Something For The Weekend: Jamie Webster, Lucy Beaumont, Melissa Barrera and more
As we teeter on the edge of the festive period, it's time to give up the humbug, don an ill-fitting Santa hat and let your chirpiest co-worker start blasting ‘White Christmas’ on the office speaker. In this weekend's cultural round-up, we're chatting illuminated trails, The Polar Express, every Scots' favourite comic character, and more
AROUND TOWN
Here to add some light and sparkle into those cold, dark evenings, Edinburgh’s Christmas At The Botanics (until Monday 30 December) is back with a new illuminated trail featuring food, hot drinks and a special appearance from Father Christmas himself.
SPOT, Glasgow's renowned curated market, comes to Edinburgh's Dovecot Studios on Saturday 30 November and Sunday 1 December from 11am-4pm. Featuring 47 makers, this well-loved event promises to be a vibrant showcase of contemporary art, craft and design.
Over in Dundee they’re combining festive fun with the spirit of St Andrew’s Day in the ever-popular Dundee Hooley (Sunday 1 December). Expect giant puppets, live music, street theatre, a ceilidh, and dazzling torchlight procession.
Pulling into Waverley Station is The Polar Express Train Ride Edinburgh (Friday 29 November – Monday 23 December), a theatrical experience for families where you can relive the magical Robert Zemeckis movie.
MUSIC
Rising Scottish star Megan Black (Friday 29 November) mixes 70s blues rock with Queer feminist pop and has been tipped as one to watch. Check her out at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre as part of the Soundhouse Winter Festival, where she’ll be supported by another exciting up-and-comer, Eyve.
Meanwhile, Glasgow’s OVO Hydro is the sizeable setting for a show from Liverpool’s Jamie Webster (Friday 29 November), the singer-songwriter who really hit the big time this year with the release of his third album, 10 For The People.
Bringing dancier vibes to the iconic arena, club legends Frazi.er and Ewan McVicar (Saturday 30 November) are returning to home soil with their house and techno beats and an immersive 360-degree DJ set up.
STAGE
You’ve seen her on Taskmaster, Meet The Richardsons and more, and now stand-up star Lucy Beaumont (Saturday 30 November) will be swinging by Dundee’s Whitehall Theatre to share the latest in her wonderfully weird world.
Also taking Dundee by storm, beloved comic strip Oor Wullie (until Monday 30 December) springs to life on stage in a fun-packed musical adventure for all the family. Catch it at Dundee Rep.
Edinburgh’s Scottish Storytelling Centre is the setting for A Noble Clown (Saturday 30 November & Sunday 1 December), part of the Scottish Theatre History Weekend. Written and performed by Michael Daviot, it tells the story of Duncan Macrae, long thought of as Scotland’s greatest actor.
SCREEN
A modern Disney classic gets a much-deserved sequel in Moana 2, a rousingly enjoyable follow-up which reunites the courageous wayfinder (voiced once again by Auli’i Cravalho) with demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) for another epic adventure. Rose Matafeo is among the new recruits.
Beauty And The Beast gets a modern twist in hilarious horror comedy Your Monster which riffs on romcom tropes as it follows an aspiring musical theatre star who falls for the monster in her closet. Scream’s Melissa Barrera shines in the lead.
The winner of this year’s Cannes Grand Prix, the masterful All We Imagine As Light is the second film, and first narrative feature, from Indian director Payal Kapadia (A Night Of Knowing Nothing). It documents the trials of two Malayali nurses living in Mumbai, and stars Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha.
PODCASTS
Now available on BBC Sounds, Stakeknife tells the true story of British Army agent Freddie Scappaticci who hunted down, tortured and murdered informers for the IRA, despite being one himself. Reporter Mark Horgan looks into one of the darkest episodes of the Troubles.
In a similar vein, The Rest Is Classified takes you behind the scenes of some of the most memorable moments in the world of espionage. It’s hosted by CIA analyst turned spy novelist David McCloskey and veteran security correspondent Gordon Corera.
Offering some reliably light relief is the ongoing delight that is Harry Hill’s ‘Are We There Yet?’. Getting stuck into the silliness with Harry, his son Garry and Sarah the AI Bot are recent guests Jamie Laing, Kerry Godliman, Rhys James and rising Scottish stand-up star Marjolein Robertson.
VISUAL ART
Bruce McLean: I Want My Crown (until Sunday 23 November 2025) celebrates the Scottish artist on his 80th birthday. This witty and satirical display showing the breadth of his boundary-breaking work and criticisms of the art world can be found at the National Galleries of Scotland: Modern One.
Edinburgh Printmakers will be throwing open its doors this weekend for its Christmas Market and Open Days (Saturday 30 November & Sunday 1 December), featuring fun-filled activities, printmaking workshops and a Christmas market. There are also demonstrations and artist talks, a tour and a members’ exhibition, with festive vegan food and drinks available.
And finally, curated in collaboration with Irn-Bru and Funkin Cocktails, The BEEP Show (Friday 29 & Saturday 30 November) is an art show dedicated to cringeworthy and calamitous messages, created by viral artist Babak Ganjei. Glasgow’s The Social Hub plays host.
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