Scottish Live Music Highlights: April 2026

With an entire three-page spread about music festivals in our April mag, we'll spare you any repetition here. But we will, however, remind you of a day happening this month that feels like a festival but isn't – Record Store Day returns to shops country-wide on Saturday 18 April. Alongside all the usual hyped exclusive releases is a day with community at its heart. In Glasgow, Monorail have big plans featuring Kathryn Joseph, Bis, Girchard and Supersun with DJ sets from Life Without Buildings, World of Twist and Karen Dunbar, with similar party vibes to be expected at Some Great Reward.

In Edinburgh, Underground Solu’shn have music from Sanna and Daniel McGeever plus DJ sets galore, including Eclair FiFi, Lord of the Isles, DJ 3000 and Hobbes, while Stockbridge shop VoxBox celebrate their 15th birthday with the usual all-dayer at the nearby St Vincent’s Chapel. In Leith, Good Vibes host an afternoon of live music at The False Widow with Acolyte, Tony Morris, Isa Gordon and Buffet Lunch, with an after party at the Leith FAB Cricket Club featuring all-vinyl DJs and live music from the inimitable comfort.

RSD aside, a glut of Scottish artists hit the road this month. Rianne Downey plays Glasgow (King Tut’s, 1 Apr), Dundee (Music Hall, 4 Apr), Edinburgh (La Belle Angele, 17 Apr) and Aberdeen (Lemon Tree, 18 Apr), Pippa Blundell celebrates songs with james in Edinburgh (Leith Depot, 22 Apr), Helensburgh (La Jupe, 23 Apr), Inverness (Tooth & Claw, 25 Apr) and Findhorn (Phoenix Cafe, 28 Apr), Pictish Trail beckons in Life Slime with shows in Stirling (Tolbooth, 23 Apr), Irvine (Harbour Arts Centre, 24 Apr), Aberdeen (Tunnels, 25 Apr) and Edinburgh (La Belle Angele, 28 Apr), and Broken Chanter plays Dundee (Beat Generator Live!, 24 Apr), Aberdeen (Tunnels, Aberdeen, 30 Apr) and Inverness (Tooth & Claw, 1 May).

Pictish Trail. Photo: Stephanie Gibson.

In Glasgow, Red King celebrates his The Dark Before EP at Room 2 (4 Apr) backed up by Billy Got Waves, EYVE and Jurnalist. At The Glad Cafe, wor_kspace launches his latest album (7 Apr), Clay Rings celebrate their new EP at 1990 (10 Apr) and Maz and the Phantasms celebrate new single, Pigeon Shat In My Room, at Stereo (11 Apr). On the same night, Sam Grassie celebrates his latest at The Hug & Pint, while doom-metallers Gout launch Actual Bastard at The Flying Duck (17 Apr). Big Girl’s Blouse launch their latest single Clean / My House at McChuills on the 16th (they also play Edinburgh's Sneaky Pete's, 22 Apr), and Lizzie Reid brings Undoing to Cottiers (26 Apr).

Also this month you’ll find a Knockegorroch Fundraiser (Stereo, 3 Apr) and an MVT Fundraiser (St Luke’s, 9 Apr). Brògeal continue their ascent with two shows at The Art School (2 & 3 Apr), Gallus play McChuills (8 Apr), Doss play a massive headline show at The Art School (18 Apr) and Mercy Girl play The Garage (24 Apr). In Edinburgh, Hull rapper Chiedu Oraka heads up a massive local lineup featuring Billy Got Waves, Jurnalist, Benni Murks and Conscious Route at Sneaky Pete’s (3 Apr), Count Florida play Bannermans (12 Apr), Étain launches The Well at The Caves (16 Apr) and Man of Moon play Cabaret Voltaire (17 Apr).

Elsewhere, seek out shows in Glasgow from Peaches (SWG3, 18 Apr), Penelope Trappes (Cottiers, 23 Apr), Just Mustard (The Art School, 23 Apr), Dry Cleaning (SWG3, 24 Apr), Joshua Idehen (St Luke’s, 26 Apr) and claire rousay (The Glad Cafe, 26 Apr). In Edinburgh The Burning Hell (18 Apr) and Nubiyan Twist (26 Apr) play La Belle Angele and Kneecap play an Assai outstore at The Liquid Room (29 Apr). You can also catch them the night before in Dundee at The LiveHouse, where Jessie Ware also plays on the 4th.