With Dementia Friendly values at their core, these shortened performances are open to all. Performed by a full cast and orchestra, they also feature a presenter to introduce the story, characters and music from the opera. There are wheelchair spaces and extra staff on hand to help. There is also a smaller capacity to allow everyone space, and brighter lighting levels in the auditorium, giving you the flexibility and freedom to move about as required.

EPSG:4326

Access Opera - Don Pasquale

Festival Theatre Edinburgh

The market town of Loxford is just as busy with gossip as it is with trade. Lady Billows organises the May Day festival. When her housekeeper tells her no young lady has a spotless reputation fit for the May Queen, she becomes alarmed. The answer? Crown Albert Herring, a shy mother’s boy, May King instead! Albert has not done anything wrong – indeed, he has hardly done anything at all. Suddenly in the spotlight, Albert is caught between old-guard traditions and his fellow youngsters’ freewheeling fun. Both parties are quick to judge the odd one out.

Albert Herring - Scottish Opera

Don Pasquale runs a crumbling boarding house in Rome with a chain-smoking chambermaid, an ancient porter, and a greasy cook for company. Determined to keep his fortune to himself, Pasquale decides to marry, spiting his nephew Ernesto. But, when he finds a bride, he discovers that married life is not as simple as he expected...

Don Pasquale - Scottish Opera

They have two series of their own Channel 4 TV show, an iTunes-chart-topping podcast and now they’re tuning up their instruments once more to tour the country: it’s the Horne Section’s Hit Show!

The Horne Section's Hit Show

Set against the sub-Saharan historical timeline, the show threads universal themes of joy, sorrow and resilience while exploring key events that shaped native experiences, international connections and modern realities. Reimagined by the new generation of South African and Scottish artists led by the show creator and director, Morgan Njobo, ‘I Am Rhythm’ pays homage to the indigenous African cultures and sheds light on links between the two nations.

I Am Rhythm, Spirit of Africa

The Studio

Don’t miss out on these spectacular performances that are guaranteed to make you smile. Because after all, there’s no show like the Gang Show!

Edinburgh Gang Show 2024

From the softest new gloves in winter to screaming on rollercoasters in summer, That Feeling When is a sensory dance theatre and live music production, which asks how the seasons can be a guide to what feels good in the cycle of teen-hood.

That Feeling When

Winter 1934 and an avalanche stops The Orient Express dead in its tracks. A murder. A train full of suspects. An impossible case. Trapped in the snow with a killer still on-board, can the world’s most famous detective, Hercule Poirot, crack the case before the train reaches its final destination?

Murder on the Orient Express

An ode to the richness of Nigerian culture, this dance, music, fashion and visual art creation showcases the depth of ancient Yoruba philosophy mixed with Nigerian youth culture bursting with pure and uncompromising joy.

Qudus Onikeku/The QDance Company - Re:INCARNATION

Brought to you by the team behind the Banff Mountain Film Festival UK & Ireland tour, this selection of short films combines breathtaking marine life and wild seafaring voyages in a cinematic celebration of our oceans.

Ocean Film Festival 2024

Local lad Robbie Stevenson prefers to hide away from the world inside the pages of his favourite book, Treasure Island. But with a little bit of imagination, the book comes to life, and he is thrust aboard. Robbie soon finds that you can’t stay hiding forever when he must learn to navigate his own course, and to discover the world is full of treasure, if you’re brave enough to look.

Treasure Island

Arguably the most recognisable West End performer of her generation, Author, Actress, Vlogger and award-winning sensation Carrie Hope Fletcher is heading back out on the road in Autumn of this year!

Carrie Hope Fletcher - Love Letters

Continuing on from last year's 50th-anniversary celebrations of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, the multi-million-selling and multi-award-winning album will be performed live in concert across the UK this Autumn.

Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells

Dementia the Musical!  is a new musical theatre production by Ron Coleman, Scottish poet and writer living with dementia, in collaboration with renowned director Magdalena Schamberger and one of Britain’s top Jazz musicians Sophie Bancroft as composer and musical director plus additional music by esteemed songwriter Andrew Eaton-Lewis.  Design by Karen Tennent.

DEMENTIA - The Musical

The theatrical phenomenon returns to the UK bringing its award-winning Bluevolution World Tour.

Blue Man Group - Bluevolution World Tour

“Hormones and Menopause – The Great Debate” aims to educate and challenge misconceptions about menopause and advocate for better healthcare for women.

Dr Louise Newson: Hormones and Menopause - The Great Debate

This is the story of a young girl named Anna Hibiscus. Anna lives in amazing Africa. Ibadan, Nigeria to be exact. Anna Hibiscus is so filled with happiness that she feels like she might float away. And the more she talks to her family about it, the more her happiness grows! There’s only one thing to do...Sing!

Anna Hibiscus' Song

Opening in the trenches of Flanders, a personal story unfolds in post-war industrial Birmingham as the Shelby family navigate the decisions that determine their fate and Tommy is intoxicated by mysterious newcomer, Grace. While Tommy is building his empire, Grace is operating as an undercover agent for Special Branch on a mission to get close to the heart of Tommy’s gang.

Peaky Blinders: Rambert

Love The Sinner is a beautifully produced fusion of performance poetry, visual theatre and live electronic music, that reflects on the meaning of being human today.

Love The Sinner

New York City. 1975. On an empty Broadway stage, seventeen performers are put through their paces in the final, gruelling audition for a new Broadway musical. Only eight will make the cut.

A Chorus Line

Beauty and the Beast will feature a host of CBeebies’ stars - and some new faces too! There’ll be lots of singing, dancing and laughs for all the family in this Christmas adventure that celebrates that the only thing that matters is what’s inside!

CBeebies Panto: Beauty and the Beast

A splendid dinner party in an Edinburgh mansion concludes with a murder mystery game created by the hostess. A murder needs to be solved. But the guests have secrets of their own, threatened by the very game they are playing. And among them is Inspector John Rebus. True crime is his calling. Is he playing an alternative game, one to which only he knows the rules?

Rebus: A Game Called Malice

Tackling child poverty. Cancelling debt for the world’s poorest nations. Tripling the UK budget for life-saving aid. These are just some of the transformative policies that Gordon Brown fought for and secured during his time in government.

Keynote Talk: Gordon Brown

The boundaries between reality and myth crumble in Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young’s major new dance work.

Assembly Hall

Director Christiane Jatahy fuses the qualities of cinema and theatre to explore structural racism and the legacy of slavery in her native Brazil.

After the Silence

The acclaimed Komische Oper Berlin and director Kirill Serebrennikov, known for his daring, satirical productions, present Mozart’s iconic comic opera.

The Marriage of Figaro

Festival Theatre

Émilie Monnet, from Canada, and Waira Nina, from the Colombian Amazon, are interdisciplinary artists who seek to forge links between Indigenous people of the northern and southern hemispheres. They invite you into a mesmerising performance inspired by solidarity for the protection of water and resistance against extraction of resources.

Nigamon / Tunai

Join returning panto favourites Allan Stewart, Grant Stott and Jordan Young with a new magical pantomime for all the family.

Panto 2024: Cinderella

This is a story reversing the idea that it is the wrapping paper, the cardboard boxes and ribbons that should be discarded, and reveals that playfulness, creativity and imagination are the true gifts. This beautiful production celebrates the art of play, taking ordinary objects making them extraordinary and magical.

The Gift

We follow Clara on a journey through the worlds of her imagination, as she drifts off to sleep on Christmas Eve. She meets the dashing Nutcracker Prince, takes on the larger-than-life Rat King, sees snowflakes dance in the Land of Ice and Snow, and is whisked into the luscious Land of Sweets by the Sugar Plum Fairy!

Scottish Ballet: The Nutcracker

Join the Scottish Ballet Artistic Team as they share insights from behind the scenes of their production of The Nutcracker focusing on the creation of the show, the choreography, and the music.

Talk Ballet - The Nutcracker

To make you feel welcome, relaxed and well-supported, we’ll have lots of trained staff on hand to help with any access requirements, anyone can feel free to make noise and move around the auditorium, we’ll keep the lights on, but dimmed to reduce anxiety, and we’ll provide break out spaces with a live stream of the show so that if people would like to leave the auditorium they don't have to miss out on the action.

Scottish Ballet: The Nutcracker - Relaxed Performance

Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s spectacular production of the classic multi-award-winning musical is embarking on a UK and Ireland tour and is flying to the Festival Theatre for four weeks only.

Mary Poppins

Hailed as an ‘unmissable triumph’ (The Telegraph) and nominated for a 2022 Southbank Sky Arts Award, this co-production of Janáček’s mature masterpiece returns to Scottish Opera in its first full staging since 1993.

The Makropulos Affair - Scottish Opera

After a sell-out 2024 production, the Bohemians are heading to the Festival Theatre to bring this glittering, spectacular to you. Packed full of pop anthems, including ‘I Will Survive’, ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ and ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It’, this show is sure to dazzle with all of your dancefloor favourites.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert - The Musical

Grab your mics put on those disco boots – it’s time to join The Bohemians for a Sing-along performance of Priscilla Queen of the Desert! For one night only, you can belt your favourite tracks from the comfort of your seat.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Singalong performance

When Professor Goodman, arch-sceptic out to debunk the paranormal, embarks on an investigation of three apparent hauntings – as recounted by a night-watchman, a teenage boy, and a businessman awaiting his first child – Goodman finds himself at the outer limits of rationality, and fast running out of explanations.

Ghost Stories

Matthew Bourne's audacious, rule-breaking reinvention of Tchaikovsky's masterpiece caused a sensation when it premiered almost 30 years ago.  It has now become the most successful dance theatre production of all time, creating new audiences and inspiring generations of young dancers. In celebration of that ongoing impact, Swan Lake will take flight once more in a major new revival for the next generation of dancers, and for audiences who will experience it for the very first time.

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake

Gosh almighty! Grab a posse because the whip crackin' musical comedy classic Calamity Jane is a rollin' on over the plains to Edinburgh. Based on the much-loved Doris Day movie, this plumb fancy new production stars the multi-award-winning West End actor and singer Carrie Hope Fletcher (Cinderella, Les Misérables).

Calamity Jane

Scottish Ballet is set to bewitch us once again with the return of their award-winning production of The Crucible, after thrilling audiences in London and the USA.

Scottish Ballet: The Crucible

Join the Scottish Ballet Artistic Team as they share insights from behind the scenes of their production of The Crucible focusing on the creation of the show, the choreography, and the music.

Talk Ballet - The Crucible

Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime as the West End smash-hit production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe comes to the Festival Theatre in 2025.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

One of the most successful and adored acts in musical history is recreated in a 75-minute multi-media concert event. You'll hear hits like Staying Alive, You Should Be Dancing, How Deep Is Your Love, and Jive Talkin'.

The Australian Bee Gees Show: Feel the Fever - Again

Dust off your air guitars for an evening of the very best classic rock anthems from legends past and present!

The Ultimate Classic Rock Show

A lavish Parisian party is a grand occasion for dancing, drinking, and (in)discreet love affairs. But Baron Zeta, the ambassador to the fictional cash-strapped state of Pontevedro, has a slightly more serious matter on his mind. Among his party guests is Hanna Glawari. Hanna is the glamorous Pontevedrian widow who arrived in Paris to enjoy her late husband’s immense fortune. Baron Zeta cannot bear the thought of Pontevedro losing half its national wealth should Hanna marry a Parisian. So, he assigns the charismatic Count Danilo to watch over her heart. But little does he know that they have quite the history...

The Merry Widow - Scottish Opera

With a comic cast performing contrasting roles in both pieces, Trial by Jury / A Matter of Misconduct!  promises an unmissable night of classic G&S comedy and new writing.

Trial by Jury - Scottish Opera

Access Opera - The Merry Widow

Recorded by The Who - it quickly became an iconic and multi-million selling album. Quadrophenia defined a generation and in 1979 inspired the cult classic feature film of the same name.

Quadrophenia, A Mod Ballet

The global phenomenon returns - War Horse is an unforgettable theatrical experience which takes audiences on an extraordinary journey from the fields of rural Devon to the trenches of First World War France. Based on the beloved novel by Michael Morpurgo, this powerfully moving and imaginative drama, filled with stirring music and songs, is a show of phenomenal inventiveness. At its heart are astonishing life-sized horses by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, who bring breathing, galloping, charging horses to thrilling life on stage.

Capital Theatres

Nov 23 - Dec 31, 2024

Panto 2024: Cinderella

14 - 31 Dec, 2024

The Gift

8 - 18 Jan, 2025

Scottish Ballet: The Nutcracker

10 - 17 Jan, 2025

Talk Ballet - The Nutcracker

Jan 16, 2025

Scottish Ballet: The Nutcracker - Relaxed Performance

Nov 15, 2024

Access Opera - Don Pasquale

Nov 13, 2024

Albert Herring - Scottish Opera

Capital Theatres