AROUND TOWN

Fans of the MCU, comics, TV, sci-fi, anime, gaming, manga, wrestling or cosplay will be in their element at this year’s ACME Comic Con (Saturday 9 & Sunday 10 March). It’ll be a bigger show than ever at Glasgow’s SEC.

Also at the SEC this weekend are The Creative Craft Show & The Scottish Quilting Show (Thursday 7–Saturday 9 March). If you’re looking to get creative yourself, they should provide ample inspiration.

Opening back up this Saturday is that Dundonian institution the Dundee Museum Of Transport (from Saturday 9 March). It has refreshed its offerings for spring and will be unveiling a new exhibition, East Coast Custom Cars.

MUSIC

A broadcasting legend will be bringing the dance and indie bangers when Jo Whiley’s 90s Anthems Tour (Friday 8 & Saturday 9 March) rocks up at the O2 Academy in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. This trip down memory lane features the likes of Oasis, Blur, The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers.

Things will be getting fishy for classical fans in La Mer (Friday 8 & Saturday 9 March), an all-French evening from the RSNO inspired by the sea. Conductor Thomas Søndergård will be joined by Scottish mezzo Catriona Morison on works by Chausson, Ravel, Bonis and Debussy. Edinburgh’s Usher Hall and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall play host.

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is also the setting for Rufus Wainwright: Want Symphonic (Sunday 10 March), where the baroque pop singer reimagines his Want One and Want Two albums with the help of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

STAGE

The spring edition of fun family show Kids Balkanarama (Saturday 9 March) features music from the Baghdaddies, along with the opportunity for kids to make music themselves, get some glitter on, and watch amazing fire performers. Check it out at Edinburgh’s Out of the Blue Drill Hall.

Centring on the prison-homecoming journey, A Giant On The Bridge (Friday 8 & Saturday 9 March) is a narrative-gig from musician Jo Mango and theatre-maker Liam Hurley, combining acoustic songwriting, Scottish hip-hop and original storytelling. Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre is where it’s at.

Sashaying their way into Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms and Dundee’s Caird Hall this weekend are the cast of Queenz: The Show With Balls! (Saturday 9 & Sunday 10 March). These dazzling drag divas will be delivering a night of fun and fabulousness, featuring pop hits aplenty.

SCREEN

An early contender for one of our films of the year, the superb Origin tells the emotional story behind a sensational non-fiction text, Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins Of Our Discontents. Ava DuVernay directs with style and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is astonishing in the lead.

Coming to a conclusion this weekend is the ever-excellent Glasgow International Film Festival which closes with sold-out screenings of Janey Godley documentary, Janey. Tickets are still available for other films though, including the excellent Sometimes I Think About Dying with Daisy Ridley.

Calling all geezers! Spin-off series The Gentlemen sees Guy Ritchie riffing on his 2019 film with a cast fronted by Theo James and Kaya Scodelario. Ray Winstone, Joely Richardson and Giancarlo Esposito are in support.

PODCASTS

Two stars from the box get stuck into some TV-watching of their own for cheerful new podcast Off The Telly. Listen to EastEnders’ Natalie Cassidy and Gavin & Stacey’s Joanna Page have a good old chinwag about what’s hot and not alongside some blasts from the televisual past.

A podcast that’s just what we need right now is A Muslim & A Jew Go There in which comedian David Baddiel and politician Sayeeda Warsi tackle controversies and provide context about issues involving British Muslims and Jews.

If you’re looking for life advice then Ash Sarkar and Moya Lothian-McLean have got you. They’ll be answering listener dilemmas and airing their opinions on modern life in If I Speak….

VISUAL ART

Edinburgh’s Modern Art Gallery is currently playing host to an exhibition from the London-based, South Korea-born artist Do Ho Suh (until Sunday 1 September). Tracing Time explores the role that drawing and paper play in Suh’s artistic practice and features an immersive installation.

Impressed: Twentieth Century Artist Prints From Dundee’s Collection (until Monday 18 November) highlights Scotland’s role in the revival of artist printmaking, and is on display at The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum.

And finally, Edinburgh’s Dovecot Studios is the setting for Beird Fashion Show 2024 – The Edge Collection (Saturday 9 March), combining a catwalk show and the chance to view the gallery’s Andy Warhol: The Textiles exhibition.

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