Do you know what kind of entertainment you like, but don’t know where to go and see it in Scotland? Then you’re in the right place! Scotland is the perfect stage for all kinds of events, so here’s a round-up of just some of what you can experience, including music, theatre, dance, art and comedy festivals.
While you’re here, you might be interested in Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022.
If coasts and waters are your thing…
…then you might like Findhorn Bay Festival, from 23 September – 2 October 2022
This coastal festival looks out across the Moray Firth with a ten-day offering of arts and culture, showcasing artists of national and international renown with a programme of events taking place in unexpected spaces and scenic locations.
If you’re looking for more ways to enjoy Scotland’s coastal spots and attractions, check out:
- Seall Summer Programme with outdoor events running across Skye and Raasay
If laughter is the best medicine…
…then you might like the Glasgow International Comedy Festival, 2023 (Dates TBC)
Duke of Wellington statue, Royal Exchange Square
Glasgow crowds are known to be amongst the best, when comedians can get them on side, that is! So join some of the loudest laughters and funniest hecklers to watch the likes of Fern Brady, Larry Dean, Jack Docherty and Craig Hill at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. It’s the largest of its kind in Europe.
If you can’t make it, fear not, the funnies keep coming at the following festivals:
- Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 5 – 29 August 2022
- Aberdeen Comedy Festival, 6 October – 16 October 2022
If music is your food of love…
…then you might like the Royal National Mòd, in Perth, from 14 – 22 October 2022
Perthshire is set to welcome Scotland’s annual celebration of Gaelic culture in 2022 with Perth hosting the Mòd’s week-long programme of music, drama, Highland dance, literature and sport.
If that isn’t quite what you’re looking for then perhaps one of these music events, which range from rock to folk, might strike a chord:
If you’re a poetic soul…
…then you might like the StAnza Poetry Festival in St Andrews from 6 – 12 March 2023
St Andrews
StAnza is back for another year with lots of performances, workshops, discussions, gigs and screenings that are taking place during this vibrant festival. UK poets appearing at the festival will be joined by international poets from countries including Germany, Ireland, Estonia, the Netherlands and Belgium.
It’s not just poetry – here are literary events taking place across the country where you can enjoy prose in various forms:
- Wigtown Book Festival in Dumfries & Galloway, 23 September – 2 October 2022
- Borders Book Festival, 2023 (Dates TBC)
If you’re a film fanatic…
…then you might like the Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival in Hawick, 2023 (Dates TBC)
Tower Mill, Heart of Hawick
Based at the Heart of Hawick, which is the festival’s central venue, Alchemy is an international festival of experimental film. Be immersed in a diverse range of short and feature-length screenings – expect world premieres, film art installations and… the unexpected!
For more film fun you should check out:
- Edinburgh International Film Festival, 12 – 20 August 2022
- Glasgow Film Festival, 1 – 12 March 2023
- Hippodrome Silent Film Festival in Bo’ness, 22 – 26 March 2023
If you’re looking for more drama in your life…
…then you might like the Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival, 2023 (Dates TBC)
Electrolyte by Wildcard © Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival
Covering a range of high quality performance arts, including dance, theatre, music, comedy and spoken word, Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival, Scotland’s largest rural multi-arts festival, isn’t only for theatre lovers – in fact fans of all things thespian will find plenty to tickle their fancy here.
For dramatic entertainment featuring up and coming talent pick one of these:
- Perth Festival of the Arts, 18 – 27 May 2023
- Puppet Animation Festival, 2023 (Dates TBC)
If dance stirs your soul…
…then you might like the Edinburgh International Festival, from 5 – 28 August 2022
A dance theatre production, Edinburgh International Festival
Needing little by way of introduction, the Edinburgh International Festival has been bringing world-class arts to the capital since 1947. The programme will feature leading international dance, theatre, music and opera companies.
If the visual arts are alluring…
…then you might like Spring Fling in Dumfries & Galloway, 2023 (Dates TBC)
Julie Dumbarton’s Studio, Langholm. Image © Spring Fling / Colin Hattersley, all rights reserved.
Scotland’s premier arts and crafts open studios event sees over 90 artists and makers open their doors across the south west of Scotland. Pop in to have a nosy and discover how the artists work and what inspires them. Also look out for the Spring Fling Fringe, which accompanies the event with a programme of music and arts performances.
If you want to get creative…
…then you might like UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK – Dandelion – April – September 2022
One to watch out for in 2022 is – a ground-breaking celebration of creativity taking place across the UK. It will feature free, large-scale events, installations and globally accessible digital experiences in the UK’s most ambitious showcase of creative collaboration.
Scotland’s contribution, Dandelion, will demonstrate the power of collective action in a Scotland-wide ‘grow your own’ initiative. With sustainability at its heart, the Dandelion programme follows the arc of the growing season, from April to September, and will culminate in hundreds of harvest festivals across Scotland – reimagining the cultural celebration of harvest for the 21st century.
Beyond Dandelion, Scotland will also host five other projects presented as part of UNBOXED. Check out unboxed2022.uk and www.dandelion.scot for more information.
You can try out all kinds of activities at festival workshops at the following events too:
- Shetland Wool Week, 24 September – 2 October 2022
- Edinburgh International Magic Festival, December 2022, (Dates TBC)
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