What's On In Edinburgh in October

DRINK | Stimulate The Senses At Edinburgh Coffee Festival

📅 Saturday, 1st October
Kick off the month with a celebration of everyone’s favourite drink — coffee. The Edinburgh Coffee Festival is back again and is expected to be even more glorious and more coffee-fied than before. Let that distinctive smell of coffee beans jumpstart the mind at the great historical venue of Summerhall. Brush up on all things Joe related with riveting talks about tea and coffee, sample everything in sight from the multiple food outlets, and delight in the coffee playground at the demonstration and coffee machine showroom.
Tickets: £8.50 – £10

📍Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, Edinburgh, Scotland
HEALTH | Enjoy All Things Pure At Scottish Vegan Fest

📅 Saturday, 1st October
The Scottish Vegan Festival is Edinburgh’s ultimate animal rescue charity event. This fantastic festival is set to take place at the Corn Exchange. Consider it a valuable gateway to all things vegan. Those attending can gather as much information as possible from the wonderful array of talks, demos, and films on offer. Taste some delectable vegan delicacies from the top-notch selection of stalls gracing the area. Expect many a revelation from the excellent cooking demos too.
Tickets: £2 – £26

📍Edinburgh Corn Exchange, 10 New Market Road, Edinburgh, Scotland
MONDAY, 3rd OCTOBER – SUNDAY, 9th OCTOBER

CULTURE | Look For The Lederhosen And Savour Bavarian Culture

📅 Wednesday, 5th October – Sunday, 9th October
Drink barrels of beer and eat copious amounts of great food at Oktoberfest 2016. Experience Bavarian culture at its best and immerse yourself into Edinburgh’s very own version of Munich’s momentous festival. Enter into the wonderland of the beer tent in the Princes Street Gardens and soak up the joyous atmosphere. Most importantly, sip the best German beer and delight in the sweet sound of ‘Schlager’ music resonating across the city.
Tickets: Free – £14

📍West Gardens Cottage, Princes Street, Edinburgh, Scotland
THEATRE | Relive The Classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

📅 Wednesday, 5th October – Sunday, 16th October
Immerse yourself into the wonderful world of musical theatre and soak up every minute of the beloved classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Laugh out loud and relive all the songs during what is set to be a knockout performance. Expect to be awestruck by the stellar cast and enjoy a wonderful portrayal of this world-renowned musical extravaganza. Audiences will no doubt leave this production bellowing ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang we love you’ with a significant spring in their step.
Tickets: £27 – £47

📍Edinburgh Festival Theatre, 13-29 Nicolson St, Edinburgh, Scotland
FOOD | Embark On A Culinary Adventure At Edinburgh’s Restaurant Fest

📅 Thursday, 6th October – Sunday, 16th October
Did you know that Edinburgh has earned the crown of being a culinary Eden? This city has more restaurants per head than any other in the United Kingdom. Let us celebrate and delight in the Edinburgh Restaurant Festival. Savour the multiple offers, deals, and special menus from participating restaurants and tuck into delicious food straight from the natural larder of Scotland.
📍Edinburgh, Scotland
DRINK | Sip G&T All Day Long At The Ultimate Gin Festival

📅 Friday, 7th October – Sunday, 9th October
Gin lovers of the world unite. Edinburgh is honoured to host the largest gin event in the United Kingdom. Get ready for a dreamland filled with more gin than people. Taste until your heart is content and choose from over 100 gins of new and old. Form bonds with fellow gin enthusiasts and prepare to be on the edge of your seat when gin industry experts divulge the ins and outs of this glorious tipple. Expect food and gin in abundance and the most enjoyable live entertainment.
Tickets: £8.50 +

📍Edinburgh Corn Exchange, 10 New Market Road, Edinburgh, Scotland
MONDAY, 10th OCTOBER – SUNDAY, 16th OCTOBER

DANCE | Shimmy The Night Away Scottish Style At A Ceilidh

📅 Tuesday, 11th October
We all love a good shindig every now and then. Don the tartan and lace up those shoes. Saunter over to Summerhall and dance the evening away with the Edinburgh Ceilidh Club. Expect brilliant tunes from the powerful Pentlands Ceilidh Band. Do-si-do your way around the room and Eightsome Reel like you’ve never reeled before. The Scots certainly know how to party.
Tickets: £6.00

📍Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, Edinburgh, Scotland
MUSIC | See What All The Hullabaloo Is About At The Bongo Club

📅 Thursday, 13th October
Ready for a real party? Let loose, feel the hips sway, wave those hands, and allow the moves to do the talking. Head to the Bongo Club for Hullabaloo and enter into an underground paradise of the funkiest music around Edinburgh. Boogie away and show the dance floor some sweet shapes with a fantastic fusion of soul, disco, funk, hip-hop, break beats, and so much more. Trendy Wendy, Steve Austin, and Eva Crystaltips are all set for one wild time.
Tickets: £2 – £3

📍The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate, Edinburgh, Scotland
FILM | Explore Contemporary Criticism Of Film, Theatre, And TV In The Public Sphere

📅 Thursday, 13th October
Join guest speaker Dr Michael Bachmann — a lecturer in theatre, film, and television studies at the University Of Glasgow — and enter into a riveting seminar. Distributed Aesthetics, Contemporary Criticism, And The Public Sphere is set to explore the act and significance of timing when it comes to criticism of visual arts. Through focusing on two controversial performance-installations, Bachmann will compare and examine how such performances rely on criticism. In turn, he shall question any changes in the relationship between art, criticism, and the public realm.
Tickets: Free

📍ECA, Hunter Lecture Theatre, Hunter Building, 74 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, Scotland
ART | Be Inspired By The Resplendent Lights At The Royal Botanic Garden

📅 Thursday, 13th October – Sunday, 6th November
It is verging on impossible for the Botanics to get even more beautiful, yet now it’s possible. Enter into a fairytale where horticulture meets heaven as thousands of incandescent lights twinkle proudly and project dancing shadows amidst the resplendent grounds of the Royal Botanic Garden. Follow the light installations as you explore the surroundings and see the ever-so-popular garden features spring to life more than ever before.
Tickets: £15

📍Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, Edinburgh, Scotland
FESTIVAL | Raise Money For Charity And Rock Out At Oxjam

📅 Saturday, 15th October
Since 2006, Oxjam (with Oxfam) has been helping fight poverty across the world through a month-long string of music festivals in the United Kingdom. Edinburgh is joining in on the festivities and will be hosting the ultimate musical shindig. Head to venues all across town including Brew Dog, Paradise Palms, Stramash, and even a pop-up stage in the historic Grassmarket area. Experience the most talented local bands and rock out to the magical music of superstars in the making.
Tickets: £8

📍Grassmarket, Edinburgh, Scotland
MONDAY, 17th OCTOBER – SUNDAY, 23rd OCTOBER

COMEDY | Grin Like The Cheshire Cat And Laugh Like Never Before

📅 Monday, 17th October
Get your monthly laughter fix at The Stand Comedy Club. Red Raw is a weekly beginner’s showcase featuring around 10 acts all ready to test their comedic skills to the limit. Everyone has to start somewhere. Show them some well-deserved support and see what they’ve got. More seasoned performers are also known to gatecrash and play around with some fresh material too. With headliner Micky Bartlett in the mix, this one is sure to have you rolling on the floor laughing. Who knows, the next comedic wonder may be lurking on stage.
Tickets: £3

📍The Stand Comedy Club, 5 York Place, Edinburgh, Scotland
THEATRE | Enjoy A Wonderfully Witty Evening At The Traverse

📅 Wednesday, 19th October
Head to the Traverse for an evening of hilarity and tears. Prepare to be moved to the core by Lifelines, a genius conglomeration of short plays and monologues. The informal setting is refreshing with scripts on hand and chuckles a plenty. Expect a perfectly stubborn celebration of life and explore the trials and tribulations involving the inevitable gift of growing old.
Tickets: £4.50 – £6.50

📍Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh, Scotland
FESTIVAL | Let Loose And Rave Away At Linkylea In The City

📅 Friday, October 21st – Saturday, 22nd October
Linkylea In The City is hands down the event of the month. This legendary family run festival has taken a wee break from its usual location in the enchanting land of East Lothian and is eager to take Edinburgh by storm. Prepare to be blown away with smashing performances from some spectacular local bands. Get out the glow sticks, don the fairy wings (no one is judging), and partake in the most epic rave of all raves. This amazing event is as sublime as it is charitable — all proceeds go towards helping disadvantaged children and young adults in Gwalior, India.
Tickets: £10 – £30

📍Stramash, 207 Cowgate, Old Town, Edinburgh, Scotland
CULTURE | Unleash The Confines Of The Mind Through The Magical Art Of Storytelling

📅 Friday, 21st October – Monday, 31st October
It seems only fitting that the Scottish International Storytelling Festival takes place in the heart and soul of Scotland. After all, some of the world’s best writers and storytellers come from this bonnie land. Since 1989, this oral celebration has enabled people to immerse themselves into a land where the imagination can reel and stories are brought to the forefront of the mind. A myriad of performances, workshops, talks, and children’s events will explore this year’s theme — Festival of Dreams — and take audiences on a transformative imaginary adventure that transcends time and space.
Tickets: Free +

📍Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh, Scotland
MONDAY, 24th OCTOBER – MONDAY, 31st OCTOBER

ARCHITECTURE | Become Inspired By An Architecture Lecture

📅 Monday, 24th October
Here is one to pencil into the diary. Join renowned architects Joan Callis, David Reat, and David Page as they enter into a captivating discussion about everything architectural. The conversations will address shared themes, common interests, and important influences. Learn the prevalence of all these factors and how they shape the places and spaces around us. From constructing the Scottish Parliament building to crafty collaborations, expect to be inspired on a whole new scale.
Tickets: £5 – £6

📍National Museum Of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, Scotland
FILM | Fall Head Over Heels For Scotland’s Largest Short Film Festival

📅 Wednesday, 26th October – 6th November
Film enthusiasts can dance a jig of joy over Scotland’s largest dedicated short film festivities — the Edinburgh Short Film Festival (ESFF). Gallivant all over town and witness some sensational screenings featuring vast arrays of award-winning films from across the globe. Although short in length, this year’s films will undoubtedly imprint into the imagination and hold a significant lasting impression.
📍Edinburgh, Scotland
CULTURE | Enter Into The Enchanting Land Of Cosplay And Comic Con

📅 Saturday, 29th October – Sunday, 30th October
Consider Geek Out a brilliantly nerdy utopia of cosplay and comic con. Venture to a colourful community where Deadpool meets Star Trek and the fairies roam free. Marvel at avid cosplayers adorned in their finery and meet the multiple special guests. Speaking of which, the one and only John Romero will be there. Anyone who is familiar with the terms ‘first person shooter’ or ‘death match’ will be fully aware of the prevalence when it comes to this dynamite Doom creator. He is kind of a big deal in the gaming world.
Tickets: £10 – £17

📍The Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, Scotland
ART | Delve Into An Artistic Bubble And Let The Mind Reel

📅 Saturday 29th October – Saturday, 17th December
Through various tools such as video installation, philosophical texts, discarded items, found objects, and contemporary and historical artworks, prominent artist Rob Kennedy will more than likely succeed in sparking a myriad of reactions in acts of dis play. Don’t miss out on experiencing the work of this immensely talented individual. It is worth noting that this wonder encourages a certain degree of artistic discourse regarding artworks and objects possessing agency, and the actions of the visitor in an art gallery.
Tickets: Free

📍Talbot Rice Gallery, The University Of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh, Scotland
MUSIC | Nerd Out Over The DJ Skills Of Game Of Thrones Star Hordor

📅 Monday 31st October
Game of Thrones fans brace yourselves for what is set to be the biggest Westeros event of the century. This isn’t your average Halloween celebration — expect themed decorations galore, immensely talented actors, and stunning visual productions on a whole new scale. Whether a wildling or Dragon Queen, this event will satisfy and then some. Hordor himself (Kristian Nairn) will be there in full force wowing the crowds — this time as a music man — with his impressive soulful house tunes and deftly snazzy DJ skills.
Tickets: £10 – £15

📍The Liquid Room, 9C Victoria Street, Edinburgh, Scotland