Scottish Live Music Highlights: May 2026

May kicks off with a little taste of festival season in the form of Edinburgh TradFest (until 11 May). Don’t miss A’ Chiad Litir (4 May), Josie Duncan’s show about ‘Scottish Sappho’ Marie Maitland, Ukrainian folk from singer and composer Ganna (9 May) or Canadian folk from award-winning Kaïa Kater (10 May). In Glasgow, the Creatives of Colour Festival takes over The Glad Cafe (8 May) with R.AGGS, Miwa Nagato-Apthorp, Simone Seales and Salam Kitty (DJ) all on the bill. On 9 May, Nice N Sleazy host the Grid City all-dayer featuring Ample House, Lizzie Esau and Plasticine, or help celebrate Last Night From Glasgow’s 10th anniversary at Cottiers featuring Bröntes.  On that same weekend, The Road to The Great Escape takes over King Tut’s (9 & 10 May) with Cowboy Hunters, Clothesline from Hell, Brodie Barclay and Quiet Man.

Festival vibes aside, there's loads more local talent to seek out this month. In Glasgow, Cathal Murphy ends a massive run of dates at The Rum Shack (5 May). On the same night, The Twilight Sad play the first of two nights at the Barrowlands celebrating IT’S THE LONG GOODBYE. Middle Class Guilt launch Their King of Comedy at Nice N Sleazy (7 May), Hamish Hawk brings his Ivor Cutler show, Life in a Scotch Sitting-room, vol. 0, to Òran Mór (10 May), and Selkie hosts a night of ambient electronics and dream pop at The Old Hairdresser’s (13 May). At Cottiers, wojtek the bear launch i don’t think you want to hear this (21 May), Conscious Pilot beckon the arrival of Human Poultry at Stereo (22 May), Snout celebrate Dog Days at The Hug & Pint (23 May) and Carla J. Easton honours I Think That I Might Love You at The Rum Shack (29 May). Read our chat with Carla in the May issue.

In Edinburgh, Both Hands celebrate their debut single, Sea Spray, at The Safari Lounge (9 May); the trio of Michaels, Slime City, bring their bratty art-rock to The Mash House (14 May); pop girlies Katherine Aly and SHEARS are on support duty for Rose Rey at Sneaky Pete’s (14 May); Faith Eliott's captivating brand of folk can be found at The Bowler’s Rest (15 May); and rising soul star James Emmanuel heads to Cabaret Voltaire (16 May). Folk singer-songwriter Orla Noble launches her album unfurl with a special show at The Caves (17 May), while Holly Powers launches Sweetpea at the Pianodrome Bruntsfield on the 20th. Alt-rock and nu-metal is the dish of the day when Dead Pony celebrate Eat My Dust! at La Belle Angele (27 May), and the Hen Hoose Collective bring The Twelve to The Queen’s Hall (28 May). On 30 May, Acolyte launch The Blue Dark at the Leith FAB Cricket Club, while SHHE celebrates THALASSA at The Queen’s Hall on the same night, after playing Dundee’s Bonar Hall on 28 May. 

Artists doubling up this month include Broken Chanter (The Rum Shack, 15 May; Leith FAB Cricket Club, 16 May), The Yummy Fur & Buffet Lunch (Leith Fab Cricket Club, 23 May; The Old Hairdresser’s, 24 May), The Countess of Fife (Voodoo Rooms, 21 May; The Glad Cafe, 23 May) and Bottle Rockets (MacArts, Galashiels, 15 May; King Tut’s, 30 May).

Elsewhere in Edinburgh, don’t miss Mind Enterprises (The Liquid Room, 7 May), Jesca Hoop (The Caves, 12 May), deary (Voodoo Rooms, 14 May), Rival Consoles and Sevendeaths (The Liquid Room, 15 May), Max Cooper (Usher Hall, 20 May) and Blind Yeo (Sneaky Pete's, 25 May), who also play The Glad Cafe in Glasgow (26 May). Also in Glasgow, catch Lucrecia Dalt (Saint Luke’s, 7 May), Mitski (Barrowlands, 11 May), Chalk (The Art School, 14 May), The Bug Club (The Glad Cafe, 16 May), Warmduscher (Classic Grand, 19 May), Fcukers (SWG3, 20 May), Doja Cat (OVO Hydro, 21 May), PinkPantheress (SEC Centre, 23 May), Open Mike Eagle (Stereo, 30 May) and Big Thief (Barrowlands, 30 & 31 May). Or why not catch Pixies in Dunfermline (Alhambra Theatre, 21 May).