Including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Architecture Fringe and Glasgow Comic Con
Summer is (basically) here and we couldn't be more excited about the slightly warmer weather and the onslaught of festivals that will flood our calendars soon. To help you plan ahead, we've picked some of our favourite events in June.
Edinburgh International Film Festival
Another year and another excellent Edinburgh International Film Festival is upon us. From the opening night movie Puzzle (starring Kelly Macdonald) to the closing night bash Swimming with Men (aka 'The Full Monty in speedos'), there's a host of treats in between. Among them are Kevin Macdonald's doc Whitney, the RSNO live-soundtracking Jaws, a terrifying trip to the Highlands in Calibre, and, of course, the long-awaited sequel to The Incredibles.
Various venues, Edinburgh, Wed 20 Jun–Sun 1 Jul.
Southern Exposure
The ever-innovative Summerhall lays on another strong outdoor music programme with shows from Portico Quartet, the Rezillos and a Skids / Big Country double-header while there's also a beer festival, a ceilidh and a screening of classic music doc, Monterey Pop.
Summerhall, Edinburgh, Fri 15–Sun 24 Jun.
Atlanta
Man of the moment Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) delivers a second season of his inventive comedy-drama which this time around lurches effortlessly from the blackly comic to the genuinely terrifying.
Fox (UK), starts Sun 17 Jun.
Matthew Bourne's Cinderella
Set in a Blitz-ridden London, Bourne's Cinderella story once again has him re-imagining a classic tale. Fantasy, magic, humour and sadness all merge for another New Adventures must-see.
Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Tue 5–Sat 9 Jun; King's Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 12–Sat 16 Jun.
Architecture Fringe
Continuing to support new work in Scottish architecture, as initiated by a group of designers, photographers, engineers, visual artists, curators, musicians and, au naturel, architects.
Various venues, nationwide, Fri 8–Sun 24 Jun.
Joe Lycett
The man with the best punning titles in the comedy business very nearly goes the whole hog this time with I'm About to Lose Control and I Think Joe Lycett. Thankfully, he's more than just a daft title as he has another comedic meandering around the stuff that niggles him.
O2 Academy, Glasgow, Tue 12 Jun.
Glasgow Comic Con
Another sci-fi, cosplay and comics bonanza hits Glasgow with some special guests making this a must-visit in any fan's diary. The eighth year of this event features a host of international and local talents.
Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Sat 30 Jun.
Mr McFall's Chamber (Chosen by jazz pianist Dave Milligan)
For me, one of the jewels in the Scottish music scene is Mr McFall's Chamber. I've always admired their adventurous and intrepid approach to programming and performing and here they are with 'Exil' by the Georgian composer Giya Kancheli, as part of their 'At Home In A Foreign Land' series. A musical setting of Psalm 23, this is a dark but hugely engaging work that speaks to the ever-more relevant themes of migration, exile and displacement. It incorporates poems by Hans Sahl and Paul Celan, both exiled victims of the Holocaust, and Kancheli himself escaped to the west from the disintegrating Soviet Union. These are troubling times and it's important that artists don't shy away from reflecting the conflict around us. Mr McFall's Chamber don't, and they'll also knock your socks off with the sheer skill and exquisite beauty of their performance.
Dave Milligan Trio plays with Love Music Community Choir, Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Mon 11 Jun; Dave is part of the Colin Steele Quartet, Drygate, Glasgow, Thu 21 Jun, and Colin Steele Quintet, Teviot Row, Edinburgh, Sat 21 Jul; Mr McFall's Chamber, Old St Paul's Church, Edinburgh, Tue 19 Jun.