Events & Festivals

Scotland’s run at the Guinness Six Nations 2020 kicks off in February at Scotland’s national stadium, BT Murrayfield. The first game is against England, sure to be a competitive match and if you’re lucky enough to have a ticket for the event, the atmosphere is like no other.

Winter Words Festival is a chilled-out book festival with author events, storytelling sessions, movement workshops and literary lunches. Cool stuff. Confirmed authors for 2020 are Val McDermid, Sir Tom Devine, Professor Christopher Whatley, Sue Armstrong, and Esther Rutter.

The Hebridean Dark Skies Festival is an ambitious new annual programme of events at An Lanntair and across Lewis, including theatre, live music, film, visual art, food, astronomy talks and stargazing! The Isle of Lewis has some of the darkest skies in the UK. Many astronomical sights can be seen through the naked eye including the Orion Nebula, the Milky Way and the Great Andromeda galaxy. Lewis is also one of the best places in the UK to see the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis (as featured in Casey McIntyre’s winning competition entry above).

Glasgow Film Festival is one of the leading UK film festivals. GFF programme regularly features: new local and international film from all genres; mainstream crowd-pleasers to groundbreaking art-house experimentation; the return of well-loved classics alongside rare cult gems; with filmmaker guest appearances, interactive workshops and discussion panels to complete the mix, you don’t want to miss out!

The Nevis Ensemble are a project that aims to remove barriers to accessing orchestral music, bringing it to where people are. The self-proclaimed Scotland Street Orchestra covers a wide range of musical genres with full-scale, orchestral performances, popping up in flash-mob style in places from the morning commute to afternoon in the park and even appearing in swimming pools. Guerilla concerto! Throughout February, Nevis Ensemble, alongside composers from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, creates and performs new works in collaboration with communities on the Isle of Eigg, Aberdeen, Saltcoats, Stevenston and Dunbar.

Spectra Festival is organised by Aberdeen City Council in partnership with arts producers and placemakers Curated Place. The festival returns in February 2020, inspired by Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2020, it will showcase an amazing and unique experience in light and sound. Spectra brings together artists, thinkers, musicians and businesses to highlight Aberdeen at its absolute best. If you enjoy interactive sculptures, architectural projections and experimental music, this is the event for you.