What's On Scotland 26 Oct-2 Nov: Halloween

Halloween may land on a Tuesday this year but don't let that stop you spreading fear in the days before. Edinburgh Horror Festival kicks off on Fri 27 Oct, with all kinds of spooky happenings at various venues across the city. For those brave enough, enter into an episode of Black Mirror in E-VR's virtual reality horror game.

Over west, St Luke's play host to this year's edition of Day Of The Dead Glesga. Following four sell out shows at venues across the city, the venue will offer up their take on Día de los Muertos, with live music, Mexican food, performances and more. In the same venue on 31 Oct catch Zola Jesus sharing electronic gothic pop wares from new album Okovi.

Don't worry mid-week warriors, Denis Sulta's got your back. He's hosting his 12 Hour Spooktacular on actual All Hallow's Eve, kicking off at the e'er haunted Leith Theatre with Chaos In The CBD and Dixon Avenue Basement Jams, before shuttles take the revellers over to Liquid Rooms to finish things up with Sulta himself, Kornel Kovacs and Big Miz.

The Ninth Wave
Laurieston Arches, Glasgow, 27 Oct, 6:30pm 
The secret's out! Glasgow noise-rockers The Ninth Wave have announced details of their secret show in celebration of their new EP Reformation. The gig will take place under the Laurieston Arches, with support from fellow weegies St.MARTiiNS and Walt Disco, as well as Londoners Hotel Lux, and it's even BYOB. Image: Jannica Honey

Ghostpoet
Stereo, Glasgow. 28 Oct, 7pm
Obaro Ejimiwe, aka Ghostpoet, has been a reliable voice of anxiety throughout his career, and he also has some of the best named albums you'll ever hear. His gloomily-titled new album Dark Days & Canapés addresses the dark side of society, documenting issues from consumerism to warfare, so don't expect a jubilant affair but do expect a bloody good show. Image: Derek Robertson

Africa in Motion

Venues across Scotland, 27 Oct-5 Nov, times vary
Africa in Motion film festival is a thing of wonder. For over a decade they've brought hundreds of cliché-slaying films to our shores in a bid to represent the best of African cinema and engage with the African diaspora community living in Scotland. The fest returns this month until 5 Nov, and this year's programme features a collaboration with Glasgow University on a project entitled Africa's Lost Classics which reprises lost and forgotten African movies. Venues across Edinburgh and Glasgow, see here for details.

Talking Heads: Loving EU
Summerhall, Edinburgh. 26 Oct, 6pm
Creative Edinburgh join forces with yours truly to celebrate Edinburgh’s cultural links with Europe and our creative collaborative strength as a community. Italian Edinburgher, animator and regular Talking Heads compere Erik Ravaglia will be joined by 25 creative hub leaders from around the EU, who make us proud by contributing to multicultural dialogues through their work and who have done us the honour of calling Edinburgh home.

ADVERTISEMENT | NEoN Digital Arts Festival
NEoN Digital Arts Festival is back for its 8th year, this time on the theme of Media Archaeology. Explore the programme for exhibitions, talks, workshops, screenings all about the hidden material cultures of the technological age! Taking over venues in Dundee, such as West Wards Works, you will be able to see work from Furtherfield (UK), Elke Reinhuber (Germany/Singapore), VOID (Belgium), Morehshin Allahyari (Iran/USA), and many others. For more information on the festival/programme click here.


Sonica Festival 2017
Various venues, Glasgow. 26 Oct-5 Nov
Get ready to ravish your senses as visual sonic arts festival Sonica returns for its fifth year, with a programme of events produced by Glasgow art house Cryptic, presenting internationally renowned sound, performance, video and installation artists from across the world. Opening this year's festival is Aquasonic by Denmark’s Between Music, where the artists perform underwater on a specially made audio set-up with bespoke instruments. Image: Per Victor

Edinburgh Zine Library
Edinburgh Central Library, Edinburgh, 1 Nov, drop in between 4-8pm
How does a trip to Edinburgh's first dedicated zine library suit you? Taking place at Edinburgh Central Library's Art and Design branch, the event 'aims to increase access to zines, encourage zine making and further legitimise zines as a form of personal and social history.' Among literary offerings, there'll be workshops, zine swaps, chit-chats and a heck of a loada free cake. Image: Wikimedia Commons

Samhuinn Fire Festival
Royal Mile, Edinburgh. 31 Oct, 9-11pm
It's only right that we kick off the dark ol' month of November with a little cosy ritual, and what's more cosy and ritualistic than a MOTHERFRICKIN' FIRE FESTIVAL? Samhuinn returns today, celebrating the Celtic New Year with kinds of pyrotechnics, acrobatics, drumming (and a whole loada body paint, in all likelihood) to the streets of Edinburgh.