AROUND TOWN

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the panoramic views of Edinburgh from the top of St James Quarter, what better excuse to head up than for a set by London-based DJ and artist Elkka. W Presents Elkka kicks off on Thursday 22 August at 7.30pm and for the modest price of £15 you get a glass of champagne on arrival.

The Giffnock Beer Festival returns to Braidholm, Glasgow, this Saturday 24 August with a large array of Scottish beers, ales and ciders available, plus a gin and Prosecco tent and delicious food stalls. What a lovely way to spend one of the final weekends of the summer.

Enjoy an evening of experimental electronic music and performance art at Lost In Leith at SQUISH this Friday 23 August, courtesy of immersive club night organisers Microsteria.

MUSIC

Indie rock stalwarts Catfish And The Bottlemen are performing at Ingliston’s Royal Highland Centre as part of Edinburgh Summer sessions. Hear them play the old faithfuls and a sprinkling of new tunes from this Saturday 24 August.

For those who enjoy dipping a toe into hardcore synth-punk, American band MSPAINT are coming to Glasgow’s King Tut’s this Sunday 25 August amid touring the UK festival circuit.

As festival season fizzles out, we wouldn’t blame you for wanting to hide indoors with your feet up. But if you still have a bit of stamina left, indie pop sensations Bat For Lashes bring the contemporary music strand of Edinburgh International Festival to a close this Friday 23 August at Queen’s Hall.

STAGE

While we’re actively avoiding too much festival action for the reasons stated above, we’ll make a few exceptions for the following two legends. First, we’re talking about comedic maestro Hannah Gadbsy. Performing a short run of their new show, Woof!, until Sunday 25 August at McEwan Hall, this philosophical and poetic hour is well worth catching.

Back due to popular demand, last year’s National Theatre Of Scotland production all about The Big Yin is taking place at Assembly Rooms until Sunday 25 August. Dear Billy is an amalgamation of anecdotes taken from the people of Scotland about their relationship to and interactions with Billy Connolly, with gorgeous music added for good measure.

The jukebox musical asking ‘what would Juliet be without Romeo?’ is at Glasgow’s King’s Theatre until Saturday 24 August. If you want to hear hits like ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ and jokes by the creators of Schitt’s Creek, & Juliet will be your bag.

SCREEN

Marking 30 years since it’s original release, Rupert Sanders’ version of The Crow hits cinemas this Friday 23 August, starring musician FKA Twigs and Bill Skarsgård as soulmates Eric Draven and Shelly Webster.

Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut, Blink Twice, also hits cinemas this Friday. In this horror thriller, Channing Tatum plays tech billionaire Slator who whisks two friends, played by Naomi Acki and Alia Shawkat, away to his private island where curious things begin to unfold.

Hunter Schafer plays the lead in a new German/American horror, also hitting select cinemas this weekend: Cuckoo follows young Gretchen as she moves to the German Alps to live with her father. Upon arrival, hidden family trauma and creepy creatures begin to emerge from the woodwork.

PODCASTS

The third season of award-winning investigative journalism podcast In The Dark (now in affiliation with The New Yorker) delves into the unresolved case of a mass killing in Haditha, Iraq. With Madeleine Baran on the case, expect plenty of twists and turns revealed by world-class reporting.

Marking 50 years since the AIDS pandemic, Resurrection tracks the early years of the crisis in the US, piecing together archival interviews with doctors, playwrights and activists in each episode to hear their stories first-hand. All episodes out now.

For some light comic relief, we’d recommend Miquita Oliver and Lily Allen’s new podcast project, Miss Me. Set up as a way for the two childhood friends to check in from across the globe (Allen lives in the US and Oliver in the UK), the loose chats have evolved into interesting life lessons on topics spanning relationships and parenting, plus the odd celebrity interview. Episodes are released twice a week.

VISUAL ART

It’s a busy weekend at Sett Studios in Leith as a joint exhibition Between Hannah R Nugent, Holly Summerson and James Alexander McKenzie launches on Friday 23 August. U Had 2b There is open for general viewing on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 August, noon–6pm, while McKenzie’s Jest Fest II immersive experience takes place up Calton Hill at 6.02am.

It’s your last chance to see Under the skin of the ocean, the thing urges us up wild this weekend, Alberta Whittle’s specially commissioned exhibition at Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute. Hop over on the ferry from Wemyss Bay and make it a day trip as you explore the magnificence of Mount Stuart House.

The Smalltown Boy, opening at Glasgow’s SWG3 Zinc Bar on Friday 23 August, is an exploration of iconic queer anthem ‘Smalltown Boy’ by Bronski Beat. The exhibition features works from various artists including Csian Canave, Barney Ashton Bullock, James Horan, Steve Rapport and Charles Jeffrey, with each offering their unique interpretation of the song's themes.

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