exhibition of its kind, capturing primates acting as they would in the wild. Taxidermy specimens created for the exhibition reveal behaviours rarely seen by humans and demonstrate how primate species have adapted to survive.
Atmospheric lighting and naturalistic displays create a tropical forest experience to explore while encountering some of the rarest and most endangered primate species on earth. Visitors to the exhibition will also learn about ongoing conservation efforts to protect these extraordinary animals and their fragile habitats.
The exhibition first opened at the National Museum of Scotland in 2016 before embarking on an international tour. It returns to Edinburgh for a final time having been seen by over 500,000 visitors in six countries around the world.
Professor Andrew Kitchener, Principal Curator of Vertebrate Biology at National Museums Scotland, said: ““We are all primates, but how much do we really know about our extended family?
“Following a successful global tour, this is the last chance to experience this remarkable exhibition. Monkeys: Our Primate Family provides a unique opportunity to see these fascinating animals up close. Visitors will also learn about the threats facing primates and what we can do to protect them.”
Visitors to Monkeys will discover how primates have evolved and adapted, their unique methods of locomotion, and the tools they have developed to obtain food.
A gibbon swings through the trees while a chimpanzee fishes for termites. The exhibition also reveals the fascinating ways they communicate and their complex social systems. A tarsier is shown using ultrasonic communication and a vervet monkey reveals how its different calls warn about each different predator.
The final section of the exhibition looks at conservation as well as some of the threats humans pose to primates today, including the climate emergency, conflict, and the bush meat trade. It includes endangered primates, such as the Sumatran orangutan and the black-and-white ruffed lemur.
Thanks to the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery, children can visit Monkeys: Our Primate Family (28 Jun – 30 Nov 2025) for free.
For the first time, the National Museum of Scotland is also offering those on Universal Credit and other named UK benefits discounted exhibition entry.
The exhibition is supported by a programme of public events.
Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Titian will be among 45 Italian Renaissance drawings going on display in Scotland for the first time this October, as part of an exhibition featuring more than 80 drawings by 57 artists – the most wide-ranging show of its kind in Scotland in over half a century.
Following a successful run in London, Drawing the Italian Renaissance will open at The King’s Gallery at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on 17 October 2025. The exhibition will explore how drawing was key to artistic practice in all fields during the Italian Renaissance and will reveal how dynamic the art of drawing became during this revolutionary artistic period.
Lauren Porter, curator of Drawing the Italian Renaissance in Edinburgh, said: ‘The Royal Collection holds one of the finest collections of Italian Renaissance drawings, many of which were acquired during the reign of Charles II.
“The drawings cannot be on permanent display because of their sensitivity to light, so this exhibition offers a rare and exciting opportunity for visitors to see a wide variety of works from this great collection, many of which are on display in Scotland for the first time.
“Drawings were fundamental to the art of the Renaissance, allowing artists to conceive and explore ideas, refine their designs and to experiment. Being able to view these drawings so closely will give visitors a unique insight into the minds of these great Italian Renaissance artists.”
The exhibition will highlight the continued relevance of drawing today as an essential part of many artists’ practice. Two Artists in Residence,both alumni of Edinburgh College of Art and appointed in collaboration with the School, will be drawing in the Gallery on selected days throughout the exhibition’s run.
Visitors to the exhibition will also be encouraged to take inspiration from the works on display and try their hand at drawing with pencils and paper available in the Gallery.
Most drawings from the Italian Renaissance were created as preparation for projects in a variety of media, from paintings and prints to architecture, sculpture, metalwork, tapestry and costume.
They were often discarded after they had served their purpose, and only a small proportion have survived to the present day.As the drawings in the Royal Collection have been carefully preserved for hundreds of years, they can be enjoyed almost as vividly as when they were created.
The oldest drawing in the exhibition, in which an unknown artist depicts a young man sitting and drawing with a sleeping dog by his side, is around 550 years old and will be exhibited in Scotland for the first time.
Also on display for the first time in Scotland will be an elaborately worked drawing in red and black chalk on red prepared paper of the curly-haired head of a young man by Leonardo da Vinci, and Federico Barocci’s drawing of The head of the Virgin in delicately blended colourful chalks.
The idealised features of these two head studies contrast with the distorted and tormented facial expression of the grotesque head drawn by Michelangelo which will be displayed nearby.
Many drawings in the exhibition are religious in their subject matter, including Raphael’sChrist’s Charge to Peter, which is one of his designs for a tapestry to be hung in the Sistine Chapel, and Michelangelo’s The Virgin and Child with the young Baptist, which may have been created as a preparatory study for a sculpture or perhaps as a private act of devotion.
On display for the first time in Scotland, following extensive conservation work before the London exhibition, will be a cartoon for an altarpiece of the Virgin and Child by the late-Renaissance artist Bernardino Campi.
Cartoons, which were large sheets of paper used to transfer a final design onto a painting’s surface, were often executed on poor-quality paper and were never intended to be kept – let alone displayed.
It took almost 120 hours of conservation work by Royal Collection Trust conservators to prepare the work to be exhibited, which involved painstakingly removing the drawing from its deteriorating canvas backing and supporting sections where the paper had become as delicate as lace.
The exhibition includes many preparatory drawings for the applied arts. These drawings would be used by specialist craftsmen to translate the artist’s design into another medium. Included in the exhibition is a colourful design for a painted wooden ceiling incorporating the scene of David slaying Goliath by an unidentified Roman artist, and an extravagant and asymmetrical 1.36-metre-high design for a candelabrum which features a riot of different motifs – presumably acting almost as a menu, from which a patron could select the elements he liked the most.
A section of the exhibition will examine how Italian Renaissance artists observed and explored the natural world, from a study of a branch of a blackberry bush by Leonardo da Vinci, capturing the vigorous nature of the bramble’s growth, to a drawing attributed to the Venetian artist Titian of an ostrich, believed to have been drawn from life, perhaps when the animal arrived after being imported into the port city as an exotic curiosity.
As well as works by the most famous names of the Italian Renaissance, the exhibition will give visitors an insight into the work of lesser-known artists who produced some of the finest drawings of the period.
Many of these works have never been shown in Scotland before and include a striking charcoal portrait of the head of a youth, which has been attributed to Pietro Faccini, and the imposing pen and ink drawing of a seated St Jerome by Bartolomeo Passarotti.
Following a successful launch in 2024, The King’s Gallery will continue to offer £1 tickets to this exhibition for visitors receiving Universal Credit and other named benefits.
Further concessionary rates are available, including discounted tickets for young people, half-price entry for children (with under-fives free), and the option to convert standard tickets bought directly from Royal Collection Trust into a 1-Year Pass for unlimited re-entry for 12 months.
Serving personnel, veterans and their supporters will parade through St Andrew Square in Edinburgh this weekend at a special event being held to celebrate Armed Forces Day.
The celebrations will start from 10am on Saturday, June 28, as the annual procession of around 400 members of the Armed Forces community will assemble in Charlotte Square, led by 10 vintage vehicles from the Scottish Military Vehicle Group.
From there they will follow the route along George Street, reassembling in St Andrew Square where they will be welcomed by Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, followed a day of fun and entertainment until 3pm.
Highlights will include The Highland and Lowland Bands of the Royal Regiment of Scotland; The Royal British Legion Scotland and Association’s Standards and Veterans; live performances from Stuart McLean, Richard Kerr, Niamh Corkey, Fraser Mclean and Maria Townsley. The event will be hosted by BFBS broadcaster Mark McKenzie.
There will also be static displays of vintage military vehicles throughout the day and members of the public will be able to see some of the kit and equipment used by our Armed Forces over the years.
Dr Claire Armstrong, OBE, Chief Executive of Legion Scotland, said: “Armed Forces Day on Saturday follows on from Monday’s event (June 23) when the Armed Forces Day flag was presented to the Depute Lord Provost Lezley Marion Cameron, and raised above Edinburgh’s City Chambers with pride to honour military personnel past, present and future.
“We hope you can come along and help us celebrate the Armed Forces community in our capital city in style, whilst also learning about the valuable work of charities Legion Scotland, Poppyscotland and many more.”
Meanwhile, Poppyscotland, in partnership with Legion Scotland, are calling for volunteers to help man collection stations over the course of the weekend.
Volunteers are required to help at both Waverley and Haymarket train stations during timed slots on either June 28 or June 29.
If you would be interested in volunteering on either Saturday, June 28 or Sunday, June 29, please sign up today:
For the opening weekend of the International Festival, Scottish national treasure Dougie MacLean headlines free event The Big Singalong with iconic song Caledonia, joined by a range of community choirs led by choir director Stephen Deazle
Famed Scottish folk musician Donald Shaw leads The Ceilidh Sessions for an afternoon of music and dance inspired by the Gaelic ceilidh tradition
Festival Director Nicola Benedetti and jazz pianist Joe Webb lead improvisational music sessions alongside up-and-coming young musicians in The Hub
A lineup of world-class musicians at the forefront of their fields are today added to the Edinburgh International Festival programme to lead performances this August that celebrate the joy of music-making.
Highlights include Scottish music icon Dougie MacLean headlining free event The Big Singalong, celebrated folk musician Donald Shaw leading The Ceilidh Sessions with traditional Gaelic music and dance, and Festival Director Nicola Benedetti and jazz pianist Joe Webb leading improvisational sessions featuring emerging young talent.
In a free, outdoor event to mark the start of festival season in Edinburgh, one of Scotland’s most beloved musical figures, Dougie MacLean will lead The Big Singalongon Sunday 3 August.
Set against the stunning backdrop of Princes Street Gardens, the Perthshire-born singer-songwriter and composer behind the iconic anthem Caledonia will start a mass singalong that welcomes all voices, curated by Edinburgh’s Love Music Community Choir Artistic Director, Stephen Deazley.
Choirs include The Phoenix Choir, the Maryhill Integration Project Joyous Choir and the Westerton Male Voice Choir. Tickets are free and available at midday at www.eif.co.uk.
The joy of music making continues the next day with The Ceilidh Sessions, also in Princes Street Gardens. Scottish tradition meets Baroque flair, as Norwegian folk ensemble Barokksolistene join forces with Donald Shaw, known as founding member of Scottish folk legends Capercaillie, accompanied by his ceilidh band.
Alongside beloved ceilidh tunes like the “The Gay Gordons” and “Strip the Willow”, Barokksolistene add Baroque music, sea shanties and alehouse tunes to the mix for a truly international afternoon of music and dance. Both events are presented with support from EventScotland, part of VisitScotland.
Jazz takes the spotlight at The Hub on the Royal Mile, with acclaimed pianist and composer Joe Webb leading the Up Late Jazz Jam on Friday August 15th.
Originally from Wales and now one of the most exciting forces on the UK jazz scene, Webb brings his distinctive energy and improvisational flair, honed through his work with Kansas Smitty’s and as part of the Wynton Marsalis Quartet, with whom he made his Festival debut last year.
The late-night session sees seasoned professionals and fresh talent share the stage for an electrifying night of improvisation and raw creativity in action.
Renowned violinist and Festival Director Nicola Benedetti leads a cohort of the world’s most promising young musicians in Rising Stars: Classical Jam. This spontaneous, informal concert brings emerging and professional musicians together for a dynamic, performance where audiences choose the repertoire. This event is inspired by the behind-the-scenes energy of rehearsal rooms and post-concert jams that classical musicians usually enjoy off stage.
For the third year running, the International Festival’s Rising Stars programme unites up-and-coming young musicians with mentors for professional development and performance opportunities.
This year’s performances include the first cohort of vocalists in Rising Stars of Voice on 19 August, Rising Stars of Woodwind with clarinettist Mark Simpson on 8 August, and a return from the original 2023 cohort of Rising Stars in Benedetti and Sitkovetsky’s Tribute to Menuhin with NFM Leopoldinum on 11 August.
To read more about the Rising Stars selected to perform at this year’s International Festival, see here.
Nicola Benedetti, Festival Director, Edinburgh International Festival said:“At the heart of our Festival is a commitment to connection – providing a closer communion between artist and audience.
“From our mass ceilidh dancing, to singing Dougie MacLean’s iconic anthem ‘Caledonia’ at the top of our lungs in the Princes Street Gardens, to spontaneous jam sessions for jazz lovers and classical enthusiasts alike, these events invite everyone to take part in the magic of live performance.
“We are all about celebrating artistry in its most human, communal form, and I can’t wait for everyone to experience it with us in August.”
Stephen Deazley, Artistic Director of The Big Singalong, said: “Caledonia has become more than just a song—it’s a reflection of Scotland’s spirit. Nearly 50 years on, it still speaks powerfully about what it means to find home, especially for those who are new to Scotland or have journeyed far.
“Singing it together in Princes Street Gardens this August for the International Festival opening weekend isn’t just about music; it’s about connection. It’s a way for people to feel they belong, to share in something bigger.
“When thousands of voices come together, you feel that sense of welcome, of joy, of community—and that’s what Scotland is all about.”
Rob Dickson, Director of Industry and Events at VisitScotland, said: “The Edinburgh International Festival is one of Scotland’s signature events, and we’re proud to support The Big Singalong and The Ceilidh Sessions as part of the festival’s opening weekend.
“These events not only celebrate our rich musical heritage—with icons like Dougie MacLean and Donald Shaw—but also play a vital role in growing the value of Scotland’s visitor economy.”
“Free, inclusive events like these are essential in ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to experience the joy and connection that live events bring.
“Together with our enviable portfolio of cultural and sporting events, the Edinburgh International Festival reinforces Scotland’s global reputation as a world-class destination for tourism and events.”
Tickets to all performances at the 2025 Edinburgh International Festival are available at www.eif.co.uk.
Regeneration specialist Artisan Real Estate has submitted a planning application to the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) to transform a sandstone office building on the edge of Edinburgh’s New Town into a sustainable 102-bedroom city centre hotel.
The current occupiers of Albany House, located at 58 Albany Street on the corner of the capital’s Broughton Street, are relocating to new offices in the city centre later this year. The five-storey building was constructed in the 1980s and was designed to reflect the adjacent Georgian neoclassical town houses along Albany Street.
Artisan have agreed terms with Whitbread to operate the completed hotel under its popular hub by Premier Inn brand. The proposals will retain much of the external structure of the building whilst replacing the top floor facade with a contemporary new cladding and finish to meet current building standards.
Internally, the hotel’s design specification will meet high environmental and sustainability standards, with air-sourced heat pump technology replacing the existing fossil fuel water system.
Artisan Real Estate has an established track record of delivering innovative hotel development in architecturally sensitive city centre locations.
This includes three hotels as part of the award-winning New Waverley development in the heart of the Edinburgh’s Old Town – including partnering with Whitbread to deliver a Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn.
Most recently, the developer has completed the transformation of Glasgow’s historic Clydeside Custom House into a new hotel quarter.
Welcoming the submission of the planning application, Artisan’s Managing Director for Scotland, David Westwater, said: “This design proposal will bring continued interest and investment to a vibrant corner of Edinburgh’s eastern city centre.
“The existing sandstone building is well-suited to hotel development with high levels of natural daylight and an established entrance area.
“We are pleased to be once again working with Whitbread to create a modern and contemporary interior providing the high levels of insulation and energy technology, delivering both a sustainable and attractive addition to Edinburgh’s successful hospitality sector.
“Albany House is the latest in a succession of high-profile planning proposals delivered by Artisan in Edinburgh’s city centre during the last 12 months and reinforces our stated commitment to bring substantial investment coupled with high quality development to the heart of Scotland’s capital.”
Whitbread currently welcomes close to a million visitors to its established network of hotels within the City of Edinburgh Council area. The business calculates its guests staying at these hotels generate more than £32 million in visitor expenditure to the Edinburgh economy every year.
Jill Anderson, Acquisitions Manager for Whitbread, added: “Premier Inn has been part of Edinburgh’s hospitality scene for more than 30 years.
“We’re incredibly proud to have built a network of popular, good-value hotels across the city, and we see great potential for further investment given that budget hotels like Premier Inn account for just 20% of the city’s bedroom stock.
“The hub by Premier Inn brand is designed to appeal to budget, short-stay travellers. It offers all the comfort, consistency, and reliability of Premier Inn, but with a smaller bedroom, and the format allows us to offer great-value rooms in the most connected and interesting city centre locations.
“Albany House is an excellent location for us, and I am very pleased to be working with Artisan to expand our footprint in the city in a sustainable way through the proposed conversion of the 1980s office building.”
Artisan Real Estate was founded in 2009 as an independent, entrepreneurial, values-led property developer and investor operating primarily in key regional city centre locations across the UK – including Scotland and the north of England.
During the last 16 years, Artisan has established itself as one of the UK’s most progressive and respected commercial and residential developers, specialising in transforming complex sites in sensitive urban locations into residential, commercial, leisure and mixed-use quarters.
The Albany House planning proposal follows Artisan’s successful application to transform the city’s historic Caledonian Brewery into a new residential neighbourhood which received planning consent from CEC in May 2025.
The developer is also progressing with the homes-led regeneration of a vacant office block on the city’s Ferry Road, to the north of the city centre.
The school summer holidays are quickly approaching, starting with the term ending on Thursday, 26th June. Kids are ready to start the fun, but that doesn’t mean adults should miss out on a little break, too.
Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh is spicing things up during the week by introducing ‘Own The Week’, with a different deal hitting the menu from Monday through Thursday each week, allowing guests to treat themselves without breaking the bank and turn a weekday night into a weekend vibe.
Mega Monday Margaritas start the week right with jumbo versions of the classic, bursting with flavour – perfect for sharing (or keeping all to yourself). At £13.95 each, they’re the ideal way to toast to summer.
Tako Tiki Tuesdays lets you pair your choice of two tacos and a tiki drink, for the perfect summer match. Choose from either Baja shrimp, chopped cheese, buffalo chicken or al pastor, paired with a cocktail like the ‘Cheeky Tiki’ or ‘Tiki Tiki Boom Boom’ for just £20. As an extra treat, collective tiki glasses can be purchased for £7.50 – it’s tiki time somewhere!
Winning Wednesdays are for the wine lovers. Order a bottle of house wine to receive a complimentary plate of the delicious Tupelo Dippers – crispy hand breaded chicken tenders served with your choice of two dipping sauces.
Throwback Thursdaysare made for dining on old-school throwbacks, prepared the Hard Rock way. Dive into an iconic classic burger, fries, a side of onion rings and refreshing Coke Float for just £19.71.
Poppyscotland, working in partnership with Legion Scotland, are calling for volunteers to help man collection stations on the upcoming Armed Forces Day in Edinburgh.
Taking place on Saturday, June 28, volunteers are needed to help at Waverley or Haymarket train stations during timed slots over the course of that weekend (28th and 29th).
Armed Forces Day is a chance to show your support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving personnel to Service families, veterans and cadets.
There are many ways for people, communities and organisations across the country to show their support, including making a donation to Poppyscotland to allow us to continue the valuable work we do in helping countless men, women and families with issues linked to their time in the Armed Forces or with struggles adjusting from military to civilian life.
We even help with needs that have arisen long after someone has left the Armed Forces. Whenever, wherever support is needed, we are here.
If you would be interested in volunteering on Saturday, June 28 at Haymarket train station then please sign up now at https://www.poppyscotland.org.uk/AFDHaymarket
or
to volunteer on either Saturday, June 28 or Sunday, June 29, at Edinburgh Waverley station, please sign up at www.poppyscotland.org.uk/AFDWaverley.
For more information on Poppyscotland and how we can help, please visit, www.poppyscotland.org.uk
From 27 June, Edinburgh’s landmark cinema Filmhouse will re-open its doors with a hand-picked programme of the very best films the cinema missed out on playing during the venue’s two-and-a-half-year closure.
The programme will have a strong emphasis on films that did not screen in the city because of its absence. Tickets are on sale now via the Filmhouse website.
Filmhouse has long been celebrated as a cultural cornerstone, showcasing world cinema in all its brilliance and diversity, from crowd-pleasing favourites and to avant-garde arthouse works, restored classics, and curated retrospectives.
The first film to welcome audiences back to the venue will be the much-loved film gem and ode to the beauty of the cinemagoing experience, Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso (1988).
On opening weekend, audiences can also enjoy Martyn Robertson’s acclaimed new film Make It To Munich, an inspiring documentary which follows 18-year-old Ethan Walker, who just months after nearly losing his life in an accident, embarks on a 1200km cycle ride to Munich for Scotland’s Euros opening game against Germany.
Ethan himself will attend a special Q&A screening on Filmhouse’s opening day, alongside the film’s director Martyn Robertson and former Motherwell, Chelsea, Everton and Scotland winger Pat Nevin.
Edinburgh based filmmaker Matt Palmer will present a free double-bill of his gutsy thriller Calibre (2018) starring Jack Lowden and Tony Curran alongside his hit horror Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025) which debuted at No.1 on Netflix on its release earlier in the year and will have its first ever public cinema screening at Filmhouse. Matt will also take part in a Q&A after the screening.
Lotte Reiniger’s classic feature length paper cut animation The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)will screen in a special event soundtracked with live music by Edinburgh based musical improvisers and innovators S!nk in a transportive performance filled with swirling, spiralling strings, saxophones, accordion, percussion and voices.
Also screening at the cinema are a selection of recent acclaimed films from around the world from new and established filmmakers including Payal Kapadia’s soulful All We Imagine As Light, Sébastien Marnier’s thrilling Origin of Evil, Christian Petzold’s riveting Afire, Gints Zilbalodis’s enchanting animation Flow, Hlynur Pálmason’s nuanced drama Godland, Alice Rohrwacher’s radically adventurous film La Chimera, Maryam Moghadam & Behtash Sanaeeha’s joyous My Favourite Cake, Mario Martone’s brilliantly shot Nostalgia, Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s tense thriller The Beasts, Ilker Çatak’s uncompromising TheTeachers’ Lounge, Alexandre de La Patellière & Matthieu Delaporte energetic take on Count of Monte Cristo, Manuela Martelli’s compelling noir 1976, Víctor Erice’s mysterious Close Your Eyes, Robert Zemeckis’s Here and Celine Song’s acclaimed Past Lives.
70mm engagements at the cinema will include Brady Corbet’s award-winning The Brutalistand Christopher Nolan’s epic Oppenheimer alongsideRobert Egger’sNosferatuon 35mm.
More upcoming screenings will be announced via Filmhouse socials soon.
Alongside this, the cinema will also screen events such as National Theatre Live for the first time, with more details to be confirmed in the coming months. Details of Filmhouse’s involvement with this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival are yet to be announced .
With, ultimately, a total capacity of 340 seats, Filmhouse is set to once again become a hub for film enthusiasts, offering a cutting-edge cinematic experience, a vibrant social space, and a platform for film lovers and filmmakers to engage with the very best in global cinema.
Previously a three-screen venue, the new Filmhouse will become a four-screen cinema and soon will be unveiling a fourth screen with a capacity of 24, allowing for an even more expansive programme, as well as being available for private screenings and hires.
Filmhouse’s technical capabilities include 70mm, 35mm, 16mm, 8mm, and digital projection. The cinema also includes a Clipster Unit for creating Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) required for festival and theatrical distribution.
Comfort has been prioritised across the new Filmhouse. Film-lovers can expect extra legroom and comfortable seats across the cinema’s screens, alongside a completely reworked foyer space.
Built in a repurposed church on Edinburgh’s Lothian Road, Filmhouse has been a cinematic landmark since 1978. Following a £2 million refurbishment, Scotland’s leading independent cinema Filmhouse returns with new leadership, a vision which builds on the venue’s legacy as a space for learning and discovery, and a commitment to building a sustainable future for this iconic cultural landmark.
The completely refurbished Filmhouse Bar will be able to seat 100 people for lunch and dinner, with drinks available throughout the day, catering for the many communities who enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere, and placing an emphasis on produce from Edinburgh and Scotland, offering great food and drink alongside environmental sustainability. Filmhouse fans will be pleased to know that the cinema’s world-famous nachos are staying put too.
The cinema will announce new membership offers and multiple-tier ticket pricing over the next few weeks.
Following its closure in October 2022, the reopening of Filmhouse marks the culmination of a three-year long campaign to save the historic cinema backed by film lovers in Edinburgh, Scotland, and around the world and by A-list film talent including patrons Jack Lowden and Charlotte Wells, as well as Dougray Scott, Brian Cox, and Emma Thompson.
The stage is set, the screens are ready, and the story of Filmhouse continues.
Rod White, Programming Director of Filmhouse, said: “Looking into the films that simply didn’t make it on to Edinburgh cinema screens at all during Filmhouse’s closure only hammered home the need for it in this great City of Culture.
“It’s been tough – whilst Filmhouse was closed – to watch some brilliant films come and go from cinemas without being able to offer a venue to watch them in. The good news is, Filmhouse has never been a better place to watch a film (and talk about it afterward!) than it is today and we simply cannot wait to welcome everyone back, or, for the first time! ”
Police Scotland have released images of a man they believe may be able to assist officers with an ongoing investigation into an assault in Edinburgh which occurred at around 2.05am on Saturday, 26 April, 2025 on Lothian Road.
The man in the images is described as being of South Asian appearance, slim build, 5ft 6in to 5ft 9in tall and aged late teens to early twenties, with short dark hair. He was wearing a dark hooded jacket, dark bottoms and dark trainers.
Detective Constable Christopher Stewart said: “I would urge this man or anyone who recognises him to please make contact with us.
“I would also ask anyone who witnessed the incident, or anyone with information relating to the incident, to please speak to officers via 101, quoting reference 1272 of 27 April 2025.
“Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
