AROUND TOWN | HIGHLIGHTS AROUND TOWN HIGHLIGHTS
Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
GLASGOW
RUTHERGLEN COMIC CON Rutherglen Town Hall, Sat 2 Feb, bgcp.co.uk A host of traders selling comics, graphic novels, crafts, art and more. Plus, there’s a cosplay competition, workshops, quizzes and guest comic artists and writers.
MOD GHLASCHU City Halls, Sat 2 Feb, modghlaschu2019.com Week- long festival promoting the Gaelic language, culture and heritage through musical competitions.
HINA MATSURI JAPANESE SPRING FESTIVAL
Kibble Palace, Sat 2 Mar, japanese-matsuri-glasgow.org. uk Take part in this celebration of Japanese culture by checking out a spot of taiko drumming, trying your hand at origami and sampling some traditional sweets.
AYE WRITE! Various venues, Thu 14–Sun 31 Mar, ayewrite.com Aye Write! remains committed to celebrating Scottish and international writers and writing. Folk-punk icon Frank Turner and crime novelists James Oswald, Neil Broadfoot and MR Mackenzie have been announced for the 2019 programme, plus many more. See preview, page 55.
BLUE PLANET II: LIVE IN CONCERT
SSE Hydro, Thu 21 Mar, blueplanet2live.co.uk Return to the seas as fantastic footage from BBC’s flagship nature programme, Blue Planet II, plays in the vast space of the Hydro with a soundtrack performed live by a full symphony orchestra. The performance is narrated by Anita Rani.
EDINBURGH
EDINBURGH OFFICIAL CHINESE
NEW YEAR CONCERT Usher Hall, Sat 9 Feb, chinesenewyear.scot Chinese New Year celebration, hosted by the Asian Association of Commerce, Culture and Education in Europe. Featuring music from the Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Edinburgh Singers, as well as Chinese folk pieces performed by Chinese artists.
VALENTINE’S WEEKEND SHINDIG
Brewhemia, Fri 15 & Sat 16 Feb, brewhemia.co.uk On Friday and Saturday nights at Brewhemia you can dine, drink, be entertained and even dance on top of tables. The Valentine’s weekend line-up features Wedge of Glory, HighFade and Major Love.
CAPITAL SCI-FI CON Corn Exchange, Fri 15–Sun 17 Feb, capitalcomiccon.com Edinburgh’s not-for-profit pop culture, comic and movie convention for fans by fans is back in 2019. A chance to indulge in the world of comics, superheroes and graphic novels with stalls offering back issues, books and merchandise as well as a number of special guests.
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF MIDDLE EASTERN
SPIRITUALITY AND PEACE Various venues, Sat 2–Fri 29 Mar, eicsp.org This international festival draws together people from a wide range of spiritual backgrounds, cultures, traditions and communities to celebrate peace and mutual understanding via spiritual, educational, artistic and cultural events. The 2019 programme includes a wellbeing workshop with Gillian Allan, Aileen Reid and Karen Small, a full day conference on Kahil Gibran and more.
BP PORTRAIT AWARD 2018 Scottish National Portrait Gallery, until Sun 10 March, npg.org.
Giant Lanterns of China
uk See work from the prestigious annual portrait painting competition ran by the National Portrait Gallery in London. The award includes some of the best contemporary works in the world today.
EDINBURGH’S FESTIVAL OF IRELAND Various venues, Fri 15–Sat 23 Mar, edinburghsfestivalofireland.org A little bit of Ireland descends upon Edinburgh around St Patrick’s Day. Edinburgh’s Festival of Ireland is a multi-arts, family-friendly celebration of the links between Edinburgh and Ireland, with storytelling, music, dance, talks and comedy events. Last year featured a topical talk by the Irish Ambassador and an Irish Dance Concert featuring Siamsoir Irish dancers.
ROBOTS National Museum of Scotland, until Sun 5 May, nms.ac.uk Major new exhibition that looks at our 500-year quest to make robots human. See preview, page 53.
OUT OF TOWN
FORT WILLIAM MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL
Various venues, Fort William, Wed 20–Sun 24 Feb, mountainfestival. co.uk A series of films and lectures celebrating the great outdoors and mountain culture, held in Scotland’s outdoor capital.
DUNDEE WOMEN’S FESTIVAL Various venues, Dundee, Sat 2–Sat 16 Mar, dundeewomensfestival. org.uk Celebrating International Women’s Day (Fri 8 Mar) with almost three weeks of events, drama, discussions and workshops.
KIRKCALDY’S FOOD AND DRINK FAIR
Fife College, Kirkcaldy, Sat 16 Mar, welcometofife.com A celebration of local food & drink with demonstrations, talks and plenty of samples. The programme for 2019 will once again feature Gary Maclean, the 2016 winner of BBC’s Masterchef The Professionals.
BIG BURNS SUPPER GIANT LANTERNS OF
Various venues, Dumfries, until Sun 3 Feb, bigburnssupper. com Stars from across the country congregate as Dumfries celebrates the birth of the Bard with a vast selection of dance, theatre, visual arts, live art and comedy, turning Burns’ Night into a festival of contemporary arts.
CHINA Edinburgh Zoo, until Sun 17 Feb, edinburghzoo. org.uk/lanterns Bespoke display of 450 lanterns created by 150 Chinese craftspeople from Sichuan.
PROFESSOR BRIAN COX SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Thu 19 Feb, thessehydro. com Professor Brian
Cox takes audiences on a journey through space and time. The particle physicist is best known for his popular BBC series Wonders of … and non- fiction titles including Why Does E=mc²? and The Quantum Universe. See feature, page 42.
AUDACIOUS WOMEN FESTIVAL
Various venues, Edinburgh, Thu 21–Mon 25 Feb, audaciouswomen. scot A festival for and by women with something to give – breaking down personal, political and institutional barriers and giving a massive shout out to women everywhere. Events include workshops, readings, performance, exhibitions and taster sessions.
EDINBURGH YARN FESTIVAL Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, Thu 21–Sat 23 Mar, edinyarnfest. com A festival aimed at ‘yarn-enthusiasts of all flavours’, this woolly bonanza caters for all who knit, crochet, embroider, spin, haberdash or just appreciate a darn good yarn.
H I T L I S T
54 THE LIST 1 Feb–31 Mar 2019