Student Guide CULTURAL
It’s festival-time all-year round over here – so where do you start? Rowena McIntosh rounds up
EDINBURGH’S CHRISTMAS & HOGMANAY Six weeks of winter wonderland with open-air ice rinks, European markets, a programme of live entertainment and lashings of glühwein. The legendary street party welcomes 2016 with music and i reworks. Edinburgh, November-January.
international GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL A rich programme of European and world premieres, releases and cult classics as well as unique screening events. 2015’s line-up included a 1970s roller disco and a sell-out cat video festival. Glasgow, February.
festival AYE WRITE! celebrates Glasgow’s book international writers and Scottish and writing with a packed programme of talks, panel discussions and workshops. 2015 featured authors Irvine Welsh and Michel Faber, as well as comedian Karen Dunbar. Glasgow, March or April.
GLASGOW COMEDY FESTIVAL Venues all over the city morph into comedy clubs as stand-ups from across the UK and beyond arrive for Europe’s largest comedy festival. Last year the i rst live stage appearance of cult sketch show Burnistoun was a highlight. Glasgow, March. 96 THE LIST 3 Sep–5 Nov 2015
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL The oldest continually running i lm festival in the world, the EIFF presents new features, documentaries, retrospectives, shorts, panel discussions and educational workshops, with a few high-proi le premieres thrown in. Edinburgh, June.