Events in Edinburgh
This November, Edinburgh turns to its winter season and the listing runs on into mid December. Edinburgh's Christmas fills Princes Street Gardens and George Street from 14 November to 3 January, Christmas at the Botanics opens on 19 November and Edinburgh Zoo's Giant Lanterns glow until 21 February. Concerts range from Graham Coxon on 22 November and Vivaldi's Four Seasons at St Giles' Cathedral on 27 November to Del Amitri at the Usher Hall on 1 December, and Bill Bailey plays the Edinburgh Playhouse on 25 November. A Kenneth Dingwall retrospective opens at the City Art Centre on 21 November.
What's on in Edinburgh according to the official calendar
The events below come from Edinburgh's official events calendar for the coming weeks, from winter light trails to free festivals, and each card links to its official listing with dates and venues. For the sights that stay open all year, see things to do in Edinburgh.
Carrying Stream Festival
When: 11 to 17 November
Where: Scottish Storytelling Centre, Royal Mile
Gatherings, talks, workshops and performances celebrate the music, song and stories passed on from generation to generation.
Edinburgh Zoo's Giant Lanterns
When: 13 November 2026 to 21 February 2027
Where: Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road
More than 1,000 handcrafted lanterns turn the zoo into a glowing space safari after dark, with walk-through planets along the route.
Edinburgh's Christmas
When: 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027
Where: East Princes Street Gardens, West Princes Street Gardens and George Street
Christmas markets, funfair rides such as the Big Wheel and the Star Flyer, and live outdoor events fill the city centre.
Edinburgh Diwali
When: 15 November
Where: New Town, then the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens
Scotland's largest public Diwali celebration opens with a parade and follows with music and dance. Free entry.
Christmas at the Botanics
When: Selected dates, 19 November to 30 December
Where: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
The illuminated trail marks its 10th year, with a projection across Inverleith House and the returning Christmas Cathedral.
Soundhouse Winter Festival
When: 26 to 30 November
Where: Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street
Five days of jazz and traditional music from Scotland, with emerging musicians, workshops and a silent film with live music.
Edinburgh gigs and festivals
Skye Newman
Skye Newman plays Edinburgh Corn Exchange on 9 November at 19:00.
Ricky Warwick & the Fighting Hearts
Ricky Warwick & the Fighting Hearts plays La Belle Angèle on 10 November at 19:00.
Jamie Duffy
Jamie Duffy plays Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh on 19 November at 19:00.
Handsome Jack
Handsome Jack plays Cabaret Voltaire on 21 November at 19:00.
Graham Coxon
Graham Coxon plays Liquid Room on 22 November at 19:00.
Vivaldi's Four Seasons at Christmas
Vivaldi's Four Seasons at Christmas plays St Giles' Cathedral on 27 November at 20:00.
Avatar
Avatar plays Edinburgh Corn Exchange on 29 November at 19:00.
Del Amitri, Past to Present
Del Amitri, Past to Present plays Usher Hall on 1 December at 19:00.
The Jazz Room: A Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong Tribute
The Jazz Room: A Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong Tribute plays Assembly Roxy on 4 December at 18:30.
The Twilight Sad
The Twilight Sad plays Usher Hall on 6 December at 19:00.
Candlelight: Christmas Movie Soundtracks
Candlelight: Christmas Movie Soundtracks plays Assembly Roxy on 11 December at 18:00.
Andrew Cushin
Andrew Cushin plays La Belle Angèle on 13 December at 19:00.
What's on in Edinburgh this month
The Holiday, Film with Live Orchestra
The Holiday, Film with Live Orchestra comes to Usher Hall on 24 November at 19:30.
Bill Bailey, Vaudevillean
Bill Bailey, Vaudevillean plays Edinburgh Playhouse on 25 November at 20:00.
Dylan Moran, Looking for Trouble
Dylan Moran, Looking for Trouble plays The Queen's Hall on 29 November at 20:00.
Disney's Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert
Disney's Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert plays Usher Hall on 3 December at 19:00.
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies plays The Queen's Hall on 7 December at 19:00.
The Big Christmas Sing-Along with Aled Jones and Alexander Armstrong
The Big Christmas Sing-Along with Aled Jones and Alexander Armstrong plays The Queen's Hall on 13 December at 19:00.
Temporary exhibitions in Edinburgh
The Edwardians, Age of Elegance
Until: 6 December 2026
Where: The King's Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse
Two fashionable royal couples, Edward VII and Alexandra and George V and Mary, seen through their family lives, collecting and royal events.
Imagine if… Celebrating 30 years of Edinburgh's World Heritage Site
Until: 10 January 2027
Where: Museum of Edinburgh, Canongate
A free exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh that celebrates 30 years of the city's World Heritage Site.
Costume Couture, Sixty Years of Cosprop
Until: 16 January 2027
Where: Dovecot Studios, Infirmary Street
The Scottish premiere of a show on the London costume house founded by John Bright in 1965, with costumes from film, television and theatre.
Kenneth Dingwall, Being
Dates: 21 November 2026 to 7 March 2027
Where: City Art Centre, Market Street
A major retrospective for the Edinburgh-based contemporary artist Kenneth Dingwall.
Public holidays in Edinburgh to plan around
Public holidays change the rhythm of a visit more than most travellers expect. Council offices and banks close, many shops and museums move to holiday hours, and public transport runs a reduced service, so a day built around an errand or a single attraction can fall flat. Scotland keeps a different bank holiday calendar from England, and 2026 is an unusual year: alongside the regular dates it carries a one-off World Cup bank holiday on 15 June, added by royal proclamation to mark the men's national football team reaching the finals. That makes ten bank holidays in all, though each employer and council decides whether to take the extra day, and the City of Edinburgh Council's own list of holiday closures does not include it.
National holidays in Scotland 2026
- 1 January New Year's Day
- 2 January New Year holiday, the 2nd January bank holiday
- 3 April Good Friday
- 4 May Early May bank holiday
- 25 May Spring bank holiday
- 15 June World Cup bank holiday, a one-off day for the 2026 finals
- 3 August Summer bank holiday
- 30 November St Andrew's Day
- 25 December Christmas Day
- 28 December Boxing Day, the substitute day as 26 December is a Saturday
Local holidays in Edinburgh 2026
- 20 April Spring Holiday, local
- 18 May Victoria Day, local
- 21 September Autumn Holiday, local
On top of the national calendar the City of Edinburgh Council sets its own local public holidays, the days its own services close, and these are the ones that catch visitors out because they fall on ordinary working days elsewhere. In the weeks this page covers, St Andrew's Day falls on Monday 30 November: it is a Scottish bank holiday, but it is not among the City of Edinburgh Council's own public holiday dates for 2026.
Keep exploring Edinburgh
The Edinburgh guide
The Edinburgh guide ranks ten attractions, from Edinburgh Castle and Arthur's Seat to the Museum of Edinburgh, then adds free things to do and lesser-known corners.
Tourist office in Edinburgh
Where to find the tourist information points in Edinburgh, the hours they keep and the bank holidays that change opening times across the city.
Beyond Edinburgh
The guide to the United Kingdom looks past Edinburgh to the Tower of London, Stonehenge, the Giant's Causeway and York Minster, with the sights worth building a longer trip around.