AROUND TOWN

Kicking off this weekend is the seasoned spectacle that is The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Saturday 5 – Saturday 26 August), an unforgettable musical and artistic tradition set against a backdrop of glorious Edinburgh Castle.

The Dram Good Whisky Festival (Friday 4 & Saturday 5 August) is a brand new event which raises a glass to top-quality spirits as it brings some of Scotland’s best producers to Edinburgh’s Merchants Hall.

Ten-day multi-arts festival Fringe By The Sea (Friday 4 – Sunday 13 August) offers its own take on fringe fun in the coastal town of North Berwick. It features everything from music, comedy and award-winning authors to street performance and silent discos.

MUSIC

This year’s UCI Cycling World Championships are playing host to the best of Glasgow’s vibrant music scene. Go Live! At George Square (Saturday 5 August) features sets from Michael McGovern & Scott C Park, Mischa MacPherson and the Siobhan Miller Band.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s classic LP, Planetarium Lates: Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon (until Saturday 26 August) will immerse you in modern, mesmeric 360-degree visuals, with the album’s beloved tracks delivered in that all-important surround sound.

Challenging notions of what an orchestra can be, Tinderbox Orchestra (until Saturday 19 August) brings together rappers and singers with strings, brass, woodwind and a thundering backline, while Edinburgh’s iconic Central Library will be transformed into a unique music venue.

STAGE

You’ve seen him on TV’s Taskmaster now check out that mischievous and chameleon-like comedian Munya Chawawa (Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 August) in the flesh. He’ll be giving some new material a run through at Glasgow’s The Stand.

Edinburgh’s Summerhall is the setting for the debut play from the Tony-nominated co-director of SIX: The Musical. Detective drama An Interrogation (until Sunday 27 August) sees a young sleuth working against the clock as she questions a suspect.

There will be more stimulating stage action at Edinburgh’s Little Theatre when they play host to The Court (until Sunday 27 August), a euthanasia-themed and interactive courtroom drama which seeks to challenge your beliefs and engage your sleuthing skills as it plucks its jurors from the audience.

SCREEN

The original film was the dictionary definition of a guilty pleasure and Meg 2: The Trench only goes and adds ace British director Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Sightseers) to the mix. That loveable, perpetually stressed action man Jason Statham returns as a megalodon shark’s worst nightmare.

The writer of Crazy Rich Asians and Raya And The Last Dragon, Adele Lim, makes her directorial debut with the hilariously chaotic friendship comedy Joy Ride. It sees four Asian American gal pals endure a disaster-strewn trip to China.

Cute coming of age dramedy Heartstopper returns to Netflix this week for its second season. It follows gay schoolboy Charlie (Joe Locke) and the newly, nervously out object-of-his-affections, Nick (Kit Connor), as they negotiate those troubled teenage years.

PODCASTS

First Dates: The Podcast brings together Frankie Bridge from the Saturdays and First Dates waitress Cici Coleman for a juicy post-date debrief as they hear stories of love at first sight and dating disasters.

The BBC’s disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring heads down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole in her podcast Marianna In Conspiracyland. Listen as she explores radicalisation, conspiracy theory media and its disturbing far-right links.

The sensationally monikered true crime podcast Queen Havoc And Her Murder Cult tells the story of self-proclaimed witch Cecilia Steyn, eventually dubbed ‘the Charles Manson of South Africa’, who fronted a quasi-Christian cult and persuaded her followers to murder nearly a dozen people.

VISUAL ART

With Grayson Perry: Smash Hits (until Sunday 12 November) the Royal Scottish Academy has brought together the biggest ever collection of this hugely popular and often provocative artist’s work, pulled from right across his 40-year career. Find out everything you could hope to know about Grayson Perry in our A-Z feature.

If you’re looking to purchase some new art, then this year’s West End Fair (until Sunday 27 August) is well worth a peruse. Taking place in the grounds of Edinburgh’s St John’s Church, it features the work of 120 artists, designers and makers, with new sellers arriving each week.

Celebrating the eponymous garment Beyond The Little Black Dress (until Monday 28 August) is a major exhibition at Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland. It charts a century of fashion through themed, immersive displays and includes pieces by Chanel, Dior and Jean Muir. Read more in our extended feature.