Edinburgh Festival highlights to include theatre premiere starring Brian Cox
This year's Edinburgh International Festival offers a wide range of performances across multiples genres.
Featuring more than 1,700 artists from 42 countries, including 600 from Scotland, the festival line-up has something for fans of all sectors of the arts.
Highlights include a world premiere of theatre production Make it Happen, based on Scotland's role in the 2008 financial crisis. It stars Brian Cox and Sandy Grierson, and was written by renowned playwright James Graham.
A ballet telling the story of Mary, Queen of Scots will also feature, with choreography by Sophie Laplane which blends classicism with modernity.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, a renowned assortment of singers from around the country, which will perform the festival's opening concert as well as Vaughan Williams's Sea Symphony, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and Mendelssohn's Elijah.
The Big Singalong will take place from the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens, and will be free to attend. It will be led by Stephen Deazley, Edinburgh's Love Music Community Choir director.
Norwegian folk group Barokksolistene will return to the festival to lead The Ceilidh Sessions, an afternoon of music and storytelling inspired by Gaelic ceilidhs.
There are more Polish artists at this year's festival than ever before, including a concert by the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra, and a showcase of artists from the Wroclaw Baroque Ensemble.
Key operatic works include a staged Australian reimagining of Gluck's Orpheus And Eurydice, and the UK premiere of Book Of Mountains And Seas by Chinese composer Huang Ruo.
For the first time, a dementia-friendly concert will feature at the festival.
The performance by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in association with Alzheimer Scotland aims to allow those who have dementia to enjoy a performance in a relaxed and flexible environment.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: 'The Edinburgh International Festival has stood as a global celebration of the performing arts and their power to bridge cultural and national differences since 1947.
'That role is as relevant as ever, so I very much welcome the festival's commitment to affordability and accessibility in this year's programme.
'The international festival is where it all began for Edinburgh's festivals, so whether you are coming from near or far, I encourage everyone to enjoy the best of what Scotland and the world has to offer, across the genres of classical and contemporary music, dance, theatre and visual art.
'The Scottish Government's Expo fund is designed to help showcase Scottish artists and our festivals to the world, and I'm very proud to continue that support with £80,000 for this year's international festival.'
Dana MacLeod, Creative Scotland's executive director of arts, communities and inclusion, said: 'Congratulations to the international festival team for this imaginative programme, which brings important conversations by world-leading artists and extraordinary creative experiences for audiences to the capital city.
'Borne out of a belief in the power of the arts to connect and provide hope in a divided world, the international festival's original ethos remains true today, with international and homegrown talent presenting stimulating work, reflecting and celebrating the world we inhabit.
'A long-time supporter, Creative Scotland is happy to have been able to confirm a funding commitment to the international festival for the next three years.'
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Glasgow Times
14 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Arthouse cinema reopening after campaign pulls it ‘back fae the brink'
The Filmhouse cinema on Lothian Road will reopen on June 27, with a programme of films that were missed since it closed its doors on October 6, 2022. Originally opened in a repurposed church in 1978, the cinema was shuttered following the collapse of its parent charity Centre for the Moving Image. Since then, the building has undergone a £2 million refurbishment that has seen a complete internal refit to the public areas and screens, and 'substantial' repairs to the roof and stonework. Previously a three-screen venue, a new fourth screen is also set to be added in July as part of a second phase of work, bringing the cinema's capacity up to 350 seats. The reopening follows a three-year campaign backed by film lovers from around the world and leading actors including Filmhouse patrons Jack Lowden, Charlotte Wells, Brian Cox and Emma Thompson. Lowden, whose film credits include Dunkirk and The Outrun, said the new reopened cinema will provide a 'lift' to Scotland's film-makers and storytellers. 'Filmhouse is a place utterly dedicated to the promotion and celebration of independent cinema,' he said. 'Films need to be watched, not just made. Now, after months of hard work, the incredible team at Filmhouse have managed to pull one of Scotland's few truly independent cinemas back fae the brink. 'To have such a place on the streets of our capital providing the platform to give our world-class film-makers and storytellers the lift-off they need, and continue to ask the big questions of ourselves through cinema, is exciting and vital.' Brian Cox is one of the A-list stars who backed a three-year campaign calling for the cinema to be reopened (Ben Whitley/PA) Moves to reopen the cinema began when the building's owners, Caledonian Heritable, agreed to lease the building back as a modern cinema space for a minimum period of 25 years, with a new lease being signed in July 2024. Work to refurbish the venue then began in February 2025, supported by funding including £324,000 from the grassroots Open the Doors! crowdfunding campaign, £1.5 million from the UK Government, and donations from other sources. Fundraising is also continuing for some remaining elements of the project. Andrew Simpson, executive director of Filmhouse, said: 'The love for Filmhouse never went away, it was just waiting to be reignited. 'The incredible response to its closure showed us how vital this space is, not just for Edinburgh, but for audiences across Scotland and beyond. 'We are returning with fresh energy, a clear plan for the future and a commitment to delivering world-class film experiences for everyone. 'Filmhouse belongs to its community and we're excited to welcome people back.' The Filmhouse team said 'comfort' was at the heart of the refurbishment, with filmgoers able to expect extra legroom and comfy seats, and a completely reworked foyer space. The Filmhouse bar has also been 'completely refurbished', with dining capacity for 100 people and a food and drink menu focused on sustainable produce from Scotland and England. Margaret Graham, culture and communities convener at Edinburgh City Council, described news of the reopening as 'wonderful'. She said: 'I am sure that many people across Edinburgh and beyond will be looking forward to this event. 'This much-loved cinema is both a community hub and cultural asset for the city. 'Its refurbishment will allow even more people to enjoy the magic of global cinema in the heart of the city.'
The Herald Scotland
15 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
The Edinburgh concert venue rock bands cannot play in summer
The Ross Bandstand has been a permanent feature of Princes Street Gardens since 1877, yet its stage is almost always empty and the gates to its concrete spectator bowl rarely unlocked. Tightened restrictions on staging events in the gardens, a dramatic increase in the cost of putting on open-air concerts and the current condition of the bandstand are all said to have led to a dramatic decline in its use in recent years. Recently approved new curbs introduced by the city council for the summer festival period state that they will only allow free,' low-impact' events to be staged at the bandstand. Experts say this amounts to a ban on the all-ticket pop and rock concerts that have packed out the gardens on summer nights as far back as the early 1990s. Previous acts to appear during the summer include Franz Ferdinand, Belle and Sebastian, Orbital, Nick Cave, BB King, Tony Bennett, Bryan Ferry, Steve Earle, Joan Baez, The Waterboys, James and The Flaming Lips. The only major pop and rock concert to survive this year is the Hogmanay concert in the gardens, which has fallen victim to bad weather three times during the history of the new year festival, most recently last December. However, organisations of the new year celebrations have raised concerns over the increasing cost of staging shows at the bandstand, suggesting the lack of suitable facilities and access problems around the arena were making it increasing difficult to put on major events every year. The possibility of replacing the existing bandstand was explored after the first Hogmanay cancellation in 2003-4, but the idea was shelved due to the lack of available funding. The Ross Bandstand in West Princes Street Gardens is closed to the public for most of the year. (Image: Colin Mearns) A more ambitious vision emerged 10 years ago when a former owner of the Edinburgh Playhouse offered to help bankroll a new outdoor arena. Norman Springford's vision won the backing of the city council, which agreed to support an international design competition which was eventually won by a team led by an American architectural practice. Roddy Smith is chief executive of the city centre business group Essential Edinburgh. (Image: Colin Mearns) However, concerns began to emerge over the level of development that would be needed in the gardens to deliver the £25 million project, which attracted opposition from heritage organisations, including Historic Environment Scotland and the Cockburn Association, before it was quietly shelved by the council during the Covid pandemic. Although some basic infrastructure improvements have been carried out within the bandstand over the last decade, the venue has largely remained the same since it was built in 1935. Large-scale concerts have been staged in West Princes Street Gardens since the early industry insiders draw a contrast between what the Ross Bandstand is used for now and Kelvingrove Bandstand in Glasgow. The latter is playing host to 20 shows this summer from acts as varied as Elbow, Billy Ocean, Camera Obscura, Beluga Lagoon, Midge Ure, Hue & Cry, Anastacia, Teenage Fanclub and Karine Polwart. Ambitious plans to create a new open-air concert arena in Princes Street Gardens were shelved by the city council during the Covid pandemic. Del Amitri, King Creosote, Echo & The Bunnymen, Ocean Colour Scene, the Hothouse Flowers and Glasvegas will be among the acts playing in Queen's Park, in Glasgow's south side. However high-profile performers are conspicuous by their absence from the forthcoming calendar of forthcoming events at Edinburgh's historic outdoor gardens venue. Crowds have flocked to open-air events in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh since 1877. The line-up includes a Polish National Day celebration, a Nepalese Cultural Festival, visits from two American choirs and a performance by a Norwegian folk band. The Ross Bandstand arena was used in summers by promoters DF Concerts for shows by Scottish favourites Lewis Capaldi, Primal Scream, Simple Minds, Chvrches and Travis. The Ross Bandstand was opened to the public for a screening of the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla in Princes Street Gardens in 2023. Other acts who have appeared under the Summer Sessions banner in recent years have included Tom Jones, Paloma Faith, The 1975, Simply Red, James, Florence & The Machine and Madness. DF Concerts chief executive Geoff Ellis said: 'The Ross Bandstand is one of the most iconic venues in the world. It is our equivalent of the Hollywood Bowl. Artists love it and audiences love it. We had people of all ages at our shows. 'But the only way we could make them work was to do a run of shows because of all the infrastructure that we put in. We effectively put a stage over the bandstand, which costs a lot of money to do. 'The council used to count the run of concerts we did as one event, which was great as it allowed us to put on multiple nights.' Roddy Smith, chief executive of city centre business group Essential Edinburgh, admitted the future use of the bandstand is a divisive issue in the city, but insisted it was not acceptable for the facility to sit locked up for all but a handful of events. He told The Herald: 'There is a lot of conjecture and argument in the city about what the Ross Bandstand needs to be going forward. 'It is an old, pretty ugly-looking structure which has seen better days, there is no doubt about that. The issue is what we do about it. 'There needs to be a real conversation about what we can do to improve things and turn it into a real community amenity that everybody can enjoy and which can be upscaled for the odd event. 'It should become a far more open space, with a lot more greenery, that visitors and residents of the city can use all the time, not just for five or six events a year.' Al Thomson, director of Unique Events, said a revamp of the Ross Bandstand arena was around 20 years overdue. He pointed to the success of a revamp of Kelvingrove Bandstand, which was relaunched in 2014, five years after the west end venue was closed down due to its poor condition. He said: 'We would not be having this discussion now if that work had been done. We would have a performance space that is fit for purpose. 'Most cosmopolitan European cities have functional outdoor spaces for performance and art. You only have to look at the Kelvingrove. There wasn't a radical change and it's a smaller space, but you only have to look at how it is used now. 'Thankfully there was some work carried out at the Ross Bandstand to upgrade things a few years ago, but it is still really lacking in terms of how it could be and what it could be used for. 'The big issue with the gardens now is access. For an event like Hogmanay, when we are building infrastructure of scale we are really limited in terms of what vehicles we can actually bring into the gardens, which impacts on costs, as it takes longer to build anything. You also have the rail network right next to the bandstand. 'The most recent bandstand redevelopment project was looking at how to make it easier to bring in that kind of infrastructure, which would have saved time, impact and money had it gone ahead.' The Cockburn Association, the city's most influential heritage watchdog, insists it recognises the 'historical significance' of the bandstand and would fully support a refurbishment, as long as the venue is only used for 'low impact activities". It has stepped up its opposition to the gardens being used as 'a major performance hub,' citing concerns over the impact of large-scale events on public access to the gardens and its landscape". Mr Ellis said: 'The council has come under a lot of pressure to change things from some of the residents who live in the area. They don't like the park being used for events and want it to be their back garden. 'The fact is these are Victorian pleasure gardens which were created for public enjoyment and entertainment. They were not built for the pleasure of rich people.' Edinburgh-based broadcaster Vic Galloway said: 'I really like the Ross Bandstand and wish there were more concerts and events in there during the year. 'Aside from Hogmanay and occasional summer events, it's a shame it lies empty most of the time. 'The location of the venue is perfect, as it's in the dead centre of Edinburgh and near transport links, plus it has the greatest backdrop in the city. Having more events there may even bring more footfall to businesses on Princes Street too. 'As a cultural city and a capital city, Edinburgh should be hosting more outdoor events, as most other European capital cities do.' Mr Thomson said: 'It would be great for the city if we could get large-scale concerts back in the gardens in the summer. 'We have seen how Edinburgh has established itself as a go-to venue for stadium concerts in recent years. The shows at Murrayfield are delivering a huge boost for the city. People are travelling from all over the country and beyond for those shows. 'There are no other cities which have a concert venue with the backdrop like the Ross Bandstand has. 'We take a lot of what we do as a city for granted in terms of the scale of events that we are lucky enough to have on our doorstep and the variety of culture we have that is accessible to it all. But it is getting harder and harder every year to deliver that in the city centre. 'To do these concerts now and make them financially viable when you have to bring in all the additional infrastructure is really difficult for anyone to make work. 'The only way to make it add up would be through an extended programme. Unfortunately, I don't think it is going to happen again anytime soon. 'There are a lot of parties and organisations that are very vocal about large-scale events taking place in the city.' A recent consultation carried out by the city council found majority support for using the gardens for a 'major event' in August, however, there was far more support for smaller-scale 'low impact' events being staged there in the summer. The council's new rules will allow both the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival and the Edinburgh International Festival to stage large-scale events in the summer in future, but only as long as they are free of charge and do not restrict access to the gardens. One of the few all-ticket events given the green light to be staged in the gardens over the next few months is the electronic music festival Fly, which is due to be held in September. Festival founder Tom Ketley has been encouraging the council to allow smaller-scale events to be staged at the bandstand throughout the year, an idea that has been taken forward by councillors and could be introduced for 2026. Mr Ketley said: 'We recognise that the council needs to strike a balance, particularly where events may impact on residents and businesses, but an opportunity definitely exists to enhance the bandstand's future as a vibrant, well-managed cultural venue within the city. 'We would like to see some smaller low impact community led events taking place at the bandstand throughout the summer months, especially when the weather is nice as this would see the bandstand used rather than the gates chained shut.' Mr Smith suggested the council needed to rethink its policies to ensure the gardens were able to be used more in future for events of all sizes. He added: 'I'd like to see events being staged throughout the year as well as an agreed number of larger events. We have to get away from the idea that Edinburgh is all about August and Christmas. 'We need to keep the city centre moving all the time. Edinburgh has undergone a huge change over the last 10 years. The city is transforming and I see the Ross Bandstand as being an important part of that in future. 'I think it has huge potential. Very rarely do you get somewhere as potentially good as this right in the heart of a city centre.' Margaret Graham, who was recently appointed as the council's convener of culture, told The Herald: "All events which take place in West Princes Street Gardens must adhere to our standard conditions and working parameters. "Event organisers can book the Ross Bandstand for a range of events including ticketed music concerts. "All bookings are assessed to ensure the activity proposed is suitable for the site and the plans are further scrutinised by the council and our partners to ensure that those attending and the park itself are well looked after. 'The Ross Bandstand is both a key piece of Edinburgh's cultural history and an important element of our future plans for the city centre. We want all of our parks and facilities, including West Princes Street Gardens and the Ross Bandstand, to be fully enjoyed by our residents and visitors.'
Western Telegraph
21 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Arthouse cinema reopening after campaign pulls it ‘back fae the brink'
The Filmhouse cinema on Lothian Road will reopen on June 27, with a programme of films that were missed since it closed its doors on October 6, 2022. Originally opened in a repurposed church in 1978, the cinema was shuttered following the collapse of its parent charity Centre for the Moving Image. Since then, the building has undergone a £2 million refurbishment that has seen a complete internal refit to the public areas and screens, and 'substantial' repairs to the roof and stonework. Filmhouse is a place utterly dedicated to the promotion and celebration of independent cinema Jack Lowden, Filmhouse patron Previously a three-screen venue, a new fourth screen is also set to be added in July as part of a second phase of work, bringing the cinema's capacity up to 350 seats. The reopening follows a three-year campaign backed by film lovers from around the world and leading actors including Filmhouse patrons Jack Lowden, Charlotte Wells, Brian Cox and Emma Thompson. Lowden, whose film credits include Dunkirk and The Outrun, said the new reopened cinema will provide a 'lift' to Scotland's film-makers and storytellers. 'Filmhouse is a place utterly dedicated to the promotion and celebration of independent cinema,' he said. 'Films need to be watched, not just made. Now, after months of hard work, the incredible team at Filmhouse have managed to pull one of Scotland's few truly independent cinemas back fae the brink. 'To have such a place on the streets of our capital providing the platform to give our world-class film-makers and storytellers the lift-off they need, and continue to ask the big questions of ourselves through cinema, is exciting and vital.' Brian Cox is one of the A-list stars who backed a three-year campaign calling for the cinema to be reopened (Ben Whitley/PA) Moves to reopen the cinema began when the building's owners, Caledonian Heritable, agreed to lease the building back as a modern cinema space for a minimum period of 25 years, with a new lease being signed in July 2024. Work to refurbish the venue then began in February 2025, supported by funding including £324,000 from the grassroots Open the Doors! crowdfunding campaign, £1.5 million from the UK Government, and donations from other sources. Fundraising is also continuing for some remaining elements of the project. Andrew Simpson, executive director of Filmhouse, said: 'The love for Filmhouse never went away, it was just waiting to be reignited. 'The incredible response to its closure showed us how vital this space is, not just for Edinburgh, but for audiences across Scotland and beyond. 'We are returning with fresh energy, a clear plan for the future and a commitment to delivering world-class film experiences for everyone. 'Filmhouse belongs to its community and we're excited to welcome people back.' This much-loved cinema is both a community hub and cultural asset for the city Councillor Margaret Graham, Edinburgh City Council The Filmhouse team said 'comfort' was at the heart of the refurbishment, with filmgoers able to expect extra legroom and comfy seats, and a completely reworked foyer space. The Filmhouse bar has also been 'completely refurbished', with dining capacity for 100 people and a food and drink menu focused on sustainable produce from Scotland and England. Margaret Graham, culture and communities convener at Edinburgh City Council, described news of the reopening as 'wonderful'. She said: 'I am sure that many people across Edinburgh and beyond will be looking forward to this event. 'This much-loved cinema is both a community hub and cultural asset for the city. 'Its refurbishment will allow even more people to enjoy the magic of global cinema in the heart of the city.'
