What's On Scotland 15-22 Jul: Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival & more

Is that the distant sound of saxophone we hear? Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival returns this week to venues across Edinburgh for ten days, from 15-24 July. One for jazz enthusiasts and beginners alike, the programme has everything from traditional blues to jazz fusion and contemporary soul and R&B.

Kicking off the programme is none other than Jools Holland, featuring performances from Gilson Lavis, Eddi Reader, Ruby Turner and Louise Marshall. Other highlights include a performance from Nubya Garcia, a shining star in the British jazz scene, in the George Square Spiegeltent, a performance from Glasgow-based singer-songwriter kitti, and an atmospheric evening collaboration between MNDMTH and Aiitee, which blends rap, drill, grime and hip hop collide with jazz improvisation, Sudanese rhythms and live projections.

Tickets for individual performances can be booked through the festival website or in person at the Fringe box office - browse the full programme here!

The Wife Guys of Reddit
The Old Hairdressers, Glasgow. 16 Jul, 8pm
Head to The Old Hairdressers this weekend for the EP launch of Glasgow's funniest-named band. The Wife Guys of Reddit, purveyors of a delightfully sleazy alt-rock, introduce their EP The Wife Guys Walk Into Oncoming Traffic to the world, with support from local music gems Peter Cat, Bin Juice, and visual art from Angus Fernie. Image: Courtesy of artist. Image: Amy Gear.

Illusive Utopias
Generator Projects, Dundee. 14 Jul-7 Aug
Featuring newly commissioned work, this double exhibition from Shetland and Dublin artists Amy Gear and Emily Johnston marries painting and installation to explore the illusive nature of utopias. Considering the political nature of our imagined and lived lives, the intertwining of these artists' works considers how we can construct new social utopias. Image: Amy Gear.

Stereo X Queer Theory: Sexual Joy
Stereo, Edinburgh. 15 Jul, 7:30pm
Featuring everything from spoken word to drag performances to dancing, head along for the hottest night of the month - whatever the weather. This queer extravaganza features cabaret - with performances from Izzy Stott Chardonnay Emerald, Theo Sedon, and Mystika Glamoor - from 7:30pm, with late-night DJ'ing from Keta Bush Temptation from 11pm. Image: Tiu Makkonen.

Footloose
Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh. 19-23 Jul
Following two critically acclaimed tours, Footloose is back to break all the dancing rules. Based on the 1980s Kevin Bacon classic, this all-singing, (not) all-dancing show follows the adventures of a city kid who moves to a rural town where rock music and dancing have been banned. Image: Mark Senior.

ADVERTISEMENT | ROSL Recitals
ROSL Recitals @ Venue 241, 9.30am, 2pm + 4pm daily
The longstanding classical music series, hosted by the Royal Over-Seas League is back in person and brimming with fantastic musical talent. 30 concerts take place over two weeks, all given by award-winning artists. Enjoy Bach or Beethoven for Breakfast, relax with Chopin, Gershwin or Rachmaninov after Lunch and wind down with Mozart, Brahms or Debussy at Teatime. Hot drink and biscuits included with admission.

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Colour In Motion
Glasgow Women's Library, Glasgow. Until 6 Aug
The perfect visual for the heatwave that has somehow made it even to Scotland, Wilhemina Barns-Graham's prints are full of colour and life. Her varied body of work takes inspiration from landscapes both in Scotland and abroad, creating lush, abstract works that celebrate the possibilities of texture, colour, fluidity and motion. Image: Glasgow Women's Library.

Central Belters
Various venues, Glasgow + Edinburgh, 19 Jul-26 Aug
Split between Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh and Broadcast in Glasgow, this weeks-long showcase of homegrown and touring talent has somehow managed to encompass so many of our favourite bands. Head to Sneaky’s for the likes of Grace & The Flatboys, Swiss Portrait or Cheap Teeth, or hit up Broadcast for Jupiter Strange, MARANTA, Blush Club or much more. Image: Svatá Luciá.

SAFAR Film Festival
CCA: Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow, 15-16 Jul
SAFAR Film Festival is the only film festival in the UK dedicated to Arab cinema. Normally a London affair, this year sees screenings taking place across the UK: we’re particularly excited about Farha, a period piece about the Palestinian Nakba, and Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer’s Day?, a queer musical followed by a director’s Q&A. Image: SAFAR Film Festival.