Every year I tell myself I’ll plan my festival season properly. Every year I end up panic-buying Fringe tickets in July and trying to remember which venue is which as I sprint across Edinburgh in the rain.
This year, I’m doing it right. Here’s your complete guide to Scotland’s festival season in 2026.
Celtic Connections (January 16 – February 2)
Glasgow’s winter festival is where traditional music meets everything else — folk, jazz, world music, and collaborations that shouldn’t work but absolutely do. I saw a Scottish fiddler performing with a Malian kora player this year, and it was one of those moments where you remember why live music matters.
Late-night sessions at venues like the Old Fruitmarket are where the festival really comes alive. Musicians who’ve performed earlier in the evening often show up to jam.
Edinburgh International Science Festival (April 4-19)
I went to a talk last year about the mathematics of gambling that was genuinely fascinating — a statistician breaking down casino odds, poker probability, and why betting systems don’t work. The audience was half scientists and half regulars from Edinburgh’s poker scene, and the Q&A session got properly heated.
Edinburgh International Film Festival (June 18 – July 1)
The world’s longest continually running film festival. My approach: pick one or two big premieres, then fill the rest with the weird stuff. Last year’s best film I saw was a Hungarian drama that played to maybe thirty people. Devastating and beautiful.
The Edinburgh Fringe (July 31 – August 24)
The big one. The chaotic one. Don’t try to see eight shows a day — you’ll burn out by day three. I aim for three maximum with gaps for food and sanity.
My secret Fringe pleasure? The casino. When the festival madness gets too much, I escape to Grosvenor or Genting for an hour or two. It’s the only place in Edinburgh that doesn’t have Fringe performers trying to hand you flyers.
Edinburgh International Festival (August 1-24)
Running alongside the Fringe, the International Festival is the prestigious older sibling — opera, classical music, theatre, and dance from around the world. I typically pick two or three events per year and treat them as proper occasions.
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (August 1-23)
I’m Scottish enough to roll my eyes at the Tattoo’s tourist appeal, but I’ll admit it’s genuinely impressive. Bagpipes, military precision, fireworks against the castle. Book months in advance.
Later in the year
Glasgay! (October/November) keeps growing. Samhuinn Fire Festival on Calton Hill is absolutely spectacular. And Edinburgh’s Hogmanay remains Scotland at its most celebratory.
Scotland’s festival season is genuinely world-class. We’re a small country that punches absurdly above our weight culturally. Book early, plan loosely, and remember the best moments are usually the ones you didn’t plan for.
By Fiona MacLeod | 3 November 2025