What's On Scotland 18-24 Jul: Pop Mutations 2024 & more

Pop Mutations have become one of the best indie promotions companies in Scotland, consistently putting on local emerging talent that go on to become big big names. It all culminates in their annual weekender festival which is always a banger, running this year from 18-21 Jul across various venues in Glasgow.

The lineup is also incredible: it kicks off with Apostille, Bikini Body and Pictish Trail at Mono tonight and the likes of experimental sound artist Alliyah Enyo playing The Flying Duck on the Friday, while DJ naafi and rock band KUTE play Stereo on the Saturday, with an afterparty featuring Zimbabwean rapper Eyve and DJ Lewis Lowe playing b2b with Boosterhooch. The Sunday ends with a relatively chill local lineup at The Glad Cafe – browse the full lineup and buy tickets here.

ADVERTISEMENT | Come and see joyous painting by pioneering Glasgow Girl, Bessie MacNicol
New Scottish galleries at the National, Edinburgh. Free
Celebrate one of Scotland’s pioneering female artists from history, as an incredibly rare painting by Bessie MacNicol joins the Scotland's amazing art collection. There’s been a lot of competition to acquire the precious few remaining paintings by the Glasgow Girl, so this is an amazing acquisition. Visit the new Scottish galleries at the National to see the sunny and joyous The Lilac Sunbonnet for free!

Surge Festival 2024
Merchant City, Glasgow. 19-21 Jul
Glasgow’s outdoor festival of street performance and circus returns. Highlights include The Most Dangerous Animal in the World (pictured), about an adventurous sheep exiled from her community, and Fish Out of Water, in which a shoal of gigantic fish take over the streets. Image: Luka Dakskobler.

Squirrel Flower
The Glad Cafe, Glasgow. 19 Jul, 7:30pm
For fans of Phoebe Bridgers, Soccer Mommy and Samia, American indie folk artist Squirrel Flower heads to Glasgow to tour their fourth studio album Tomorrow's Fire. Expect soft, intimate vocals and delicate, introspective lyrics exploring the pull between desire and independence. Image: Polyvinyl.

Macka & Lowree
The Mash House, Edinburgh. 19 Jul, 11pm
It's a vinyl release party over at The Mash House this week, as Edinburgh-based nu-disco label Fresh Take Records celebrate the launch of their new vinyl compilation Over Cooked with 90s house and disco sets from Edinburgh DJs Macka & Lowree following two previous sold out parties. Image: Courtesy of artists.

Chris Ofili: The Caged Bird's Song
Dovecot, Edinburgh. Until 5 Oct
The imprecision of watercolour meets the meticulousness of weaving in this collaboration between the Dovecot Studios and artist Chris Ofili, transforming the colours and ephemerality of Ofili’s original design through a large format tapestry that took three years to create.

ADVERTISEMENT | Interesting Things
Tolbooth, Stirling. 31 Aug
Interesting Things is a new all-day festival in Stirling’s award-winning Tolbooth venue on Saturday 31st August. Taking place on multiple curated stages throughout the historic building, Interesting Things promises to be an immersive showcase of some of the most exciting and ground-breaking live acts around, unrestricted by genre. Featuring the likes ML Buch, Ex-Easter Island Head, Duncan Marquiss, Konx-om-Pax, Adam Stafford, Susan Bear, Comfort, and many more, plus art exhibitions and local food offerings

↪ Q'iwa Pride Party
Mono, Glasgow. 20 Jul, 4pm
If Edinburgh Pride was anything to go by, queer POC collective Q’iwa will be throwing the best party in town for Glasgow Pride, with drag performances by Mongolian artist ZULAA, music from Eyve, and DJing from Xaia Chimera and Q’iwa co-curator 3MR.

→ Polka Dot Disco Club invites Bimini: The Tories Out Tour
The Berkeley Suite, Glasgow. 19 Jul, 11pm
The iconic Bimini from RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 2 heads to The Berkeley Suite as part of their The Tories Out Tour. Expect one of a kind house and electronica beats, with support from Edinburgh's Sweet Philly and Polka Dot Disco Club founder, Frankie Elyse.

→ Time Cleaves Itself: Poetry night with Jeda Pearl & friends
Lighthouse Bookshop, Edinburgh. 23 Jul, 7pm
In celebration of Scottish-Jamaican author Jeda Pearl's debut collection Time Cleaves Itself, Lighthouse Bookshop are throwing a gorgeous poetry launch with appearances from Jeda Pearl, Courtney Stoddart, and Lisa Williams.