Over 65s go FREE at Dynamic Earth this Silver Sunday!
On 4th October, adults over 65 visit free at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh’s only Science Centre & Planetarium.*
Explore immersive galleries, uncover the story of our planet and experience a presenter-led show or spectacular dome film beneath our 360° Planetarium.
Whether you’re discovering the forces that shape Earth or exploring the wonders of space, there’s something for curious minds of every age.
Simply visit our Ticket Desk on the 4th of October to claim the offer in person with our team.
Unique Assemblyhas announced the addition of world-renowned sexy circus cabaret La Clique to this year’s Edinburgh’s Christmas line-up as the city’s festivities cross the bridge into the historic Old Town, marking the first time a Spiegeltent will take residence in Bristo Square.
Providing a glamorous cabaret option for the festive season, La Clique Noël will light up the stage in the Palais du Variété’s new home of Bristo Square, for seven weeks of Sexy, Funny and Dangerous Christmas Kabaret.
Brand new for 2026’s season, La Clique Noël joins a packed line-up for Edinburgh’s Christmas with Santa’s Stories, LNER Big Wheel and the Around the World Starflyer already on sale. The world-famous traditional Christmas markets will once again pop up in Princes Street Gardens in the capital’s New Town from 14 November 2026 – 3 January 2027, hosting beautifully decorated chalets selling gifts, decor and festive food.
Born at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2004, La Clique has gained international acclaim as the original trailblazing Spiegeltent cabaret show performing all over the world from Edinburgh to London, Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore, New York, Paris and more.
The Olivier Award winning show will take over its new home in Bristo Square for six nights a week, with matinees on weekends, kicking off on Friday 20 November at 7.30pm. Plus, a host of more festive announcements to come from Edinburgh’s Christmas.
La Clique Noël will once again host the best of the best boundary pushing performers set to entertain Christmas crowds with dazzling acrobatics, razor-sharp wit, sights and sounds you will never forget in the intimate setting of the Palais du Variété fusing cabaret, circus, and sideshow burlesque for a specially curated festive show.
This year’s cast includes Heather Holliday, renowned sword swallower and firebreather; David Pereira, award-winning ‘shaving cream’ acrobat and sublime aerialist; Mario Queen of the Circus, a showman comic known for his crowd surfing, juggling and much more.
With sold out seasons and critical acclaim from around the world under its belt, La Clique’s Christmas edition is sure to add an extra touch of magic to Edinburgh’s Christmas this year under the warm glow of the Spiegeltent. The perfect festive night-out for party-goers and groups looking for the perfect Christmas Cabaret experience.
La Clique’s David Bates said:“Christmas and Hogmanay feel like the perfect time for La Clique to return to its birthplace in Edinburgh. This very special cast are delighted to be in town for 7 weeks – resident in the perfect environment which itself is the star of the show – the Palais du Variété Spiegeltent in Bristo Square.
” La Clique has played to millions of folk in its 22 years but none more special than the audiences in its Auld home toon! Fresh, New, Cutting Edge – La Clique is a reinvention of itself and this year will be no exception. Strap yourself in, leave your troubles at the door and escape with us!”
Directors of Unique Assembly who create and produce Edinburgh’s Christmas said:“Unique Assembly are delighted to welcome back ‘La Clique’ to Edinburgh for festive fun guaranteed to get you on Santa’s naughty list. “
“La Clique was born in Edinburgh and has grown into an international smash-hit, celebrated around the world as well as the city we pride ourselves on representing.
“Unique Assembly has made Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay some of the most celebrated events in the world, which last year welcoming over 3M visitors to world-class attractions, making both events accessible to local and international audiences.’’
La Clique Noël takes place from Friday 20 November until Sunday 3 January.
Edinburgh’s Christmas celebrations spread across the city for seven weeks of festive fun, with more events still to be announced.
As part of its famous Polar Gallery exhibition, Dynamic Earth has launched a new exhibit in conjunction with Edinburgh start-up Earthwave, who have recently come on board as a Gallery Engagement Partner.
The exhibit, entitled ‘Goodbye Glaciers!?’, gives visitors, for the first time in the UK, real-time information on the sad reality of how quickly many glaciers are disappearing across the world.
The United Nations declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation and marked the 21st March as World Day for Glaciers. ‘Goodbye Glaciers!?’ is part of a global campaign to raise awareness about the critical role of glaciers, snow and ice in the climate system and the economic, social and environmental impacts if they disappear completely.
The ‘Goodbye Glaciers!?’ signpost represents a real glacier and shows the year scientists expect it could mostly disappear if the world continues with its 2026 climate policies.
Earthwave is a key provider of glacial data structures and satellite tracking of glaciers. Their high-resolution satellite observational data and mass balance calculations are required to accurately predict and visualise when these glaciers will disappear.
Dynamic Earth’s ‘Goodbye Glaciers?’ signpost includes a QR code linking to the global Signposts – Goodbye Glaciers!? website, featuring photos and three-dimensional projections that predict the future under 1.5°C and 2.7°C global warming.
“We are very proud to partner with Dynamic Earth. The message is clear, we must remain on target with ambitious emissions reductions if we are going to preserve glacier volume globally,” said Dr Livia Jakob, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Earthwave.
Helen Chomczuk, Marketing and Fundraising Director, added: “Our data mapping shows how global warming affects glaciers and that they will vanish in the coming decades. We’re delighted to be able to showcase this important work to Dynamic Earth visitors.
“The Signposts – Goodbye Glaciers!? exhibit is also produced in partnership with a range of academic institutions, including the University of Innsbruck, further strengthening Dynamic Earth’s close relationship with science and bringing the latest information to Edinburgh.
“Developing partnerships with the scientific community is a vital part of how we keep Dynamic Earth’s finger on the pulse of the latest global developments. As a world-class science centre and planetarium, we are committed to ensuring that everyone leaves us feeling better informed and inspired, and showing how scientists play a crucial role in helping us protect the natural world.
“Our Polar Gallery has always been a focal point at Dynamic Earth, featuring a real, touchable iceberg and an immersive sensory experience of the Earth’s extreme polar regions – and Earthwave’s work is a perfect example of the vital role that scientists play in helping us better understand these environments.
The winners of the Scots Language Awards 2026, organised by Hands Up for Trad, have been revealed at a sold-out ceremony at Dundee’s Discovery Point, following a record public vote.
The awards honour the individuals, organisations and communities who actively use Scots – one of the three indigenous languages of Scotland – in their everyday work and life, helping preserve and promote a core pillar of the nation’s heritage and identity.
The eighth edition, expertly hosted by Scots singer and storyteller Lynne Campbell alongside writer and performer Taylor Dyson, saw a 49-strong shortlist from across the worlds of literature, performing arts, education and business vie for 13 awards.
Ten of these awards were decided by members of the public, drawing an unprecedented 7,000 votes – almost double the number received in 2025 and a testament to the nationwide revival of the Scots tongue.
It was a triumphant afternoon for Edinburgh-based arts organisation and venue Scottish Storytelling Centre who took home the Scots in Business award for their continual programming of and support for the Scots leid.
Other winners from across Scotland included Inverurie’s Lucy Beth for Scots Writer o the Year award, sponsored by National Library of Scotland.
Her recent credits include solo show Ma Name is Isabelle, performed at The Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe, and a spoken-word poem celebrating the 120th anniversary of His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen.
The award for Scots Book o the Year, sponsored by Scottish Book Trust, was presented to Wirds o Banff: A Doric Glossary o the Wild – a year-long collaboration written and illustrated by pupils at Banff Academy in celebration of the natural world around them.
Scots Bairns’ Book o the Year, sponsored by Scottish Government,went to Doric Books’ Awa Doon e Toonwritten by Julia Lynch with illustrations from Caitlin Moffat. The book tells the amusing tale of a young boy whose attempts to head into town on different modes of transport are repeatedly thwarted by the unpredictable Scots weather.
In the performing arts, actress Olivia Caw was named Scots Performer of the Year, sponsored by TRACS, for her role as Bonnie McKay in the hit one-person play Common Tongue, while Scots Stage Production of the Year went to Through the Shortbread Tin by the National Theatre of Scotland, described as a ‘poetic, poignant and playful exploration of the myths we tell each other and the stories we tell ourselves’.
Multi-day residential immersion event, Doric Bootcamp in Portsoy, Aberdeenshire was crowned Scots Community Project o the Year for its achievements in helping people build confidence in speaking, reading and writing in Scots leid.
In secondary education, Antonia Cant from Peterhead Academy was awarded Scots Teacher o The Year, sponsored by Qualifications Scotland, for championing the relevance of the Scots leid in the present day and helping youngsters practice their skills in real-world contexts.
Banff Academy, meanwhile, took home the trophy for Scots Schuil of the Year, having incorporated Scots skills lessons into the curriculum to great effect.
The inaugural Scots Language in the Media award, sponsored by Corrie Campbell Communications, went to Millie Graham whose TikTok account, whatsername1.0, has attracted over 3m followers and rising.
A further highlight of this year’s ceremony, which followed the successful daytime format introduced in 2025, was the unveiling of the judges’ choice awards which saw a trio of Scots ambassadors crowned.
Renowned singer and advocate for traditional music Sheena Wellington received the Janet Paisley Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Creative Scotland, for her significant contribution to the Scots language over the decades.
The judges’ award for Scots Champion, sponsored by the Rubric Foundation, was presented to Dr Clive Young, creator of one of the first websites dedicated to the Scots language and author of Unlocking Scots: The Secret Life of the Scots Language.
In recognition of emerging talent in the language, Young Scots Writer o the Year, sponsored by Education Scotland, was awarded to budding talent Innes Ingram for his impressive tale End o’ the aul ways.
Attendees also welcomed news of an inaugural Scots Language Week, which will be hosted from 6 – 11 September 2027. Modelled on the success of World Gaelic Week, the nationwide language initiative supported by the Rubric Foundation, will celebrate the importance, prevalence and uniqueness of the Scots leid.
Adding to the atmosphere throughout, attendees were treated to live performances by Scots singers Iona Fyfe and Scott Gardinar.
Yvonne Tait and Hugh Macmillan – both recipients of the Wee Grants for Creativity in the Scots Leid initiative, supported by Creative Scotland and Rubric Foundation – also shared rousing recitals from their funded work.
The celebrations continued into the evening with a Blether at Elfie Picket Theatre and ceilidh at the Dundee Fringe.
Simon Thoumire of Scots Language Award organisers Hands Up Trad, said:“The sheer variety o work and activities celebratit at these awards is as inspirin as it is impressive.
“Fae literature and the performin airts, tae education and business, the Scots leid is woven through sae mony pairts o everyday life, which is jist braw tae see.
“Oor congratulations gang tae aw oor worthy nominees and winners, alang wi oor heartfelt gratitude. It’s thanks tae dedication like theirs that oor mither tongue remains truly thriving and relevant in Scotland the day.”
The Scots Language Awards are one of several flagship national events and community outreach activities that Hands Up Trad are involved in to help celebrate, promote and increase the profile of Scottish traditional culture.
Councillors have agreed to proceed with seven additional Visitor Levy-funded projects to protect and enhance heritage and cultural spaces across the city.
Following approval at Thursday’s Full Council meeting, transformative projects involving Leith Customs House, the Tron Kirk and the Portobello Kilns will be funded through the Levy’s Culture, Heritage and Events investment programme.
Meanwhile The Causey, Access to the Lost Shore and Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, City Centre Public Realm (including George Street and Princes Street), and developing a network of nature footpaths and walkways across the city will proceed under the Visitor Levy’s City Operations and Infrastructure programme.
Together, these projects are set to strengthen Edinburgh’s cultural offering, protect and revitalise nationally significant heritage buildings and public spaces, and improve access to natural and historic destinations across the city.
The seven projects were originally proposed at the special Visitor Levy budget meeting of the Council in February, where councillors agreed an overall funding package worth over £90 million over the next three years to sustain and enhance Edinburgh’s reputation as one of the most beautiful and enjoyable destinations in the world.
As with all of the other projects agreed under the Visitor Levy’s investment programmes, the proposals have been developed by Council officers, informed by feedback from public consultation and industry engagement, elected members and other stakeholders.
Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “Our Visitor Levy is already beginning to strengthen the services and spaces that make our city so special and supporting these additional initiatives shows how we can continue to invest in projects that support a safer, more accessible and more welcoming Edinburgh for residents and visitors alike.
“Feedback from our partners and community groups across Edinburgh has played a central part in shaping these new proposals. From restoring the Portobello Kilns to improving public transport access to the Lost Shore and EICA, we’re confident these investments in our culture and heritage will deliver lasting benefits, encouraging visitors to see more of Edinburgh beyond our city centre.
“The projects reflect our ambition that the levy is a city-wide fund and spending decisions must be taken with the whole city in mind. We’re making sure Edinburgh continues to thrive and that the Visitor Levy delivers visible improvements for everyone who lives and works here all year round.”
ADDITIONAL PROJECTS OVERVIEW
Leith Customs House
Funding will support the development phase of restoring Leith Customs House, Scotland’s oldest Custom House and a Category A‑listed building.
The investment will enable essential preparatory work to progress the building’s transformation into an accessible community and creative hub, including delivering a proof‑of‑concept exhibition and an economic impact assessment to support future funding.
Tron Kirk
Investment has been approved towards the major restoration of the Tron Kirk, a landmark 17th‑century building on the Royal Mile that has been on the Buildings at Risk Register since 2023.
The funding will support a coordinated programme delivered by the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, linking the restoration of the Tron Kirk with the redevelopment of Hunter Square.
The combined programme will repair and future‑proof the building, improve accessibility, protect vulnerable historic features and create new opportunities to develop local heritage skills and enhance visitor experiences.
Portobello Kilns
Investment has been approved to rebuild the 1906 Portobello Kiln, one of the last surviving industrial pottery kilns in Scotland and a key feature of the Portobello Conservation Area.
The project will restore the kiln to its original form alongside the previously conserved 1914 kiln, fulfilling the Council’s statutory obligations under scheduled monument consent and preventing further deterioration of this nationally significant heritage asset.
The project will be delivered in partnership with Portobello Heritage Trust and will be developed alongside wider proposed improvements to the Portobello Promenade through the Visitor Levy’s City Transformation Fund investment programme.
Nature Footpaths and Walkways
Funding has been approved to develop and improve nature footpaths and walkways across Edinburgh, encouraging visitors to explore destinations beyond the city centre such as the Pentland Hills, Cramond Foreshore and the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena at Ratho.
The investment will support with developing designs, community engagement and works to create accessible, inclusive routes that enhance biodiversity, improve visitor experiences and deliver benefits for local communities.
The Causey
The Causey will transform West Cross Causeway into a people‑first public square with wider pavements, traffic calming measures and segregated cycling routes. Once complete, it will host performances, markets, art installations and community events.
The first phase will deliver core infrastructure improvements, while the second phase will extend upgrades towards Nicolson Street to improve connections with the wider area and improve public spaces.
Lost Shore & EICA Bus Services
A new six‑month trial bus service is providing direct links between the city centre, Lost Shore, EICA and Ratho. The trial will gather data on who uses the service to inform future decisions on a permanent service.
The amount of Visitor Levy funding supporting the service will be reviewed following the trial stage, reflecting the results of the data showing the proportion of visitors using the service.
City Centre Public Realm (Princes Street / George Street)
Funding will support potential work on major public realm upgrades across Princes Street and George Street to create more accessible, attractive and pedestrian‑friendly streets.
A report on the overall project will be brought to the Transport and Environment Committee outlining the need for public realm investment within the city centre, including both Princes Street and George Street.
These projects sit alongside those previously agreed in February to be delivered over the next three years, including (but not limited to):
Ambitious projects to renew and restore principal areas of Edinburgh, including investments in our town centre high streets and £2m and £2.5m respectively towards transforming the city’s key coastal visitor attractions at Cramond foreshore and Portobello Promenade.
£5m to restore Leith Theatre and create a year round culture and live music space, expanding cultural opportunity beyond the city centre.
£3m towards transforming the iconic Old Royal High School into a world class, accessible national centre for music, shaped by community engagement and open to all.
£2.75m to create a Market Street Arts Hub, reinvigorating the City Art Centre and creating a new arts and learning destination at one of the city’s major visitor gateways.
£3.85m to speed up the setted streets renewal programme and £3m for new and upgraded public toilets to maintain Edinburgh’s streets, public spaces and public infrastructure to a world-class standard.
Funding to ensure the city’s streets and open spaces are cleaned and kept to a high standard, including a £100,000 per year upgrade and replacement programme for bins in high footfall areas, £500,000 per annum to expand work to tackle graffiti through extra support for private businesses and £1.3m on additional operations services for the city centre (waste, cleansing, patrols).
Investing in our premier parks across the city to create improved spaces where the highest footfall and impact on the environment is experienced – and increases to the parks repairs budgets, while doubling the number of park rangers across the city.
Programmes to green the city with additional investment in planting, such as floral gateways, to improve the look and feel of the city’s green spaces as well as the overall visitor experience
In accordance with the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act (2024), funds raised by the levy must be reinvested in local facilities and services substantially used by business and leisure visitors. All investment streams will be formally reviewed alongside the overall scheme in 2029.
Gifted: New Acquisitions at the City Art Centre presents a selection of historical and contemporary Scottish artworks recently received as donations and bequests.
The City of Edinburgh’s Fine Art collection charts the history of the visual arts in Scotland from the 17th century to the present day.
Containing more than 5,000 individual artworks, the collection continues to grow every year, with new acquisitions filling historical gaps and introducing contemporary talents. Many of these artworks are generously donated by artists, cultural organisations and members of the public.
Gifted reveals over 50 recent gifts and bequests, ranging from 19th century oil paintings to modern-day artists’ prints. The exhibition explores the stories behind each acquisition, celebrating donors and their important role in developing the Fine Art collection.
Over 40 different artists feature in the new exhibition, including: Victoria Crowe, Agnes Miller Parker, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, John Bellany, Jessie M. King, Robert Blomfield, David Cass, Gareth Fisher, Tess Glen, Bet Low, Will Maclean, Caroline McNairn, Robin Philipson and Willie Rodger.
Among the highlights are Jessie M. King’s exquisite Art Nouveau drawing Fraunchyse (c.1907), Robin Philipson’s colourful still life Poppies on a Gold Ground (1984), and a group of miniature scenes painted on found objects by contemporary artist David Cass.
Cllr Margaret Graham, Culture and Communities Convener, said:Edinburgh’s art collection tells a remarkable story of Scotland’s creative talent, made possible in large part through the generosity of those who have gifted works to the city.
“From drawing and painting to photography and sculpture, the collection reflects the richness and diversity of Scottish art.
“This exhibition gives residents and visitors the chance to experience works by artists such as Victoria Crowe up close, and to enjoy them completely free of charge.”
Curator Dr Helen Scott (pictured top) said:“Over the last few years, we’ve been really fortunate to receive so many wonderful artworks as donations and bequests to the Fine Art collection.
“Some pieces have been gifted by artists themselves, while others have been offered by cultural organisations and members of the public. Such generosity allows us to increase the breadth and depth of the collection, sharing artworks in the public domain that might otherwise never be seen.
“Many of these artworks are being displayed here for the first time since their arrival. I’m really looking forward to visitors discovering them, and perhaps even finding a new personal favourite.“
Welcoming guests from over 100 nations, visitors from the US, Hong Kong and Mauritius all flocked the 17th-century site this season.
One of Edinburgh’s leading heritage attractions, The Real Mary King’s Close, has celebrated a record-breaking summer after welcoming 106,477 guests across June, July and August.
Admissions at the historic attraction, located beneath Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, increased by 12% year on year across June and July, with August admissions 6% ahead of the same period in 2025.
The strong performance comes during another busy summer for Edinburgh, as visitors from around the world travelled to the capital during its tourism peak.
The Real Mary King’s Close recorded visitors from more than 100 countries and territories this summer, underlining both Edinburgh’s continued international appeal and growing interest in the city’s hidden history.
The United States was the attraction’s largest identifiable overseas market, with 6,357 visitors, followed by Canada with 1,304 and Germany with 1,037. Strong numbers were also recorded from France, Spain, Australia, the Netherlands and Italy.
Guests travelled from across Europe, North and South America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania, including visitors from locations as far afield as Afghanistan, French Polynesia, Samoa, Mauritius and the Cayman Islands.
Paul Nixon, General Manager at The Real Mary King’s Close, said:“Welcoming more than 106,000 guests and achieving a record-breaking summer is a fantastic result for The Real Mary King’s Close and our dedicated team.
“This performance comes against the backdrop of an increasingly competitive tourism market, with visitors understandably more conscious of how and where they spend their money. Our team has worked incredibly hard to achieve these results and ensure that every guest enjoys an experience which offers both quality and value.
“It has been another incredibly busy summer for Edinburgh, and it is encouraging to see visitor numbers continuing to grow. Welcoming guests from more than 100 countries and territories demonstrates the enduring international appeal of the Capital and the appetite for authentic heritage experiences that bring its history to life.
“We are proud to play our part in Edinburgh’s world-class tourism offering and look forward to building on this momentum throughout the remainder of the year.”
For more information about The Real Mary King’s Close and bookings, please visit:
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is offering free entry for Edinburgh children throughout September, helping local families enjoy a day out in the capital for less.
The offer is available as part of Forever Edinburgh’s Resident Rewards programme, which gives EH postcode holders access to exclusive offers across the city.
From Sunday to Friday, EH postcode holders can receive one free child ticket with each full-paying adult ticket booked online using the code EHREWARD26.
Edinburgh residents visiting without children can also benefit from its ongoing 20% off off-peak tickets from Sunday to Friday. The discount is available online using the code RESIDENTRATE20.
The offers follow Camera Obscura’s participation in the Government’s Great British Summer Savings Initiative, which saw the attraction pass on the full VAT reduction across advance and walk-up tickets during the peak summer season.
Located at the top of the Royal Mile, Camera Obscura features more than 100 interactive exhibits across five floors, from optical illusions and mind-bending installations to panoramic views of Edinburgh from its rooftop.
The attraction also welcomes families of all needs. Visitors with sensory needs can borrow Sensory Backpacks containing ear defenders, sunglasses, a torch, an activity sheet and sensory toys. A sensory map of the building is also available to help families plan their visit.
Andrew Johnson, General Manager of Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, said:“September is a brilliant time for Edinburgh residents to rediscover what is on their doorstep, once the busiest weeks of the summer have passed.
“We know the cost of a family day out can quickly add up, so we hope our child-goes-free offer will make it easier for local families to visit. We also wanted to ensure residents visiting without children could benefit, with 20% off off-peak tickets available throughout the month.”
Council Leader Jane Meagher said:“Our Resident Rewards programme, delivered by Forever Edinburgh, is all about giving the people who live in Edinburgh more opportunities to discover, enjoy and experience their own city for less.
“Camera Obscura is one of the capital’s most loved attractions, and I hope that residents will be able to make the most of this offer.”
Both offers are available to EH postcode holders from Sunday to Friday throughout September and must be booked online. Only one discount can be used per booking.
A major new global poll unveiled at the 2026 Edinburgh International Festival found that 68% of people worldwide say culture gives them hope.
The International Festival tackled barriers that keep audiences from world-class live performance: over 50,000 tickets were priced at £30 or under; a record 3,000 free tickets were given to Scotland’s young musicians; over 8,000 half-price and free tickets for Deaf, disabled & neurodivergent audiences; and more than double the number of £10 tickets were available across every performance.
A deep connection was forged between audiences and world-leading thinkers, artists and cultural voices: 86% of audiences rated their experience 4 or 5 stars.
The 2026 Edinburgh International Festival has concluded, with the last of 146 performances across music, dance, opera and theatre in a 24-day celebration of the performing arts.
This year’s programme, All Rise, put America in the spotlight, featuring the largest representation of American artists in the Festival’s history. With over 2,000 artists from 46 countries, hand-picked for their cultural resonance, the 2026 Festival was defined by extraordinary artists and thinkers who presented a range of contemporary perspectives, and a vision for the future.
In its inaugural Global Ideas Stage event, the International Festival unveiled a major new poll conducted on culture and hope, the largest of its kind ever undertaken on this subject. Focaldata surveyed 35,000 people across 34 countries and found that 68% say culture gives them hope, with a single cultural moment, whether a live performance, a book, a film or a piece of theatre, helping them feel more hopeful about an uncertain future.
This year’s programme brought together some of the world’s leading thinkers, artists and cultural voices, including: Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, filmmaker Ken Burns, Pulitzer-Award nominee Zora Howard, trumpeter and educator Wynton Marsalis, Oscar-nominee Wagner Moura, lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson and journalist Amy Goodman.
The Festival also presented a landmark exhibition The Legacy of Slavery, which gave a comprehensive history of the legacy of racial injustice, from Scotland to America. This Festival commission drew more than 7,500 people during its three-week run at the Playfair Library, in its first ever international outing outside of The Legacy Museum site in Montgomery, Alabama.
Launch of the 2026 Edinburgh International Festivall
Nicola Benedetti, Festival Director,Edinburgh International Festivalsaid: “These new findings confirm what I have always known, culture gives us hope. This Festival, and the audiences who have been changed by what they saw on our stages, are proof of that.
“This year’s Festival theme, All Rise, was a rallying cry for collaboration and resilience, based on our firm belief that through artistic endeavour we can learn to see one another more truthfully, and more tolerantly.
“The 2,000 artists that joined us in Edinburgh answered our invitation with courage and generosity, grappling with urgent and profound issues – everything from AI and fake news to the opioid crisis and police brutality – holding up a mirror as well as showing us a way forwards.
“We asked audiences to take a leap with us, embracing risks with an exceptional number of bold new commissions by the International Festival. They responded with curiosity and bravery. This is what it looks like when culture gives us hope.”
This year, the International Festival asked for a deeper connection between audiences and artists. Across all artforms, opera, music, theatre and dance, 86% of audiences surveyed rated their performance experience 4 or 5 stars.
The new ‘Lights Down, Phones Off’ initiative encouraged audiences to switch off distractions during all performances: resulting in a significant reduction in phone-related disturbances.
The Festival also rolled out its broad range of industry-leading concessions and initiatives, to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to cultural discovery. More than 50,000 tickets across the programme were priced at £30 or under, and a record 4,894 £10 tickets were offered across every single performance, a more than 50% increase on last year. Over a third of these were bought by audiences who had never attended the Festival before.
Alongside this, over 8,000 tickets were issued to Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent audience members and their companions, a number of tickets that has grown consistently over the past three years.
A record 3,000 Young Musician Pass tickets were issued this year, giving Scottish young musicians free access to the International Festival and creating pathways into transformative cultural experiences.
Young Musician Pass holders were also given opportunities to meet and ask questions of artists including members of the BerlinerPhilharmoniker, Colin Currie, Nicola Benedetti and some of the Festival’s Rising Stars.
The Festival’s Discover series also brought over 2,000 opportunities for Edinburgh secondary school pupils to encounter opera, dance, music and theatre at performances and in their own schools, many for the first time.
Taking the Festival experience out of the concert halls, weekly NHS Festival Sessions brought artists into healthcare settings for pop-up performances for staff, patients and visitors. Families also enjoyed Art of Listening workshops introducing them to live classical performance, which took place in Space @ The Broomhouse Hub for the first time.
Francesca Hegyi, Chief Executive, Edinburgh International Festivalsaid: “This year we have seen the unique role Festival plays in bringing together significant thinkers, political leaders, and some of the best artists in the world to Edinburgh.
“The International Festival hosted artists from 46 countries, taking to stages alongside over 700 artists from across Scotland. We welcomed 23 international delegations and served as a launchpad for the Creative Trade Forum, a new initiative to promote trade and investment for the UK’s creative sector.
“What sets the International Festival apart is the global role it plays, while rooted resolutely in Scotland – more than half of our tickets go to Edinburgh residents.
“We provide a global stage, a meeting place for cultures and ideas, where audiences gather every year.”
Australian comedian Frankie McNair has won the 2026 Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, for Huge Ass Mindset, a stand-up comedy show about her experiences of complex PTSD resulting from childhood sexual abuse.
Huge Ass Mindset is the first comedy show to win the Mental Health Foundation’s annual Edinburgh award, which has been running since 2017. It is one of six shows to be shortlisted for this year’s award.
The Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award was established in order to highlight and support the most compelling new work about mental health at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The award is currently sponsored by the Cornwell Charitable Trust and offers a cash prize of £3000 plus additional support tailored to each winning artist.
Andrew Eaton-Lewis, arts programme officer at the Mental Health Foundation, said: “Over the past decade the Fringe has increasingly become a place where solo performers draw on extremely personal, sometimes traumatic real life experiences when creating their shows.
“It is a very difficult thing to do well, and safely, and is certainly not for everyone. But Frankie is a performer who has brought an exceptional level of skill and care to the task, having spent many years in therapy preparing herself to tell this story.
“The result is a show that dares to challenge the shame around childhood sexual abuse in a way that is brave, powerful and also funny in a way that few people would imagine is possible when talking about this subject.”
During her show, Frankie McNair takes care to reassure the audience that she has processed her traumatic childhood experiences through years of therapy, encourages them to leave the room if they need to, and provides resources after the show in case anyone is triggered by the material.
Huge Ass Mindset was one of six shows that were shortlisted for this year’s award. The others are:
Bog Witch (Traverse Theatre):
In a fraught summer of heatwaves and flash floods, climate anxiety is everywhere, but remarkably few shows are directly confronting the question of how it’s possible to stay happy and sane when the world seems to be falling apart around you.
One notable exception is Bryony Kimmings’ spectacular and very funny new show, which tells the story of a lonely first year living in a tumbledown cottage in the English countryside, as Bryony attempts to “plug back into nature” while feeling like she’s failing at every turn.
Parasocial Activity (Pleasance):
This new show from Gallus and Silly Mission Productions begins as an extended comic skit about writer-performer Briony Martha’s character, Jenny, meeting her idol, Hollywood actor James McAvoy, in a Glasgow coffee shop, before evolving into something much darker.
It’s an exploration of the recent phenomenon of ‘AI psychosis’, in which people struggling with isolation develop strong emotional attachments to AI chatbots which can become harmful, and, in this case, dangerous.
Giraffe (Pleasance): Abigail Weinstock’s semi-autobiographical show tells the story of Eliana, who grows up believing she is a sociopath, only to discover – with help from a therapist, a court order and an unexpected relationship with a child who seems to be going through something similar – that she should have been diagnosed with something quite different.
Giraffe compellingly illustrates the long-term mental health impact of growing up believing there is something “wrong” with you.
The End Of The World (Gilded Balloon): In Destiny Faith Nelson’s solo show, she plays Desiree, a young, lonely wannabe writer who decides to livestream her own suicide after becoming overwhelmed by the world and her own perceived failures, before realising, too late, that the man she shares a home with but barely knows has been invisibly going through his own mental health crisis.
The End of The World is a deeply affecting story of how social media can isolate vulnerable people from the world around them.
Water Colour (Traverse Theatre): Milly Sweeney’s debut play is the story of two lost souls in Glasgow, a kitchen porter and an art student, who both end up on the brink of suicide for different reasons but ultimately find solace in each other’s survival.
It’s a moving exploration of the complex factors that can push young people to the brink.
The shortlist for the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award is selected in consultation with The Scotsman newspaper’s team of experienced critics as well as arts and mental health professionals.
Each year’s winner is announced at the Scotsman Fringe First Awards, the biggest theatre awards ceremony at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Since 2023 the award has been sponsored by the Cornwell Charitable Trust and dedicated to the memory of arts journalist Tim Cornwell, who died in 2022.
Tim worked for many years as the Scotsman’s arts correspondent and was part of the judging panel for the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award, a subject close to his heart as someone living with Bipolar disorder. Tim died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism in June 2022.
Thanks to the Cornwell Charitable Trust, our winner will again be offered a £3000 prize plus a flexible package of support tailored to the needs of the show and its future development, which may include mentoring support and mental health training, support with funding applications and/or a contribution to production costs.
The Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award is part of the Foundation’s year-round arts programme, which also includes the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, one of the world’s biggest mental health themed arts festivals, which celebrates its 20th year in 2026.
The Mental Health Foundation also recently launched Performing Anxiety, a resource for people who want to make audience-facing creative work about mental health. The resource includes interviews with numerous artists who have made Edinburgh Fringe shows about mental health, including Bryony Kimmings, Caroline Horton, Selina Thompson and Amy Conway.
