Jane Bradley

Director Sophie Heldman has brought the 19th-century case of Edinburgh teachers Jane Pirie and Marianne Woods to the screen in The Education of Jane Cumming, which premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Pirie sued the wealthy grandmother of former pupil Jane Cumming after allegations of sexual misconduct damaged the school’s reputation and forced it to close; the teachers were eventually cleared after a legal battle lasting more than a decade. Heldman said the film seeks to restore the women’s place in history and explores themes of class, gender, sexuality and race. The production drew on sealed records held by the National Records of Scotland and research from Lillian Faderman’s book Scotch Verdict. It will screen at the Sea Change Festival on Tiree in September before a UK cinema release in January.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society chief executive Tony Lankester warned that inadequate council funding could jeopardize the festival’s long-term future and undermine its roughly £500 million economic contribution to the city. He said the council currently provides £75,000 for Fringe street events, potentially rising to £78,750, despite the festival issuing millions of tickets and generating substantial revenue for the city. Lankester contrasted Edinburgh’s support with funding for Adelaide Fringe and Berlin’s Berlinale, while criticizing the lack of access to new visitor-levy funds. Edinburgh City Council said festivals are vital to the city and that expanded levy-funded opportunities would support both established partners and other cultural organizations.

The Amanda Knox show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has renewed debate over where artistic freedom ends and ethical responsibility begins. Gilded Balloon directors Karen and Katy Koren defend their decision to programme the show after reviewing its script and meeting Knox, while the Fringe Society says its only red line is illegality, including hate speech or attacks on protected groups. Venue operators and commentators differ over whether performers should control who attends and how much responsibility venues have for potentially harmful material. Examples involving January 6, school shootings, Jerry Sadowitz, and cancelled shows by Jewish comedians illustrate the competing pressures. The prevailing view is that the Fringe should protect legal expression, but individual venues need transparent moral and safeguarding policies for their own programming decisions.

US human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson has brought the Legacy Museum’s exhibition, The Legacy of Slavery, to Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh International Festival. The exhibition examines Scotland’s substantial role in creating and benefiting from slavery in America, while also acknowledging its abolitionist movement and Frederick Douglass’s visits. Stevenson is urging stronger education about this history and proposing a Scottish day commemorating Douglass, while leaving decisions about renaming streets or removing monuments to Scots. The exhibition is intended to tour Europe after its Edinburgh presentation.

Directors of Assembly and Underbelly are calling for a review and reform of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, arguing that its administration has become bloated and that it has lost sight of supporting creators and keeping the festival sustainable. They question spending on staff and a new headquarters while venues and artists face rising costs, citing cuts to the Keep It Fringe fund and an increase in ticketing commission. Fringe Society chief executive Tony Lankester defends the organisation's investment in box-office and registration services, saying collaboration, affordability, equity and artist support remain central to its work.

Posters advertising The Bridge, a Fringe First-winning play by Palestinian theatre-maker Alaa Shehada about the history of the British in Palestine, were defaced with racist slogans in Edinburgh. Producer Qasim Salam said the graffiti appeared targeted and reflected growing public emboldenment of bigotry. The incidents followed reports from Cuban-American performer Julian Hernandez of racist abuse while flyering, and online anti-immigrant harassment directed at the theatre company behind Peregrinations. Despite the hostility, the performers said audiences’ engagement with the shows provided hope and reinforced the importance of community and shared humanity.

Count Binface, the political comedy persona of Jon Harvey, will perform the one-night show “Face of the Establishment” at the Pleasance King Dome on 26 August during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The sci-fi satire show follows Binface’s defeat by Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election, where he received 9,455 votes to Farage’s 22,239. Harvey previously performed at the Fringe in 2018, earning praise for comedy focused on current affairs, cult films and archive footage. The show will draw on Binface’s unconventional manifesto, including proposals involving cheaper 99 Flakes, the nationalisation of Adele and the return of Ceefax.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival and Edinburgh Art Festival opened in the city, with filmmaker Louis Paxton reflecting on his early work at the Filmhouse and artist Del laGrace presenting work at the new EAF92 headquarters. The diary also recounts two Fringe emergencies: 15-year-old performer Aaron Rickman collapsed in a venue reaching 30°C, while Rachel Twigg choked on a custard cream during her show before an audience member helped dislodge it. Both performers recovered and were expected to continue.

A meeting on how Edinburgh’s visitor levy funds should support cultural events was postponed after the relevant council report was submitted a few hours late. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society and Edinburgh International Book Festival warned that the levy could cost the wider festival ecosystem more than £1.1 million annually and urged the council to reinvest a proportionate share in festivals and cultural infrastructure without replacing existing core funding. Edinburgh City Council said it needed more time to build consensus and assured organisations that current funding agreements remain in place until March 2027.

Amy Fraser will open a letter she wrote to herself at 17 during a one-off Edinburgh Festival Fringe performance of A letter to ME, from ME, about ME. She cannot remember what the letter contains and plans to improvise part of the show while responding to the audience. The sold-out performance is her first solo show and will raise money for breast cancer awareness charity Coppafeel!.

An anti-Israel protester interrupted an Edinburgh International Festival Global Ideas Stage event featuring Gordon Brown, accusing the festival of ignoring the war in Gaza and shouting “Free Palestine.” The event, hosted by Nicky Benedetti and Sarah Lewis, also featured Ken Burns, Bryan Stevenson and Amy Goodman, and continued after the disruption. The diary notes wider criticism of the EIF’s Baillie Gifford sponsorship and its America-themed programme. It also reports that understudy Rachael DeBoer rapidly replaced an unavailable actor in The Second Best School Shooting, while a stolen laptop containing technical cues forced Gilded Balloon to cancel a performance of Girlz.

Nica Burns has appointed longtime Edinburgh Comedy Awards producer Emma Brünjes as executive director as part of a succession plan designed to carry the awards through their 50th anniversary in 2030 and toward their centenary. Burns, who has led the awards since 1984, said Brünjes was chosen for her commitment to live comedy, creative judgment and production expertise. Brünjes said she would protect the awards’ legacy and continue discovering emerging talent. The awards, formerly known as the Perrier Awards, have helped launch major comedy careers including those of Frank Skinner and Stephen Fry. Burns also emphasized comedy’s cultural and economic importance and discussed her wider career in theatre production, including founding Nimax Theatres.

The Red Arrows will miss the 15 August Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo flypast, along with several other UK displays, after poor weather stranded the team in Canada. The RAF says the single-engined Hawk aircraft cannot safely cross the North Atlantic without suitable conditions, and Wing Commander Sasha Nash stressed that safety will determine the return schedule. The Tattoo understands the decision and still expects a flypast, pending confirmation of a replacement aircraft. The event is also featuring the United States Army Field Band, a choice previously criticised by Stop the War Scotland amid tensions involving the US military.

Pleasance director Anthony Alderson has urged Edinburgh City Council to guarantee that a share of Edinburgh’s five per cent visitor levy will support the Fringe and other festivals. Festival representatives argue that artists and venues will contribute significantly to the levy while already facing high accommodation and operating costs. The council has earmarked 35 per cent of proceeds for culture, heritage and events, but has not committed to the Fringe’s proposed £1.7 million infrastructure and new-work funding package. Council leader Jane Meagher defended the levy and said proceeds would be reinvested across the city’s cultural sector.

A Change.org petition demanding the cancellation of Amanda Knox’s Edinburgh Fringe comedy show, Cartwheel, had gathered nearly 4,500 signatures. Meredith Kercher’s sister Stephanie and family friend Sally Alington argue that the production turns Kercher’s rape and murder into entertainment and trivializes violence against women. Gilded Balloon, the venue hosting the show, says it is consistent with the Fringe’s commitment to freedom of expression, while a representative for Knox says the production honours Kercher’s memory.

Amanda Knox has publicly defended her Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, Cartwheel, after a petition backed by Meredith Kercher’s sister Stephanie gathered nearly 3,000 signatures calling for its cancellation. Knox says the petition is based on false assumptions because its supporters have not seen the show, which she describes as an exploration of motherhood, violence against women and the trauma surrounding Kercher’s murder. She argues that comedy can address grief, trauma and other difficult subjects, and says Cartwheel honours Kercher’s memory while challenging the violence inflicted on both women.

Meredith Kercher’s sister Stephanie has backed a petition urging the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Gilded Balloon to cancel Amanda Knox’s one-woman show, Cartwheel. Supporters argue that the production turns Kercher’s rape and murder, and Knox’s involvement in the case, into entertainment and trivialises violence against women. The petition attracted nearly 1,000 signatures within 48 hours. Knox’s representative rejected those characterisations, saying the show is about motherhood, raising a daughter in an unsafe world and the cost of telling her story, while claiming that Cartwheel honours Kercher’s memory. Gilded Balloon defended its decision to host the production under the Fringe’s open-access and freedom-of-expression principles.

The King's Theatre in Edinburgh was hours away from having its redevelopment cancelled or being returned to Edinburgh City Council when the Scottish Government committed an additional £3.85 million in February 2023. Rising costs linked to the war in Ukraine had created a funding gap of almost £10 million for the £40.7 million-plus project. The theatre has now reopened after nearly four years, with improved accessibility, new lifts, hospitality areas and upgraded technical facilities. Capital Theatres says most essential funding has been secured, although some optional improvements remain and costs are commercially sensitive.

John Hannah and Alan Cumming have been added to the list of stars attending the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which runs from 13 to 19 August. Hannah will attend the opening-night premiere of Louis Paxton’s The Incomer with Domhnall Gleeson, Grant O’Rourke and Gayle Rankin. Cumming will attend the world premiere of Marc Turtletaub’s Borges and Me. Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner and Irvine Welsh are scheduled for a 30th-anniversary screening of Trainspotting, while McGregor and Kenneth Branagh will also appear at an in-conversation event. The festival will close with Louise Lockwood’s documentary Bel.

Culture secretary Mairi McAllan said the historic archive of Glasgow's Centre for Contemporary Arts and its former incarnation, the Third Eye Centre, is not included in the current auction and should be retained intact for public access. The auction instead involved equipment, furnishings, artwork, books and other contents from the CCA building, which entered liquidation in February. The Save Our CCA campaign welcomed clarification that the archive was not in the auction but warned that liquidators still control its fate and are obliged to seek the highest price. The campaign also called for the sale of the publicly owned CCA building at 350 Sauchiehall Street to be paused pending public consultation. Creative Scotland is working with local partners and liquidators on the archive's future while preparing a process to identify a new tenant or buyer for the site.

Ewan McGregor and Alan Cumming will star in the world premiere of a stage adaptation of Supernova at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 24 July to 21 August 2027. Harry Macqueen is adapting his screenplay about a long-term couple confronting one partner’s early-onset dementia, while John Tiffany directs. The play shifts much of the story from England’s Lake District to Scotland. The acclaimed 2020 film, originally starring Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci, faced censorship in Russia over its depiction of a gay relationship.

Edinburgh prepares for the Fringe as venues rise across the city and Jane Bradley reflects on her evolving relationship with the festival, now central to her work as an arts correspondent. Alan Cumming launches Edinlochry in Perthshire as an overlapping alternative to the Fringe, while Pitlochry Festival Theatre hosts 1950s-themed community picnics for its 75th anniversary. Aberdeen Arts Centre surpasses its fundraising target, securing over £87,000 to support its future after being at risk of closure.

Nearly 200 artists from across Scotland have been shortlisted for the 2026 Scottish Portrait Awards, selected from 2,500 entries across fine art, photography and phone-based portraiture categories. The finalists will exhibit their work at National Galleries Scotland: Portrait, with opportunities to win major awards, cash prizes and commissions. Judges praised the depth, diversity and storytelling of submissions, noting the range of established and emerging artists. The exhibition opens on 18 November and continues the awards’ tradition of elevating Scottish portraiture talent.

Tributes honour Christine Borland, a leading Scottish contemporary artist known for work exploring forensic science, medicine and human genetics, following her death at 60. National cultural institutions and artistic partners praised her international influence, deep ties to Scottish art communities and generous mentorship. Her career included major exhibitions, Turner Prize nomination, and recent projects addressing themes of cancer, consciousness and ethics. She is survived by her husband and daughters.

A prominent Scottish architect, Malcolm Fraser, has launched a campaign advocating a full reconstruction of the fire-ravaged Mackintosh building at the Glasgow School of Art, arguing that Scotland has mishandled its architectural heritage. He contrasts the stalled progress with France’s rapid restoration of Notre Dame, calling the situation indicative of systemic failures in heritage management. Amid reports suggesting a partial rebuild, the Glasgow School of Art denied plans to retain only the facade and promised further clarification. Fraser urges national commitment to a faithful restoration, emphasizing the building’s cultural importance and the feasibility of reconstruction based on extensive existing documentation.

A VR experience at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe allows participants to join a recorded performance of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra using gestural AirSticks to play fictional instruments within a 360-degree environment. Developed by Sonicrats and introduced by co‑founder Ciaran Frame, the project aims to make orchestral performance accessible and immersive, using realistic sound and staging to enhance presence. The show marks the premiere of the MSO recording in Scotland and hints at broader future applications for interactive music performance technology.

Comedian James Trickey is returning to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a new show based on being punched during a street performance after a fire alarm forced his venue to evacuate. The incident left him injured and led to personal reflection on male friendships, which shapes his upcoming performance. His attacker has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

Japanese company Hirakuza will bring an authentic sumo showcase to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the first time, featuring demonstrations, competitive bouts and explanations of traditional rituals. The production follows successful performances in Osaka and at the Adelaide Fringe. Scotland’s growing interest in the sport is highlighted through recent events including the European Sumo Championships and the rise of British-born wrestler Nicholas George Tarasenko. The show runs from 6 to 31 August at Underbelly’s Udderbelly venue.

Fire crews have made substantial progress in containing a wildfire in the Cairngorms, aided by favourable weather and increased access to the affected terrain. Around four square kilometres of land have burned across RSPB Scotland’s Abernethy Estate and adjacent Forestry and Land Scotland areas, prompting evacuations and restricted access. More than 100 firefighters, supported by vehicles and a water‑carrier helicopter, continue operations, with officials warning that containment does not yet mean full extinguishment. Local authorities report improved conditions and hope displaced residents and campers can return later, though key routes are expected to remain closed while firefighting efforts continue.

Plans are advancing to convert Glasgow’s former Centre for Contemporary Arts building into a Scottish Rock and Roll Hall of Fame led by ScotsRock, with Midge Ure serving as inaugural patron. The project aims to highlight Scotland’s global musical legacy, create a permanent exhibition and performance venue, and support creative industries without relying on public funding. Seed funding from Bill and Fiona Gordon will help establish exhibitions, events and educational programmes. The initiative is curated by Billy Sloan and Ronnie Gurr, who emphasise the cultural and tourism value of a permanent music heritage centre in Glasgow.

A new Edinburgh Festival Fringe play titled Tether explores unexpected cultural links between Scotland and Korea, including how the Korean independence anthem Arirang adopted the melody of Auld Lang Syne after its introduction by Scottish missionaries. Co-created by Scottish company Wonder Fools and Korea’s Theatre SAN, the production traces a Korean man’s migration to Scotland in 1910 and follows his family across significant historical events. The creators highlight striking parallels between the countries’ musical and dance traditions, while the play blends Korean and Scottish cultural elements to offer audiences an engaging and informative experience. Tether runs at Summerhall from 6 to 31 August.

Jon Harvey, the comedian behind Count Binface and challenger to Nigel Farage in the Clacton by‑election, was previously highlighted by The Scotsman as the “biggest surprise of the Fringe” for his 2018 Edinburgh Festival show. The review praised his mix of current affairs, cult media references and a viral prank that formed the show’s second half, while noting he was not a naturally confident performer. Harvey’s career includes work on major satirical TV programmes and performances at notable venues and festivals.

A National Theatre of Scotland production, Through the Shortbread Tin, explores Scottish cultural myths and the legacy of James Macpherson’s Ossian works. Written and performed by Martin O’Connor with Gaelic singers, the play challenges stereotypical images of Scottish identity. After its run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, it will tour Glasgow Cathedral, Stirling Castle and Urquhart Castle in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland.

A new Fringe production titled Steak Out revives the character originally meant for the late actor Andy Gray, focusing on a down‑on‑his‑luck Pilton butcher who plots a heist on a Stockbridge shop. Written by Ruaraidh Murray, the play draws on local Edinburgh settings and family pressures during Christmas, and is supported by theatre development organisations and arts patrons. Murray is also developing a related prequel, Chips, for future performance.

Jacqueline Donachie has been chosen from an all‑female shortlist to design the first statue of a woman in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens, honouring author Muriel Spark. Her minimal terrazzo concept, inspired by Spark’s writing, is intended to encourage public interaction. Judges cited Donachie’s deep understanding of Spark’s life and her experience with public art. Installation is planned for autumn 2027.

Donald MacDonald is stepping down as chair of the East Neuk Festival after more than two decades, becoming honorary president while a successor is sought. Widely credited with shaping the festival and Scotland’s music scene, MacDonald is praised by colleagues and performers for his long-term support, leadership of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and commitment to the Dunard Centre project. The festival, recognised with multiple awards and now backed by Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government, continues to grow in prominence and will return next year with a diverse programme.

Lochgelly Band will join Edinburgh’s Festival Fringe in a new production of Brassed Off reimagined from Yorkshire to the mining communities of Fife. Working with community theatre group Leitheatre, the band will perform alongside actors and bring local mining heritage to the forefront. The adaptation highlights parallels between Fife’s industrial past and the original film’s themes, while the band prepares simultaneously for the UK National Brass Band Championships. Performances will take place at Inverleith St Serf’s Church Centre from 8 to 22 August.

Performers staying at Queen Margaret University’s accommodation face losing housing two days before the Edinburgh Fringe ends because rental contracts stop on 30 August to accommodate returning students. Some artists have been forced to shorten their runs or seek last‑minute alternatives, increasing costs and logistical strain. The Fringe Society advises artists to ensure accommodation aligns with performance dates. A separate note highlights photographer Ed Smith’s touring River Spey exhibition.

A major exhibition titled Joyce W Cairns: A Personal Odyssey will celebrate the work of Joyce Cairns, the first woman elected president of the Royal Scottish Academy, as part of the institution’s bicentenary. The show traces her autobiographical artistic style rooted in personal history and Aberdeen’s fishing community. The RSA, founded in 1826, will host the exhibition from 1 August to 2 September in Edinburgh, alongside wider anniversary events across more than 100 venues. Recent developments at the academy include an all‑female cohort of new academicians and a visit by Queen Camilla during Royal Week.

Leith Theatre has been removed from the UK’s Theatres at Risk Register after securing major funding, appointing a design team, and reaching a long-term operating agreement with the City of Edinburgh Council. Theatres Trust highlighted significant progress but stressed that substantial work remains to address structural issues and fully reopen the venue. The latest register lists 39 theatres still under threat, with two new additions facing structural concerns and potential demolition amid wider worries about aging 1970s buildings.

The University of Stirling’s art collection, containing more than 800 works including 14 pieces by Scottish Colourist John Duncan Fergusson, has been granted National Significance Status by Museums Galleries Scotland. The designation recognises the quality of the collection and the university’s long‑standing commitment to integrating art into campus life through exhibitions, events, and educational initiatives. Local MSP Keith Brown and university staff highlighted the cultural and community value of the collection, which features works spanning Fergusson’s career and pieces by other prominent contemporary artists.

Stuart Kelly has been elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, an honour he connects to the legacy of the late Allan Massie. Kelly’s decades-long career as literary editor and author was cited in the recognition, which comes alongside elections of several other prominent writers. He praised the RSL’s efforts to protect authorship amid challenges posed by AI and declining advances, and highlighted the value of constructive disagreement in literary culture. Additional new and honorary fellows were announced, and the Benson Medal was awarded to Judith Palmer for her service to literature.

A UK premiere of Stan Zimmerman’s suicide-awareness play Right Before I Go will run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, featuring original Gilmore Girls cast member Emily Kuroda alongside Wendie Malick and Claire-Marie Hall. Inspired by the death of Zimmerman’s friend Kevin Gill, the production uses real suicide notes to spark conversations about mental health, with each performance followed by a discussion led by a professional. Proceeds will support the SL24: UnLocke the Light Foundation, and a school edition is planned for a future UK tour aimed at reducing stigma and supporting young people.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival announces a programme featuring conversations with Ewan McGregor and Kenneth Branagh, whose 1996 film Hamlet will screen ahead of receiving a new lifetime award. The festival opens with The Incomer and closes with Bel, with more than half of its selections being world premieres. A variety of new films compete for the Sean Connery Prize, while additional screenings and events include a 30th anniversary Trainspotting celebration. Festival director Paul Ridd highlights opportunities created by the departure of the Edinburgh TV Festival and signals plans to expand TV-related programming. The festival runs from 13 to 19 August across six venues in Edinburgh.