What's On Scotland 25 Jan-1 Feb: Burns Night
Pour yourself a dram and prepare your address to a haggis because it's Burns Night, and there are plenty of events rolling over into the weekend that continue to celebrate the big man. Plus, Independent Venue Week, Just Start Here, manipulate and more...
On top of getting to eat haggis and drink whisky – as if you need an excuse – new contemporary multi-arts festival Burns Unbroke is going to make Burns Day even better this year. As well as poetry, music and whisky masterclasses taking place over the weekend, over 30 visual artists will display work in 11 galleries at Summerhall until 10 March, exploring an aspect of Burns’ life or work, highlighting his continuing relevance in the 21st century.
The inevitable Burns-themed weekend continues with Red Red Rose Street, a three-day long celebration of ol' Rabbie's work through the mediums of music, comedy and art. The Burns Comedy Show will take place on Friday and Saturday night at Gilded Balloon's Basement Theatre, with performances from top Scottish comedians, including Rosco McClelland, Harriet Dyer and Alfie Brown, all presenting their take on Burns at the intimate venue. Image: Greg Moodie
The Spook School
Stereo, Glasgow. 27 Jan, 7pm
The Spookies' third album Could it Be Different? is a fantastic evolution of their active, engaging and thought-provoking sound and they're launching the record at Stereo with an all-star line-up. The Spook School are joined by much-loved Durham power-pop quartet Martha and top-notch post-punk trio Shopping who just released their excellent new record The Official Body. Image: Sarah Donley
Independent Venue Week: Rituals, The Ninth Wave and Wylde
Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh. 29 Jan, 7pm
Independent Venue Week kicks off on Monday, running until 4 Feb, and everyone's favourite little sweatbox has put together a stellar line-up to begin proceedings. Psych four-piece Rituals head up the show, and they're joined by freshly-revamped Glasgow outfit The Ninth Wave (pictured) and youthful Edinburgh shoegazers Wylde. Image: Ian Schofield
ADVERTISEMENT | Red Red Rose Street
Various venues, Edinburgh, 25-27 Jan
A festival of Burns’ music and words, expanding the traditional Burns Night into a three-day long celebration of the work of the world-renowned Scottish Bard, with a mix of free and ticketed events including live performance, music, spoken word, comedy and installations. Edinburgh’s famed Rose Street will be home to activities for all ages including a Whiskey experience and Burns Supper for adults and playful storytelling sessions specially curated for bairns!
manipulate Visual Theatre Festival
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. 27 Jan-3 Feb
For some, puppets are a lovely childhood memory, for others the stuff of nightmares. If you're of the former camp, then manipulate is for you. As part of their Snapshots: Artists@Work series, Sarah Bebe Holmes presents Egg (pictured) on Saturday – an autobiographical tale about a young woman who gave her eggs, highlighting themes of choice, chance, science and mortality.
Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival
Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh. 27 & 28 Jan
If your New Year's resolutions involved losing weight, drinking less and eating healthier (i.e no fun), then Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival is here to assist you in achieving your 'new year, new me' goals. Get your zen on with a programme of events including yoga classes and meditation sessions alongside talks and workshops on nutrition, mindfulness and emotional wellbeing. Image: Simon Buxton
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Just Start Here
Civic House, Edinburgh. 26 & 27 Jan
A festival? In January? Well, rejoice in the fact that this is an indoor festival, so you won't need to worry about stomping around in the mud in the freezing cold. Just Start Here is a new two-day festival brought to you by the National Theatre of Scotland, featuring music from the likes of Bossy Love (pictured), as well as food, discussion, provocation and cross art form experimentation. Image: Jenn McCambridge
Rhythm Machine
The Liquid Room, Edinburgh. 27 Jan, 11pm
Rhythm Machine's back with its regular dose of dance music and live art, this time featuring artwork from the pleasantly-named Chlamydia Collective and music as always from DJs Francis Dosoo and Yves. Expect to hear everything from Detroit techno to Belgian new-beat, while perusing some spectacular art at the same time. What more could you want on a Saturday night? Image: Molly Dyson
Magnolia
Filmhouse, Edinburgh. 25 Jan, 7.45pm
As part of Park Circus’ UK wide tour of some of filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson’s best films, screening on glorious 35mm, his 1999 masterpiece Magnolia will be shown at the Filmhouse tonight. Set in the San Fernando Valley, the film knits together nine stories during one rainy day, with an all-star cast including Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman and arguably a career-best performance from Tom Cruise.
Street Jam
six°north, Glasgow. 27 Jan, 2pm
Following a successful event at their Aberdeen bar last summer, craft beer connoisseurs six°north are taking their Street Jam to Glasgow this weekend. A group of street artists, including Katie Guthrie and Conzo Throb, will be painting live and setting up stalls to sell their prints and wares on the day. Expect lots of frighteningly well-groomed beards and baseball caps; oh, and beer. Image: Matthew Carrington
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