Festival Theatre Listings

Upcoming shows at the Festival Theatre

Festival Theatre
13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000
Website: www.capitaltheatres.com

The Festival Theatre. Photo © Thom Dibdin

Click on the name of the show to go to its ticketing site.

The 1,915 seat Festival Theatre is Capital Theatres’ flagship venue. It is currently taking all the company’s main-stage performances while the King’s Theatre is dark for a major refurbishment and upgrade. The stage has the largest performance area in Scotland and is the third largest in the UK.

2024
February 2024

Marx in London (Scottish Opera)
Thurs 22 –  Sat 24 Feb 2024 
Thurs, Sat: 7.15pm.
The UK premiere of Jonathan Dove’s opera, a kinetic new production, plumbing the frivolity and profundity of one man’s existence. London, 1871. The spectre of communism might be haunting Europe, but Karl Marx’s demons are far more mundane. Book here.

March/April 2024

Hamilton
Wed 28 Feb – Sat 27 April 2024
Mon – Sat: 7.30pm; Matinees Thurs, Sat: 2.30pm (+Tue 3 April)
The story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the very foundations of the America we know today. Book here.

May 2024

Scottish Ballet: Swan Lake
Thurs 2 – Sat 4 May 2024
Evenings: 7.30pm; Matinee Sat: 2.30pm.
Arching backs, spiralling arms, and mesmerising patterns push the company dancers to their physical limits in this tale of purity versus seduction. David Dawson’s daring, visceral choreography is perfectly paired with the rich, romantic Tchaikovsky score, played live by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra. Book here.

The Gondoliers (EDGAS)
Wed 8 – Sat 11 May 2024 
Evening: 7.30pm; Sat mat: 2.30pm.
The Edinburgh Gilbert & Sullivan Society celebrate their centenary year with an enchanting new production of The Gondoliers – take to the streets of Venice, where love, laughter, and mistaken identities abound. Book here.

Edward Scissorhands
Tue 14 – Sat 18 May 2024 
Evening: 7.30pm; Thurs, Sat mat: 2.30pm.
Based on the classic Tim Burton movie and featuring the hauntingly beautiful music of Danny Elfman and Terry Davies, Matthew Bourne and his New Adventures Company return to this witty, bittersweet story of an incomplete boy left alone in a strange new world. Book here.

The Music Man (Southern Light)
Tue 21 – Sat 25 May 2024 
Evening: 7.30pm; Sat mat: 2.30pm.
When experienced con man Harold Hill arrives in River City he soon convinces the town to buy instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band, but will Mr Hill teach the youth of the town how to play Seventy Six Trombones or will there be Trouble for him yet? Book here.

The Tortoise and the Hare
Sun 26 May 2024 
Two shows: 2pm & 4pm.
The race is on in Northern Ballet’s Tortoise & the Hare. When a cheeky Hare won’t stop boasting about how fast he can run, thoughtful Tortoise decides it is time to join him in a race. No one thinks Tortoise can win, but when Hare gets distracted by games and treats, Tortoise might just surprise us all. Book here.

Uncanny Live: I Know What I Saw
Tue 28 May 2024 
Evening: 7.30pm.
Danny Robins  and his team of experts with a terrifying and thought-provoking evening, featuring chilling real-life stories of the supernatural experienced by ordinary people from ordinary places, brought to life on stage through thrilling theatrical invention in a mix of projection, sound and spellbinding storytelling. Book here.

June 2024

Simon & Garfunkel Through the Years
Sun 2 June 2024 
Evening: 7.30pm.
Fronted by Dan Haynes and Pete Richards, the show recreates the unmistakable sound of Simon & Garfunkel, featuring all the iconic songs to make up a most authentic tribute. Book here.

Nadiya & Kai: Behind the Magic
Tue 4 June 2024 
Evening: 7.30pm.
Nadiya and Kai took you on a personal journey through the world of dance, from their childhood memories, competition days, dancing on Strictly and beyond. They gave a glimpse into their back story and hopefully, you left knowing a little more about your favourite dancing couple!  Book here.

La Traviata (Scottish Opera)
Fri 7 – Sat 15 June 2024 
Fri 7, Tue 11, Thurs 13, Sat 15: 7.15pm; Sun 9: 3pm.
This beloved production, which began life at Scottish Opera in 2008, has been seen at opera houses around the world. Violetta Valéry lives on borrowed time. In Paris’ hedonistic high society, she squeezes each day for its joys before her illness catches up with her. When the idealistic young Alfredo offers true love, happiness seems possible – but her past has exacted a price. Book here.

Ballet Black: Heroes

The Waiting Game _ Ballet Black,<br />
Choreographer; Mthuthuzeli November,<br />
DANCERS; Marie Astrid Mence, Isabela Coracy, Cira Robinson, Sayaka Ichikawa, Jose Alves, Ebony Thomas, Alexander Fadyiro,<br />
Artistic Director; Cassa Pancho MBE

Tue 18 June 2024 
Evening: 7.30pm.
Now in their 22nd year, Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black return to the Festival Theatre with a new double bill. Mthuthuzeli November contemplates the purpose of life in The Waiting Game and Sophie Laplane explores the complexity of humanity in CLICK!. Book here.

Bluey’s Big Play
Thurs 20 – Sun 23 June 2024 
Thurs 10am; Fri 10am, 3pm; Sat 10am, 1pm, 4pm; Sun 10am, 1pm.
When Dad feels like a little bit of Sunday afternoon time out, Bluey and Bingo have other plans! Join them as they pull out all of the games and cleverness at their disposal to get Dad off that bean bag. Book here.

Life of Pi
Tue 25 – Sat 29 Jun 2024
Evenings: 7.30pm, Thurs, Sat mats: 2.30pm.
Jaw-dropping visuals, magic, and world-class puppetry combine in a unique and breathtaking theatrical event. Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them, nature is harsh, who will survive? Five-time Olivier award winner on its first ever UK tour. Book here.

Lea Salonga – Stage, Screen & Everything in Between
Sun 30 Jun 2024
Evening: 7.30pm.
Musical theatre royalty and official Disney legend, Lea Salonga is bringing her extraordinary talent back to the UK with new tour. Fans will experience stage and screen classics from Lea’s best-known roles in Miss Saigon, Les Mis, Aladdin and Mulan, as well as new-found favourites from the late, great Stephen Sondheim – whom she has paid tribute to in the acclaimed West End hit Old Friends. Book here.

July 2024

Bonnie and Clyde – The Musical
Tue 2 – Sat 6 July 2024
Evening: 7.30pm; Thurs, Sat: 2.30pm.
Two small-town kids from the middle of nowhere became the biggest folk heroes in all America. They craved adventure—and each other. Their names were Bonnie and Clyde. Fearless, shameless, and alluring, this award-winning production has garnered a mass following, much like the infamous pair themselves, and now they are set to take your city by storm. Book here.

Anton and Giovanni – Together
Sun 7 July 2024 
Evening: 7.30pm.
With a collection of breathtaking routines, innovative choreography, and a seamless blend of traditional and contemporary dance styles, plus musical theatre, Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice are back with their brand new live tour – TOGETHER!. Book here.

CATS (The Beyond Broadway Experience)
Fri 26/Sat 27 July 2024 
Evenings: 7.30pm; Sat mat: 2.30pm.
The Beyond Broadway Experience’s 200-strong cast present Andrew Lloyd Webber’s dazzling theatrical extravaganza. The whimsical characters from the poems of T.S. Eliot come to life – each with their own unique charm and flair – all against a backdrop of enchanting melodies. Book here.

September 2024

A Chorus Line
Tue 24 – Sat 28 Sept 2024 
Evening: 7.30pm; Thurs, Sat mat: 2.30pm.
The musical masterpiece that revolutionised Broadway, with creator Michael Bennett using real-life testimonies from late-night recording sessions with dancers. Celebrate the lives of theatre’s unsung heroes, as they tell searing stories of ambition, shattered hopes, and what it really costs to follow your dreams. Book here.

October 2024

Rambert’s Peaky Blinders
Tue 1 – Sat 5 Oct 2024
Evening: 7.30pm; Sat Mat: 2.30pm.
Æ review of 2023 tour: ★★★★☆ Razor sharp
Rambert’s thrilling stage adaptation: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby returns to Edinburgh, capturing the Peaky story with stunning performances from Rambert’s dancers and its iconic soundtrack from a live on-stage band. See news preview: Peaky Blinders returns. Book here.

Blue Man Group – Bluevolution World Tour
Wed 9 – Sun 13 Oct 2024
Wed – Sat: 7.30pm; Thurs – Sat: 2.30pm; Sun: 1.30pm & 6.30pm.
Classic Blue Man favourites in a music extravaganza from explosive paint drumming, comedy antics and unforgettable audience interaction along with brand new content, including the addition of a new female character exclusive to the current World Tour.Book here.

Carrie Hope Fletcher – Love Letters
Tue 15 Oct 2024 
Evening: 7.30pm.
Following the huge success of An Open Book, Carrie Hope Fletcher – Love Letters will see the musical theatre star explore all forms of love; from romantic to maternal, unrequited to obsessive, showcased through a composition of stunning musical theatre classics. Book here.

Re:INCARNATION (Qudus Onikeku/The Q Dance Company)
Fri 18/Sat 19 Oct 2024 
Evening: 7.30pm.
Nigeria’s celebrated QDance Company explode onto the stage with their exuberant Re:INCARNATION. 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. Book here.

November 2024

The Horne Section’s Hit Show
Mon 4 Nov 2024 
Evening: 7.30pm.
Unruly, ridiculous, and surprisingly satisfying, the six-headed comedy band includes five outstanding musicians and one non-musical stand-up. There’ll be comedy, songs, enthusiastic dancing, and a lot of mucking about. A brand-new show from the hugely talented band and Alex Horne, the creator and co-host of the BAFTA and National Comedy Award winning Taskmaster. Book here.

Cinderella
Sat 23 Nov – Tue 31 Dec 2024 
Tue – Sat: 2pm &7pm; Sun: 1pm & 5pm.
Join returning panto favourites Allan Stewart, Grant Stott and Jordan Young with a new magical pantomime for all the family. Packed with all of the traditional pantomime ingredients, Cinderella features laugh-out-loud comedy, stunning scenery, beautiful costumes and plenty of boos and hisses as Cinders goes from rags to riches, outwits her very wicked sisters and meets her Prince Charming. Book here.

The Nutcracker (Scottish Ballet)
Wed 8 – Sat 18 Jan 2025 
Wed 8 & Thurs – Sat: 7.30pm; Fri – Sun: 2.30pm.
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! Book here.

 


ENDS