The 10 Best Places To Hear Folk Music in Edinburgh
Edinburgh is not short on folk music venues, with each one offering something slightly different. Whether you want to sit in on a session with a few pints or watch some of the best acts on the circuit in an intimate theatre, these venues have you covered.
Edinburgh is full of incredible folk music, from the smallest pubs to the most lavish theatres. On any night of the week, you’ll be able to listen to some of the best acts on the folk circuit or just stumble into a session – you might even get to join in for a tune. Remember that folk is a broad church, but whatever you’re looking for will be covered here.
1. Soundhouse @ The Traverse Theatre
Theatre
2. Sandy Bell’s
Pub, Beer
3. Leith Folk Club
Music Venue
Leith Folk Club takes over the function room in Ferry Road’s Victoria Park Hotel every Tuesday, rolling out maritime-themed banners and welcoming musicians who cover the whole spectrum of folk – from traditional Scottish and upcoming singer-songwriters to touring Americana and country. Gigs are known to go from pin-drop quiet to raucous and rowdy from one song to the next. Don’t be surprised to hear the audience burst into song, particularly if there’s any Robbie Burns on the set-list. If you don’t know the words, just hum, but make sure you do it with conviction.
4. Edinburgh Folk Club
Music Venue
5. Summerhall
Music Venue
The Old Royal Veterinary College has famously transformed itself into one of Edinburgh’s most thriving art venues. Summerhall often welcomes touring folk acts to its 400-capacity music venue called The Dissection Room (a gruesome homage to the college’s medical history). Keep an eye out for its cheekily named music programme: Nothing Ever Happens Here. The best contemporary Scottish indie-folk artists have all graced the stage here, including Rachel Sermanni, Adam Holmes & The Embers and James Yorkston. Summerhall also hosts a full programme during the Edinburgh Fringe – it’s one of the city’s most unique spaces to watch music.
6. The Royal Oak
Pub, Nightclub, Pub Grub, Wine, Beer, British
7. Captain’s Bar
Pub, Bar, Beer
Barely a hop, skip and jump from The Royal Oak is Captain’s Bar, which has folk sessions lasting until 1am almost every night of the week. It is small but perfectly formed with 28 seats, and it’s incredible to hear the whole pub fall silent when a great singer starts up in the corner or to feel the energy rise when blazing fiddles kick in. Its bright red exterior and cartoonish pirate logo make this place hard to miss (and anyway, you wouldn’t want to). If you happen to be up for Hogmanay, its parties are legendary, with an all-day music line-up and bagpipes ringing in the new year from midnight.
8. Leith Depot
Pub, Seafood, Pub Grub, Healthy, British
9. Dalriada
Pub, Beer
Located down on Portobello Promenade with its big bay window facing right out onto the Forth, Dalriada lays claim to one of the best views of any pub in Edinburgh. Sessions are plentiful here, with musicians piling around the window, playing while the water flows behind them. Head down on a Sunday afternoon between 3pm and 6pm for a relaxed song-swap, or on Wednesday night for a more raucous trad session. Opening out the definition of folk music from Scotland, there’s also a great World Music session on Saturday afternoons.
10. The Black Cat
Pub, British, Pub Grub
The Black Cat is an ideal folk venue to head to if you’ve spent the day in and around Princes Street and the New Town, with sessions on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings. An excellent whisky selection, warm atmosphere and great standard of music make this a really vibrant and busy bar in the evenings, so get down early if you want to grab a seat. While it attracts a less local crowd than some other folk pubs, the music remains excellent, and the bar staff are a fountain of knowledge.
This article is an updated version of a story written by Helena Fornells.
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