Must-see entertainment in Edinburgh

  • 500px Photo ID: 131898959 - The famous Sandy Bell's Folk Bar in Edinburgh.

    Sandy Bell's

    Old Town

    This unassuming pub has been a stalwart of the traditional-music scene since the 1960s (the founder's wife sang with the Corries). There's music every…

  • Summerhall

    Edinburgh

    Formerly Edinburgh University's veterinary school, the Summerhall complex is a major cultural centre and entertainment venue, with old halls and lecture…

  • Caves

    Old Town

    A spectacular subterranean venue set in the ancient stone vaults beneath the South Bridge, the Caves stages a series of one-off club nights and live-music…

  • Filmhouse

    Edinburgh

    The Filmhouse is the main venue for the annual Edinburgh International Film Festival and screens a full program of art-house, classic, foreign and second…

  • Jam House

    New Town

    The brainchild of rhythm-and-blues pianist and TV personality Jools Holland, the Jam House is set in a former BBC TV studio and offers a combination of…

  • Cameo

    Edinburgh

    The three-screen, independently owned Cameo is a good old-fashioned cinema showing an imaginative mix of mainstream and art-house movies. There's a good…

  • Bannerman's

    Old Town

    A long-established music venue – it seems like every Edinburgh student for the last four decades spent half their youth here – Bannerman's straggles…

  • CC Blooms

    New Town

    The raddled old queen of Edinburgh's 1990s gay scene has been given a shot in the arm, with two floors of deafening dance and disco every night. It can…

  • Jazz Bar

    Old Town

    This atmospheric cellar bar, with its polished parquet floors, bare stone walls, candlelit tables and stylish steel-framed chairs, is owned and operated…

  • Voodoo Rooms

    New Town

    Decadent decor of black leather, ornate plasterwork and gilt detailing creates a stylish setting for this complex of bars and performance spaces above the…

  • Royal Oak

    Old Town

    This popular folk-music pub is tiny, so get here early (9pm start weekdays, 6pm and 9.30pm sessions on Saturday, 4.30pm and 7pm sessions on Sunday) if you…

  • Bedlam Theatre

    Old Town

    The Bedlam hosts a long-established (running for more than 25 years) weekly improvisation slot, the Improverts, which is hugely popular with local…

  • Henry's Cellar Bar

    Edinburgh

    One of Edinburgh's most eclectic live-music venues, Henry's has something going on most nights of the week, from rock and indie to 'Balkan-inspired folk'…

  • St Giles Cathedral

    Old Town

    The big kirk on the Royal Mile plays host to a regular and varied program of classical music, including popular lunchtime and evening concerts and organ…

  • Edinburgh Festival Theatre

    Edinburgh

    A beautifully restored art-deco theatre with a modern all-glass frontage, the Festival is the city's main venue for opera, dance and ballet, but also…

  • Whistle Binkie's

    Old Town

    This crowded cellar bar, just off the Royal Mile, has live music most nights till 3am, from rock and blues to folk and jazz. The long-standing open-mic…

  • Traverse Theatre

    Edinburgh

    The Traverse is the main focus for new Scottish writing; it stages an adventurous program of contemporary drama and dance. The box office is only open on…

  • Stand Comedy Club

    New Town

    The Stand, founded in 1995, is Edinburgh's main independent comedy venue. It's an intimate cabaret bar with performances every night and a free Sunday…

  • Edinburgh Folk Club

    Holyrood & Arthur’s Seat

    The Pleasance Theatre Bar is the home venue of the Edinburgh Folk Club, which runs a program of visiting bands and singers at 8pm on Wednesday nights.

  • Usher Hall

    Edinburgh

    The architecturally impressive Usher Hall hosts concerts by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) and performances of popular music.

  • King's Theatre

    Edinburgh

    The King's is a traditional theatre with a program of musicals, drama, comedy and its famous Christmas pantomimes.

  • Royal Lyceum Theatre

    Edinburgh

    A grand Victorian theatre located beside the Usher Hall, the Lyceum stages drama, concerts, musicals and ballet.

  • Murrayfield Stadium

    Edinburgh

    Murrayfield Stadium, about 1.5 miles west of the city centre, is the venue for international rugby matches.

  • Musselburgh Racecourse

    Edinburgh

    Horse-racing enthusiasts should head 6 miles east of the city centre to Musselburgh Racecourse, Scotland’s oldest racecourse (founded 1816), where…

  • Tynecastle Stadium

    Edinburgh

    Football team Heart of Midlothian (aka Hearts) has its home ground at Tynecastle Stadium, southwest of the city centre in Gorgie.

  • Edinburgh Playhouse

    New Town

    This restored theatre at the top of Leith Walk stages Broadway musicals, dance shows, opera and popular-music concerts.

  • Easter Road Stadium

    Edinburgh

    Hibernian’s home ground is northeast of the city centre at Easter Road Stadium.

  • Queen's Hall

    Edinburgh

    The home of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra also stages jazz, blues, folk, rock and comedy.

  • Opal Lounge

    New Town

    The once-cool Opal Lounge has gone the way of many other mass-market nightclubs – over-loud, overcrowded and overpriced. Expect to queue on weekend…

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