Category: city centre

Huge queues as Popeyes® opens on Princes Street 

Customers queued for over 12 hours on Princes Street to be first to try the famous Chicken Sandwich yesterday

The much-hyped arrival of Popeyes® UK in Edinburgh yesterday had fans queuing down Princes Street from 10.30pm on Thursday night, eager to be the first to try the world-famous Chicken Sandwich. 

Opening its doors at 11am, Popeyes® UK celebrated its Edinburgh debut in true Mardi Gras style. Its signature New Orleans hospitality arrived on Princes St, with confetti cannons and live band The Brass Funkeys entertaining customers. Making launch day memorable, fans also had the chance to snap a photo in the new Popeyes® bite booth, capturing all of Edinburgh’s first bite moments.  

Over 100 chicken fans lined up from 10.30pm to get a taste of the world-famous Popeyes® Chicken Sandwich.  

First in the queue was Jonathan McCaleb who said: “I’m a huge Popeyes® fan, it’s my top-tier fried chicken restaurant!

“Since moving here from America in September, I haven’t had a Popeyes® and I’ve been craving it – especially after seeing the team out and about on campus at the University of Edinburgh yesterday.

“I’ve been waiting over 12 hours to be first in line, and I can’t wait to finally get a taste of that southern goodness again!”

Tom Crowley, Popeyes® UK Chief Executive Officer, commented: “The turnout in Edinburgh today has been incredible.

“People across Scotland have shown their love for our Louisiana chicken, and Edinburgh has now proved just as popular. We look forward to bringing a taste of New Orleans to even more customers across the city.” 

Now officially open, the Edinburgh Princes Street location serves the full Popeyes menu.

The line-up includes fan favourites like the iconic Popeyes® Chicken Sandwich, Wings and Tenders. Each piece of Popeyes® famous chicken is marinated for 12 hours in bold Louisiana seasoning, then hand-breaded and battered for that world-famous ‘shatter crunch,’ and complemented by delicious sides like its Original Biscuits and Cajun Gravy.

Plus, the all-new Saucin’ range is dripping with bold flavour featuring three New Orleans-inspired sauces: cheesy Garlic Parm, smokin’ Bold BBQ and spicy Buffalo. 

From today, Saturday 15 March, Popeyes® will also be serving up its breakfast menu from 8am to 11am each day. The menu features the Big Cajun Roll, Cajun Hash Browns, and indulgent Nutella-topped buttermilk biscuits – a classic British breakfast with a New Orleans twist.

Popeyes® is located at 131-133 Princes Street, Edinburgh and open from 8am until 10pm. The new 86-seat restaurant includes touch screen self-service kiosks and collection points for orders made online via the Popeyes® UK website or official app. 

Edinburgh Princes Street is Popeyes® seventh restaurant in Scotland, as part of its ambitious plans to open more than 45 restaurants across the UK in 2025.

To find out more about Popeyes® Edinburgh, visit the website here or follow the brand on Instagram at @PopeyesUK or TikTok at @popeyesuk 

Climate protesters target Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association conference in Edinburgh

Campaigners from Extinction Rebellion Scotland, Divest Lothian, Friends of the Earth Scotland and Protest in Harmony demonstrated outside the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association Investment conference in Edinburgh this morning.

The protest included a performance calling on delegates to acknowledge they are currently hugely underestimating climate risk and to take bold action to address this.

This annual Pension Investment conference brings over 800 delegates to Edinburgh from across the UK pension investment industry; an industry which invests more that £1.3 trillion on behalf of 30 million people.

Attracting the attention of delegates with singing and a ‘Big Oil Funk’ dance, campaigners portrayed a pension fund leader with his head in the sand being persuaded by actuaries and climate scientists to look up and “Face the Climate Risks”.

They warn of the “catastrophic” risks to communities and the economy which are being ignored by pension funds due to the flawed climate risk assessments supplied by their advisers, according to ‘Planetary Solvency – finding our balance with nature’, a report published in January 2025 by The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, in conjunction with climate scientists at the University of Exeter.

The report explains how climate change and nature-driven risks have been hugely underestimated through flawed economic modelling and risk assessment processes. It sets out that we are on a trajectory to catastrophic warming levels of > 2°C by 2050, leading to a possible 50% contraction of the global economy within the lifetimes of current pension savers.

Alexander Forbes, 35, Lifeguard and XR Edinburgh & Lothians, said: “The warning from the actuaries, the risk experts, couldn’t be more stark. Risk management by pension funds is currently blind to systemic climate, nature, societal and economic risks.

“The lack of urgency within governments to make the sweeping policy changes necessary – and within the pension industry to demand that they do – can be directly attributed to the flawed economic modelling and risk assessment processes widely considered authoritative, that underestimate the risk.

“We urgently need the people managing our pension savings to boldly face these risks, be honest about the risks with pension savers and demand the government take immediate policy action to accelerate the energy transition and reduce emissions.”

The actuaries’ report comes at a time when UK pension funds are investing an estimated £88 billion in fossil fuel companies which, buoyed by support from the new US administration, are intent on increasing oil and gas production and worsening the climate crisis, as evidenced by BP’s ‘reset’ announced in February.

Joan Forehand, 60, retired accountant and Divest Lothian, said: “Pension fund managers have their heads in the sand when it comes to climate risk. They need to look at the evidence in front of them, which risk experts have hammered home. A robust approach to climate risk assessment would clearly show that investing in the fossil fuel industry is not in the interests of its members.

“Divestment by pension funds would be both economically wise, and would send a strong signal to governments that policies and subsidies favouring the fossil fuel industry must be rapidly removed.”

Meanwhile climate records continue to be broken and extreme weather is devastating millions of lives around the world.

Last year, 2024, was the hottest on record, and the first year with an average temperature exceeding 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level. January 2025 was the warmest January on record, surprising scientists who had expected it to be cooler due to transition from El Niño to La Niña conditions.

Sally Clark, divestment campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:
“Pension funds are in charge of our savings, they are responsible for our futures – but if they keep investing in fossil fuels, we won’t have a liveable planet or positive future to retire into.

“The money moved away from fossil fuels could instead be invested in ways that support local communities and protect the planet for everyone, like renewable energy, warm homes and social housing.”

The campaigners demand that pension fund leaders face the climate risks and urgently:

  • conduct robust climate risk assessments
  • divest from fossil fuel companies, and;
  • advocate with governments for policy changes to accelerate the transition.

PICTURES: Siobhian Chalmers

Centenary of extraordinary Scottish artist Ian Hamilton Finlay celebrated in a new exhibition at Modern Two

Ian Hamilton Finlay  

National Galleries Scotland: Modern Two   

8 March – 26 May 2025  

Admission free   

Ian Hamilton Finlay | National Galleries of Scotland  

The centenary of the remarkable Scottish artist Ian Hamilton Finlay (1925-2006) will be marked in a new free display of his work on the ground floor of Modern Two in Edinburgh from 8 March to 26 May 2025.  

This exhibition will showcase key highlights from Ian Hamilton Finlay’s artistic career, starting in the early 1960s until his death in 2006. Hailed as a unique combination of poet, sculptor, printmaker, gardener and provocateur, Finlay’s practice covered a wide range of media which will be reflected in this display of sculptures and prints as well as never-before-seen archival materials and a room-sized installation, all from Scotland’s national collection.  

From the Classical world to the French Revolution, the Enlightenment to World War Two, Finlay, a self-proclaimed ‘anti-modernist’, often looked to history for inspiration. Recurring motifs including boats, tanks, wallflowers and ships can be spotted throughout the range of artwork that will be on display. Although simple by design, they often draw on more complex references to history, literature and art – with subtle humorous nods.   

Born in the Bahamas in 1925 to Scottish parents, Finlay moved to Scotland in his early childhood, taking up a brief stint at Glasgow School of Art and eventually settling in Edinburgh in the late 1950s. His love of the written word influenced the start of his career as a playwright and poet. He became a key figure in the concrete poetry movement – a type of visual poetry where words are arranged to create patterns and images on the page.  

Visitors will see early examples of Finlay’s concrete poetry, including the screenprint Star/Steer (1966), which tells the visual tale of a ship navigating stormy seas under the silvery light of the stars, presented through cascading words.

The artist’s first steps into the world of sculpture will also be explored through his days as a hobbyist toy-maker in 1960s Edinburgh. The exhibition will feature the wooden Toy Cow (1962-63), one of the earliest examples of Finlay’s sculptural work, alongside photographs of the artist amongst his toy creations.  

A visionary artist, Finlay harnessed the power of collaboration throughout much of his work, drawing on the expertise of fellow makers and creators to bring his artistic visions to life.  From stone-carvers to typographers, ceramicists to calligraphers, he employed a wide range of specialist technicians to realise his work.   

In 1966, Finlay and his wife Sue moved into a semi-derelict farmland called Stonypath, south-west of Edinburgh, sheltered within the Pentland Hills. Here, he would go on to create what is often considered his greatest work: an ambitious, expansive garden filled with sculptures.

Renamed ‘Little Sparta’, in reference to the Spartan wars in Ancient Greece, and a humorous nod to his own personal battles with organisations such as the Scottish Arts Council, Finlay grew his creative practice in its grounds over the course of 40 years.

Rarely leaving its confines for decades due to agoraphobia (a fear of open, crowded spaces), Finlay created over 260 sculptures and artworks at Little Sparta, distributed across its four acres of curated gardens. The site remains an integral part of Finlay’s artistic legacy and is open to the public to enjoy each summer.  

Visitors to the exhibition can take a glimpse into the lush grounds of Little Sparta for themselves through Finlay’s installation Nature over again after Poussin (1979). Filling a whole room, the work comprises 11 photographs set on plinths, each offering different viewpoints of Little Sparta.

A carved stone can be found within each image, ‘signed’ with the initials of artists who embraced a more classical approach to painting landscapes. The work encourages a moment of escapism, embracing time to get lost within the serenity of each photo.    

The exhibition will also take over the Keiller library, where visitors can uncover more about the man behind the artwork through a selection of rare archival materials. Objects including letters, personal photographs and notebooks, many of which have never been on display before, will give a unique insight into Finlay’s inspirations, artwork and life.   

Patrick Elliot, Chief Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Galleries of Scotland said: ‘Ian Hamilton Finlay was a completely unique figure in British art.

“Severe agoraphobia meant that he seldom left his house and garden in the Pentland Hills. Collectors, museum curators and art lovers from all over the world came to see him and his garden over a period of 40 years.

“He was a complete maverick, a wonderful, complicated, fascinating man and artist. Totally uncompromising and at times difficult, he created what is, in many people’s eyes, the greatest artwork created in Scotland in the second half of the twentieth century: his garden at Little Sparta.’  

Ian Hamilton Finlay is free to visit and yours to discover at Modern Two from Saturday 8 March 2025. 

Forever Edinburgh launches Edinburgh’s ultimate menu

Celebrating the city’s cafe culture

Forever Edinburgh is partnering with the city’s independent bakeries and cafes to launch Edinburgh’s ultimate tasting menu. 

Collaborating with eight of the city’s top producers, Forever Edinburgh has created the Ultimate Edinburgh Menu—a unique foodie’s guide offering an alternative take on the traditional tourist map. Available for download via Forever Edinburgh’s website, this exclusive guide is perfect for visitors looking to savour the city’s finest bakes, brews, and bites.  

The menu offers an authentic, insider-led perspective. Each participating business has not only shared its own offerings but has also recommended another must-visit spot in the city. The result is a trail of unmissable cafes, bakeries, and coffee roasters, curated by those who know Edinburgh’s food scene best. 

Celebrating the capital’s blooming cafe culture, the second instalment in the Meet Edinburgh’s Makers series, ‘Bakers and Baristas’, focuses on the city’s talented bakers, baristas, and independent café owners. It will shine a spotlight on the craftspeople and artisans that have helped shape Edinburgh into one of the UK’s top destinations for food and drink experiences. 

Cllr Jane Meagher, leader of the City of Edinburgh Council said: “Edinburgh’s cafe culture is a vibrant part of the city’s charm, from artisan bakeries to speciality coffee houses.

“The Meet Edinburgh’s Makers initiative allows us to champion the talent behind these fantastic businesses and inspire visitors to explore Edinburgh’s thriving cafe scene. The Ultimate Edinburgh Menu is a brilliant resource for anyone looking to discover the city’s best-kept foodie secrets.” 

Featured in the menu are local favourites Dune Bakery, Twelve Triangles, Mimi’s Bakehouse, Patina, The Bearded Baker, Little Fitzroy, The Kilted Doughnut and The Milkman. 

Lewis Gill, owner of Dune Bakery, said: “Meet Edinburgh’s Makers is a fantastic initiative that celebrates the city’s creative spirit and provides a platform for Edinburgh’s unique independent businesses to showcase their craft.

“We’re proud to be involved in the ‘Bakers and Baristas’ campaign and to be able to highlight the incredible work our team and the city’s talented bakers and baristas create every day. 

“It’s wonderful to come together to celebrate the places that make Edinburgh so special and to recognise the passion and craftsmanship behind every bake and brew. We hope this campaign inspires visitors to explore Edinburgh’s food and drink scene, and we’re delighted to be featured alongside such an inspiring group of makers.” 

’Bakers and Baristas’ is part of the Experience the Beauty campaign, an inbound leisure visitor campaign, which aims to build year-round demand for Edinburgh by showcasing the city’s unique, surprising and memorable experiences. 

Cafe culture is a booming sector of Edinburgh’s hospitality industry and ‘Bakers and Baristas’ highlights the city’s diverse and flourishing food scene while supporting local independent businesses.  

To learn more about Meet Edinburgh’s Makers – Bakers & Baristas and download the Ultimate Edinburgh Menu to embark on a delicious journey, visit:

https://edinburgh.org/meet-edinburghs-makers/bakers-and-baristas/

National Galleries of Scotland celebrates International Women’s Day with the purchase of rare artwork by pioneering Glasgow Girl

The Glasgow Girls display

Free to visit

National Galleries Scotland: National

Until 8 June 2025

To mark International Women’s Day (8 March) the National Galleries of Scotland is celebrating the acquisition of a painting by one of Scotland’s most accomplished female artists, Olive Carleton Smyth (1882─1949).

“This vibrant work forms part of National Galleries of Scotland’s mission to represent the extraordinary generation of Scottish women who trained and taught at the Glasgow School of Art in the late 19th and early 20th century. 

Bacchanale is now on show at the National as part of the free display, The Glasgow Girls, (until 8 June 2025) alongside four exquisite drawings by renowned Scottish artists Jessie M King and Annie French.

Smyth’s work is extremely rare, with Bacchanalebeing only the second painting by the artist to enter a UK museum collection. Described by a contemporary as ‘small, fast talking and tweed suited’, she was an important figure in the Glasgow art world for over 35 years. Smyth was a brilliant and versatile artist and an effective and inspiring teacher for many generations.

Bacchanale is an energetic painting, created in the early 1920s, which beautifully depicts a group of musicians and revellers dancing ecstatically through a mountain forest, sweeping up wild animals in their midst.

The rhythmic, frieze-like composition and use of shimmering metallic paint is typical of a 1920s Art Deco design. The stylised poses of the figures are probably inspired by Japanese prints, as are the intricately patterned textiles they are wearing.

The painting is full of wild, exuberant colour and action, but also has incredible minute details – the dancers’ clothes have flamboyant spots and chevron prints and even the gold musical instruments are covered in tiny, engraved patterns.

It is full of symbols associated with Bacchus, God of wine, theatre and festivity, including gold pinecones, flower garlands and the thyrsus, a wand wreathed in ivy. Smyth may have been inspired by her love of the stage, as themes of Classical mythology were popular in theatre and dance in the early 20th century.

For over ten years the National Galleries of Scotland has been proactive in acquiring more works by women artists for Scotland’s national collection, which spans roughly from 1300 to the present day.

More needed to be done to represent works by female artists in the collection, and to reflect the important role of women artists in the history of art.

The representation of more works by Scottish women artists has been integral to the creation of the Scottish galleries at the National, with Bacchanale the latest to go on display.

Works by female artists pre-1945 are considerably rarer due to the nature of art training and the constraints put on women wishing to pursue art as a profession until well into the 20th century. However, the National Galleries of Scotland is determined to celebrate pioneering female Scottish artists such as Olive Carleton Smyth.

Born in Glasgow, Smyth studied at the Glasgow School of Art from 1899. Joining the staff in 1903, she taught a wide variety of decorative and fine arts courses, including metalwork, woodblock printing, poster design, sgraffito (a ‘scratching’ technique widely used in decorative arts), gessos (a plaster-based substance used for decorative modelling and as a base for painting), manuscript illumination and miniature painting.

Smyth left the Glasgow School of Art in 1915, concentrating on creating work for exhibition and teaching at Westbourne School for Girls in Glasgow. She returned to the Glasgow School of Art as Head of School of Design (Pictorial and Commercial Art) in 1933, teaching stage design and the history of costume.

Smyth’s earliest exhibited works were miniature portraits, soon followed by watercolours and line drawings on vellum. These were described by a critic as ‘about as splendid as Beardsley could have done’.

Her drawings appeared in The Studio, a prestigious fine and decorative arts magazine,and she exhibited regularly at the Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts for over 40 years from 1904. She showed her work internationally at the Paris Salon in 1913 and in Lyon, Munich and Cork.

In 1912 Smyth’s drawing Peer Gynt was purchased by the National Gallery of Canada from an exhibition in Toronto. Her work often combined a strong sense of colour with incredibly precise and tiny detail.

She drew inspiration from a rich range of sources, from Celtic literature and folklore to Shakespeare, Ibsen, Art Nouveau, Leon Bakst’s designs for the Russian Ballet and contemporary theatre design.

Bacchanale was likely exhibited in Glasgow in 1922 and in 1929 was presented to the Paisley Art Institute. The Paisley Art Institute was founded as an artists’ collective in 1876 for the ‘encouragement of Art Studies and the promotion of a taste for Art’ and the Institute continues to champion and nurture contemporary Scottish artists work to this day.

In 2024, the Institute made the decision to sell selected works from their collection, to raise funds to safeguard the remainder of its collection and to create new awards for artists.

Charlotte Topsfield, Senior Curator of British Drawings and Prints at National Galleries of Scotland, said: ‘We are so excited to have acquired this remarkable work by Olive Carleton Smyth.

“A dynamic artist, who worked across so many different media, Olive is an outstanding representative of the extraordinary generation of women who trained and taught at the Glasgow School of Art around 1900.

“Full of colour, energy and amazing detail, Bacchanale is an intriguing and spectacular painting and we hope our visitors love it as much as we do!’

The acquisition was made possible by funds from the Cowan Smith Bequest, the Iain Paul Fund and the Treaty of Union Bequest.

New exhibition celebrating kinship care opens at Museum of Edinburgh

Council’s Kinship Care Team launches inspiring photography exhibition

Kinship Captured: Kinship Carer Journeys in Photographs, a powerful visual exploration of kinship stories and experiences in Edinburgh, has opened at the Museum of Edinburgh.

This unique exhibition is the result of the Kinship Captured Project, which uses photography to delve into the journeys of kinship carers and the meaning of ‘wellbeing’ within this context.

The exhibition features a selection of photo journals created by five Kinship Carers who have been actively involved in the project. Through the lens of their cameras, these carers have shared their personal experiences, providing a deeper understanding of the challenges, rewards, and the powerful connections formed through kinship care.

Culture and Communities Convener, Val Walker said: “The photographs on display offer a visual narrative of the kinship care experience, focusing on the joy, love, and resilience that often goes unspoken. Through their work, these carers are helping to shine a light on the vital role they play in the lives of the children they care for.

“We are proud to support this project, which highlights the important work that Kinship Carers do every day. The exhibition provides an opportunity for the community to engage with and understand the journey of kinship carers, and we hope it will inspire others to consider the profound impact of kinship care on both carers and the children they support.”

In addition to showcasing their photographs, the exhibition includes a short film that captures the essence of the project and the lasting impact it has had on participants.

The Kinship Captured exhibition will run in conjunction with Kinship Care Week, from 17-21 March 2025, a week dedicated to celebrating the vital role that Kinship Carers play in supporting children and young people.

The exhibition highlights the importance of kinship care, not only for the children in need of support but also for the carers who provide it, emphasizing the collective power of community and shared experiences.

Education, Children and Families Convener, Joan Griffiths said: “This new exhibition offers a fantastic insight into the unique and rewarding, but often challenging, role of kinship carers.

“Stepping into this role can often be unexpected and these carers play a vital part in a child’s life, creating stability and helping them to maintain important family and community links.

“We offer a range of support mechanisms for those in this role, including help to navigate the formal aspects of looking after a child, access to local support groups, services and training as well as everyday help to explore any difficulties or concerns.”

The Kinship Captured exhibition will be open to the public at Museum of Edinburgh from Thursday 6 March until Sunday 6 April. Admission is free.

Quotes from participants:

This was a stimulating and therapeutic project which came along at just the right time for me.

I found that using the camera and especially making the album was a wonderfully creative way to show some of the journey I have been on so far and I loved making it.

Although it was sad and painful at times exploring all that has happened since I began my kinship journey, being involved in this project has ultimately been life affirming and enriching.

I loved meeting everyone, and hearing everyone’s stories has been a privilege. Thank you to you for facilitating it all so gently and supportively.

Panda & Sons and Grey Goose team up to launch Edinburgh’s hottest new cocktail trend

MEET 2025’S HOTTEST LITTLE TREND: THE GREY GOOSE® TINY ‘TINI

In 2025, small is the new big, with tiny drinks and shareable plates stealing hearts and dominating menus – the iconic vodka martini cocktail is joining the trend.

Set to lead a ‘Martineissance’ in 2025 – the GREY GOOSE® Vodka Tiny ‘Tini is predicted to open the doors of the martini cocktail to a brand-new era of cocktail lovers.

 In case you hadn’t heard, the vodka martini cocktail is making a stylish comeback, blending timeless elegance with new bartender creativity to suit every taste. But for some, the classic martini cocktail can feel like a bit ‘too intimidating’.  

Introducing the new GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini. Partnering with renowned cocktail bars across London, Manchester and Edinburgh, the iconic vodka brand has worked with bars to introduce a flight of miniature GREY GOOSE vodka martini cocktails – perfectly chilled, perfectly sized, and perfect for social occasions.  

Tapping into the increasing trends of moderation, flavour exploration and accessible luxury, the GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini makes vodka martini cocktails more approachable, proving that great things really do come in small packages. 

The ‘small and mini’ trend is showing no signs of slowing down for 2025 either – with more and more people developing a fascination for craftsmanship, where intricate, miniature designs are admired for their artistry, attention to detail – and flavour. 

Lexa Ulijaszek, UK Ambassador for GREY GOOSE commented: “When it comes to the vodka martini cocktail, size does matter for some. Sometimes a full-sized martini cocktail can be a little bit too intimidating.

“Or over the course of great conversation between friends, the final sip of your drink may not be as superbly chilled or balanced in taste as the beginning. As a result, the offer of a ‘sip sized cocktail’ is gaining traction across many of the UK’s most influential bars.”  

“A sip size GREY GOOSETiny ‘Tini is the perfect solution – beautifully crafted, expertly chilled, elegantly served- with rich taste. A flight of three petite drinks allows you to responsibly enjoy the perfection of the ‘first sip’ of a martini cocktail while also experiencing a range of unique flavours. 

“The trend is very much a UK-wide affair, with some of the best bars across Manchester, Edinburgh and London all serving the GREY GOOSETiny ‘Tini – ushering in a brand new and bold ‘sip sized’ era for the vodka martini cocktail.” 

Set to lead a ‘Martineissance’ in 2025 – the GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini is predicted to open the doors of the martini cocktail to a whole new generation of cocktail lovers.  

Flights of GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini’s range £12 to £25 and will be available across London (A Bar with Shapes for a Name, and Lobby bar at The London EDITION), Manchester (Blinker) and Edinburgh (Panda & Sons) for a limited time. 



Where to sip a GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini:

(Subject to availability. We suggest reservations where possible to avoid disappointment. All pricing set by the venues and subject to change).

Panda & Sons, Edinburgh

79 Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 4NF 

£18 

Reserve online at: Panda & Sons

Available March 1, through April 30.

A Bar with Shapes for a Name, London

232 Kingsland Rd, Whitmore Estate, London E2 8AX 

£21 

Reserve online at: home | club bauhaus

Available March 1, through April 30.

The Lobby Bar at The London EDITION  

10 Berners St, London W1T 3NP 

£25 

Reserve online at: The London EDITION Lobby Bar | Soho London Bar & Cocktail Bar

Available March 3, through April 30.

Blinker, Manchester

64-72 Spring Gardens, Manchester M2 2BQ 

£12 for flight of 3, or £4.50 for a single miniature cocktail 

Reserve online at: Blinker

Available March 1, through April 30

Young People: Time to Talk

Granton Youth have partnered up with The Junction – Young People, Health and Wellbeing, 6VT Edinburgh City Youth Cafe, Canongate Youth & Wester Hailes Youth Agency to be apart of a project called ‘Time to Talk’ – to try and support more young people across Edinburgh.

If you are aged 12 – 25 and are looking for support then get in touch with ourselves or find the contact information for your area in the poster attached.

#grantonyouth

#gy

#timetotalk

Scottish Opera’s first ever animated opera JOSEFINE comes to Edinburgh

Scottish Opera’s award-winning animated short film Josefine will screen at The Scotsman Picturehouse in Edinburgh on 25 March, with showings at 4.30pm and 6.30pm.

The 14-minute film, Scottish Opera’s first venture into animation, brings Franz Kafka’s last short story ‘Josefine the Singer’ to life through a unique blend of operatic performance and contemporary animation.

Set in a striking desert landscape, the story follows a mysterious creature whose ethereal voice captures an audience of sprites, exploring themes of artistry, crisis and hope.

After watching the film (produced in partnership with Maestro Broadcasting), audiences will hear director Antonia Bain, Scottish Opera’s resident filmmaker, composer Samuel Bordoli, andconductor Susannah Wapshott, in conversation with The Scotsman’s classical music critic, Ken Walton, about how the animation came together.

Josefine’s soundtrack features 2022/23 Emerging Artist soprano Zoe Drummond, a chorus, and The Orchestra of Scottish Opera. It was animated by a team headed by Sophie Bird.

At last year’sMessina Film Festival – Cinema & Opera, Josefine was chosen from 1400 entries to receive the Emi Mammoliti Award for best short film. This award adds to the growing list of laurels for Josefine which was named Best Animation at this year’s Cannes Arts Film Fest, Mannheim Arts and Film Festival Winner for Best Family and Children Friendly, and received an Honourable Mention in Animation. It has been screened at festivals all over the world, including Vienna’s Rathausplatz and the Venice Biennale.

Alex Reedijk, Scottish Opera General Director said: ‘We’re delighted to present Josefine, Scottish Opera’s first ever opera animation, at The Scotsman Picturehouse, in partnership with The Scotsman.

“This film represents our commitment to pushing creative boundaries and finding new ways to present opera, and it will be wonderful to see it in this special Edinburgh venue.

“There’s also the added bonus of listening to Ken Walton, with his wealth of classical music knowledge, speak to the creative team behind this animation. We look forward to welcoming you to this unique event.’

Director Antonia Bain said: ‘Josefine was born as a response to arts place in a time of crisis. It’s also a story about parenthood, a child discovering their talent, nurturing creativity, how to search for hope within when there seems to be only darkness outside, and most importantly the beauty of the voice and the overwhelming power of music to nourish the human soul.

‘Loosely inspired by Franz Kafka’s last short story ‘Josefine the Singer’, which looks at the relationship a singer has with her impoverished audience who find solace in her singing but have no time for her creative demands, was first introduced to me by my friend and collaborator, the composer and librettist Samuel Bordoli.

‘Creating Josefine has been a dream come true for our whole team and we all fell in love with this beautiful little character. It has been amazing to see her sing in cinema’s across the world, from New York to Venice, to a packed audience on an outdoor screen in Vienna and then winning the best short film award at the Messina Opera and Cinema festival in Sicily. 

‘I’m absolutely thrilled then, that Josefine is coming home to Scotland and I can’t wait to watch the film together with all of the creative team, my friends and family and Scottish audiences for the first time.’

Josefine is also showing at Northampton Film Festival on 8 March, and at Glasgow Short Film Festival on 21 March, so this is another brilliant opportunity to see the UK’s first newly commissioned opera made specifically for animation, on the big screen.

Tickets for Josefine at The Scotsman Picturehouse are available from:

 www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/josefine/

Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh celebrates International Women’s Month

Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh Celebrates ‘International Women’s Month’ With Global Superstar Shakira Featuring FEARLESS Retail Collection, Limited-Time Menu of Her Favorite Dishes and 4 Women-Led Performances

In celebration of Hard Rock International’s annual “International Women’s Month” in March and International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 8, Hard Rock and global superstar & humanitarian, Shakira, announce a year-long partnership that aims to empower women around the world to tell their stories, be their authentic selves and unite through the power of music.

The company, including Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh, will raise funds through its charitable arm, Heals Foundation®, throughout International Women’s Month.

“I’m excited to partner with Hard Rock, an organization with an incredible history of uplifting women through the power of music, to empower my sisters this International Women’s Day and beyond,” said Shakira.

“Together we can use our voices to break barriers and make the world a more inclusive space where every woman feels confident being themselves.”

Hard Rock and Shakira collaborated on menu items including food, a delicious “Hips Don’t Lie” cocktail and unique clothing designed to celebrate women.

Hard Rock will also host 1,000 women-led performances in March, including 4 performances at Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh from Bethany Nicholson on 7th March, Rue Cooper on 14th March, Jasmin Jet – previous winner of ‘Scottish Young Musicians Best Vocalist’ 2022’- on 21st March and Megan Toni performing on 28th March.

Fans can book their table now at https://cafe.hardrock.com/edinburgh/ 

“From concerts to her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran album release party and being part of the Unity™ by Hard Rock loyalty program commercial, Hard Rock and Shakira’s shared values of honoring women through music has connected us over the course of her groundbreaking career,” said Elena Alvarez, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand Partnerships at Seminole Gaming and Hard Rock International.

“This year, we encourage women to raise their voices, share their stories and lift each other up.”

Shakira Limited Time Menu

Shakira has collaborated with Hard Rock to serve her favorite dishes at Edinburgh and on menus worldwide for a limited time. The menu includes:

  • Hips Don’t Lie Margarita: A fruity silver tequila-based cocktail with elderflower liqueur, muddled strawberries and cucumbers.
  • Chicken Fattoush Salad: Grilled chicken breast with fattoush vegetables, mixed greens, flatbread croutons and a unique blend of Caesar dressing and red wine vinaigrette, paying homage to Shakira’s Lebanese heritage.
  • Colombian Smash Burger: A smash burger with American cheese, shaved lettuce, tomato, Legendary Sauce and potato crisps.
  • Dulce De Leche Hot Fudge Brownie: A rich chocolate brownie topped with thick and creamy caramel sauce.

Rock Shop® Merch

Hard Rock’s official International Women’s Month t-shirt, hoodie and pin are now available for purchase at our Rock Shop® and online at shop.hardrock.com.

A portion of proceeds from all efforts will benefit Pies Descalzos Foundation—Shakira’s non-profit organization enhancing the education and social development of girls in Colombia’s most vulnerable communities.

In addition, the Hard Rock Heals Foundation is proud to donate $250,000 to Pies Descalzos Foundation in addition to guest contributions to this program.

“We are grateful to Hard Rock for its generous donation, which will support our mission of providing access to education for Colombia’s young girls, giving them a brighter future,” said Patricia Sierra, Executive Director at Pies Descalzos Foundation.

For all Hard Rock’s International Women’s Month activations, visit:

www.hardrock.com/women.

Book your table at Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh today at:

https://cafe.hardrock.com/edinburgh/