CITY OF FESTIVALS
Edinburgh is known as the City of Festivals and on a normal year, the city has a jam-packed festival schedule all year round. Sadly, a few annual festivals have had to cancel this month but there are still several going ahead to look out for:
Edinburgh Gaelic Festival (5th–12th November, Various Locations Online and In-Person)
Edinburgh Gaelic Festival celebrates Gaelic’s place in the capital city and its Gaelic community. There will be concerts, workshops, lectures and more!
Edinburgh Short Film Festival (8th & 9th October, Currie Community Centre)
Currie’s community festival is back with live music from Cranachan, curries provided by Kebab Mahal and a selection of ales, ciders and wines. The festival is run by volunteers, and all profits will go to good causes in the local area.
Edinburgh Gin Festival (11th – 24th October, Various Locations)
Edinburgh Cocktail Week is returning and with the purchase of an ECW wristband you can enjoy £4 Signature Cocktails at 100 of Edinburgh’s cocktail bars and entrance to the Cocktail Village at Festival Square.
The Great Eastern Festival (27th November, Various Venues)
The Great Eastern is an all-day music festival with over 40 acts performing in a variety of unique venues across the Capital.
Edinburgh Vegan Festival (23rd & 24th October, Surgeons’ Hall)
Edinburgh Vegan Festival is a family-run festival where you can enjoy food from various vegan food stalls, browse cruelty-free clothing and learn more about veganism.
EH6 Festival (28th November, The Biscuit Factory)
EH6 is a live music, food and drink festival held in Leith! There’s an incredible line-up of musicians, including Callum Beattie and Billy Mitchell, to look forward to.
ENTERTAINMENT
As the nights draw in and temperatures drop, it’s the perfect time to book tickets to see a show or amble around an art exhibit. Thankfully, November has plenty to offer, here are just a few events and exhibitions to keep in mind:
Peace Cranes (ending on 13th November, St. John’s Church, Free)
And If Not Now, When? (1st-14th November, National Museum of Scotland, Free)
WELL: Tania Kovats in Conversation (3rd November, Fruitmarket Gallery, Free)
The Best of Scottish Comedy (4th November, The Stand, From £8)
Scottish Opera: Utopia, Limited (5th November, Festival Theatre, From £13.50)
Reflections: The Light and Life of John Henry Lorimer (From 6th November, City Art Centre, Free)
Sam Heughan & Graham McTavish – The Clanlands Almanac (7th November, Usher Hall, from £33)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (8th-13th November, King’s Theatre, from £18.50)
Edinburgh Blues Club Welcomes Ian Siegal (12th November, The Caves, £18)
Ballet Black (18th November, Festival Theatre, from £18.50)
SEASONAL EVENTS
November offers an interesting range of seasonal events from a sprinkling of festive events and St Andrew’s Day celebrations to Bonfire Night fun and a time to remember and honour the fallen on Armistice Day.
Whisky & Cheese Tasting (Throughout November, Whiski Rooms, £30)
Celebrate St Andrew’s Day by attending a whisky tasting where you’ll learn the basics of production plus the best way to approach, serve and enjoy whisky.
Remembrance Sunday (14th November at 11am, City Chambers)
Join the Lord Provost and the wider Armed Forces and Veterans community to remember the fallen at the Stone of Remembrance. There is also a Garden of Remembrance in East Princes Street Gardens.
Poinsettia Walk (17th,18th,21st November, Pentland Plants, £6.99)
Pentland Plants has been growing poinsettias for over 50 years. Head along to their nursery to enjoy a guided tour of their poinsettias and take one of your choice home.
Castle of Light (From 19th November, Edinburgh Castle, £20)
Edinburgh Castle will be lit up with stunning visuals and state of the art lighting installations to tell the untold history of this iconic landmark.
Edinburgh Zoo’s Christmas Nights (From 19th November, Edinburgh Zoo, £18)
Begin the festive celebrations early with a trip to Edinburgh Zoo’s spectacular light trail – there may even be an appearance from Santa!
St Andrew’s Day Charity Ceilidh (20th November, Prestonfield Golf Club, £15)
Celebrate St Andrew’s Day by playing games, entering live raffle draws and most importantly, dancing the night away to music from the brilliant band GIANT with proceeds going to Young Lives vs Cancer.
Edinburgh Christmas (20th November, Various Locations)
Edinburgh Christmas is back! You can expect the annual Christmas markets, ice skating, fairground rides and more.
Christmas at the Botanics (From 25th November, Royal Botanic Garden, £20)
The Botanics’ hugely popular illuminated trail is back. Discover sparkling tunnels of light, dancing waterside reflections and trees drenched in jewel-like colour.
St Andrew’s Day Concert (26th November, St Giles’ Cathedral, £10)
St Giles’ Cathedral presents an evening of music and spoken word to celebrate St Andrew’s Day and traditional Gaelic culture.
St Andrew’s Fair Saturday (26th-30th November, Newhailes Estate, from £5)
Artists and cultural organisations from across Scotland will get together in a global festival to support a social cause while celebrating St Andrew’s Day.
Christmas on Castle Street (26th November, Castle Street, Free)
This November, Castle Street will host a Christmas Fair. There will be a range of independent makers and designers who will showcase beautiful handcrafted products.
King’s Panto: Sleeping Beauty (From 27th November, King’s Theatre, from £19)
The hugely successful King’s Pantomime welcome back Allan Stewart, Grant Stott and Jordan Young in Sleeping Beauty.
Nativity Carol Concert (28th November at 3pm, St Andrew Square, Free)
End the month with traditional Christmas carols with choirs from across Edinburgh at the annual Nativity Carol Concert.
LITERARY EVENTS
Topping & Company will be welcoming more than a dozen authors this month such as Anna Deacon and Vicky Allan who will be chatting about their new book “The Art of Wild Swimming” (23rd November).
Topping & Company (2 Blenheim Place)
Topping & Company will be welcoming more than a dozen authors this month such as Anna Deacon and Vicky Allan who will be chatting about their new book “The Art of Wild Swimming” (23rd November).
Golden Hare Books (68 St Stephen Street)
Golden Hare Books has organised an evening with authors J.R. Thorp and Katie Hale for the launch of Thorp’s stunning new novel, “Learwife” (11th November). Then, the award-winning poet Bashabi Fraser CBE and noted artist Vibha Pankaj will chat about their joint work, “Patient Dignity” (19th November).
Lighthouse Bookshop
Lighthouse Bookshop has arranged a diverse and fascinating range of events for November, including Edinburgh’s Radical Book Fair (From 11th-14th November) at Assembly Roxy.
Portobello Bookshop (46 Portobello High Street)
Lastly, Portobello Bookshop has a mix of both in-person and online events. The month begins with Lucie McKnight Hardy and Anna Cheung’s spooktacular event (2nd November) and ends with an evening with Robin Ince (29th November).
MARKETS
Edinburgh is fortunate to have a variety of weekly neighbourhood markets to visit plus a few one-off or speciality markets.
Grassmarket Market (every Saturday, from 10am-5pm)
A weekly market offering freshly baked goods, seasonal produce, and local craftwork.
Leith Market (every Saturday, Dock Place, from 10am-5pm)
Sitting beside the Shore, Leith’s weekly market hosts predominantly food stalls as well as a few local makers.
Stockbridge Market (every Sunday, Saunders Street, from 10am-5pm)
Stockbridge is one Edinburgh’s busiest markets selling a range of street food and lifestyle products.
Edinburgh Farmers’ Market (every Saturday, Castle Terrace, from 9am-2pm)
Drop by Edinburgh Farmers’ Market to browse seasonal produce such as fruit, vegetables, locally sourced game, and more.
The Pitt Street Food Market (every Friday-Sunday, Pitt Street, various times)
This hugely popular street food market hosts a range of street food traders with live music.
Edinburgh Art Fair (18th-21st November, Edinburgh Corn Exchange)
Discover a fantastic and eclectic array of original artworks from emerging artists.
WORKSHOPS
Edinburgh has a fantastic creative community who host regular workshops to teach their craft. So, whether you’re looking to discover a new hobby or cultivate an existing talent, here are a few options:
Print Your Own Christmas Gifts (20th November, Edinburgh Open Workshop, £60)
Join print designer Katie Charleson for a 3-hour workshop where you will learn the basic techniques of screen printing and transfer your designs onto a tote bag, t-shirt or tea towel.
A Taste of Italy (28th November, Edinburgh New Town Cookery School, £170)
The renowned Edinburgh New Town Cookery School is hosting a one-day workshop where you will learn to make your own pasta and cook dishes from different regions of Italy.
Wreath Making Workshops (Various Dates)
As the festive season approaches, get your front door ready by heading along to a wreath making workshop. There are a host to choose from and a few to look into are “Wreath Making at Edinburgh Zoo” (24th & 27th November, £60), “Wild Wreath Making” with WanderWomen (27th November, Portobello, £60) and “Christmas Wreath Workshop by Ixia Flowers” (30th November, St James Quarter, £79).
https://www.facebook.com/events/portobello-edinburgh/wild-wreath-making/581370876574702/
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wreath-making-at-edinburgh-zoo-tickets-169123136855
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/christmas-wreath-workshop-tickets-170017746657
EDINBURGH WELCOMES
Last, but not least, there are always businesses opening their doors for the first time in Edinburgh. Here are a few which have opened in October and will be opening in November. Why not pop along and welcome them!
