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.

2025

July 2025

Together Again (Anton & Giovanni)
Sat 12 July 2025
Evening: 7.30pm.
Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice, are together again in a brand new show with more fun, more dance, more song, and even more entertainment than ever before. An enthralling experience for all ages, showcasing the duo’s incredible talents and irresistible chemistry on stage. Book here.

Footloose (The Beyond Broadway Experience)
Fri 18/Sat 19 July 2025
Evenings: 7.30pm; Sat mat: 2.30pm.
When Ren and his mother move town, he is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. But he’s not prepared for the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, who is determined to exercise control over the town’s youth. Book here.

August 2025

Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group
Sun 31 Aug 2025
Evening: 7.30pm.
Coupled with a gift for storytelling, the Texas-based musician fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers. Book here.

September 2025

Neurospicy (Gary Meikle)
Fri 5 Sept 2025
Evenings: 7.30pm.
On 23 January 2024, I was diagnosed as being neurodivergent which was kind of a surprise to me, but funnily enough, not to anyone that knows me. Although surprising, this pretty much answered my full life and why I am the way I am. Book here.

Ocean Film Festival
Sat 6 Sept 2025
Evening: 7.30pm.
Climb aboard for a night of ocean adventure! The Ocean Film Festival World Tour features a new collection of the world’s most incredible ocean films! Brought to you by the team behind the Banff Mountain Film Festival UK & Ireland tour, this selection of short films combines breath-taking marine life and wild seafaring voyages in a cinematic celebration of our oceans. Book here.

Fiddler on the Roof
Tue 9 – Sat 13 Sept 2025
Evenings: 7.30pm; Mats: Weds, Sat: 2.30pm.
The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s sold-out electrifying production. It’s 1905 in the tiny village of Anatevka where Tevye, a Jewish milkman, lives his life by their proud traditions. As his daughters challenge his beliefs, against the backdrop of a changing world, can Tevye hold on to his roots, or must he bend to the will of his children and learn to embrace the unfamiliar? Book here.

The Talented Mr Ripley
Tue 16 – Sat 20 Sep 2025
Evenings: 7.30pm; Mats: Thurs, Sat: 2.30pm.
Step into a world of deception, desire, and deadly ambition. How far would you go to become someone else? This electrifying new stage adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s iconic psychological thriller has razor-sharp dialogue, simmering tension, and a dangerously charismatic antihero. In Ripley’s intoxicating world nothing is quite as it seems. Book here.

The Lightning Thief
Tue 23 – Sat 27 Sept 2025
Evenings: 7.30pm; Mats: Thurs, Sat: 2.30pm.
When New York City teenager Percy Jackson discovers that he is the half-blood son of the Greek god, Poseidon, his life takes a dramatic turn as he is plunged into a world much bigger than he could possibly have imagined. With newly discovered powers he is unable to control, an unwanted destiny and a whole textbook’s worth of mythical monsters on his trail, Percy must learn what it means to be a hero. Book here.

October 2025

War Horse
Thurs 2 – Sat 11 Oct 2025
Tue – Sat: 7.30pm; Thurs, Sat & Sat: 2.30pm.
Æ review of previous tour: ★★★★★ Magnificent
Based on Michael Morpurgo’s novel, 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. Book here.

To Kill a Mockingbird
Tue 21 – Sat 25 Oct 2025.
Evening: 7.30pm, Thurs, Sat mats: 2.30pm.
Aaron Sorkin’s riveting, award-winning stage adaptation of the seminal American novel about racial injustice and childhood innocence. Successful lawyer, Atticus Finch, encourages kindness and empathy in his children, but is pushed to the limits of these qualities himself when he resolves to uncover the truth in a town that seems determined to hide it. Book here.

Black Sabbath – The Ballet (Birmingham Royal Ballet)
Thurs 30 Oct – Sat 1 Nov 2025
Evenings: 7.30pm; Sat mat.: 2.30pm.
Black Sabbath forged their unique sound in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s home city. Expect a spectacular theatrical evening featuring thrilling dance alongside full orchestrations of legendary Black Sabbath tracks such as Paranoid and Iron Man, as well as new orchestral works inspired by their music. Book here.

November 2025

Edinburgh Gang Show 2025
Tue 4 – Sat 8 Nov 2025
Evenings: 7pm; Mats: Weds, Sat: 2.30pm.
It’s Gang Show time! Young people from South East Scotland Scouts and Girlguiding Edinburgh present their annual mix of powerful music, hilarious comedy, dramatic moments and incredible choreography. The Edinburgh Gang Show has to be seen to be believed.Book here.

Uncanny: Fear Of The Dark
Mon 10 Nov 2025
Evening: 7.30pm.
Danny Robins and his team of experts are back with A BRAND-NEW SHOW for 2025/26, with even more terrifying real-life stories and witness accounts that will have you gripped from the very beginning.. Book here.

La bohéme (Scottish Opera)
Fri 14 – Sat 22 Nov 2025
Fri 14, Tue 18, Th 20, Sat 22: 7.15pm; Sun 16: 3pm.
In Barbe & Doucet’s colourful production set in 1920s Paris, four struggling bohemians’ lives are changed when they meet a seamstress called Mimì. Struggling to survive in the lavish yet unforgiving city, these charismatic characters are met with the harsh realities of poverty and fortune. Book here.

L’heure espagnole & The Bear (Scottish Opera)
Sat 15 Nov 2025
Evening: 7.15pm
A new double bill of comedies of infidelity directed by Jacopo Spirei. Ravel’s L’heure espagnole, is about a lustful clockmaker’s wife who puts her creativity to the test, to hide her lovers from her husband. William Walton’s The Bear is about a faithful widow confronted with her late husband’s prominent love affairs. Book here.

The Snow Queen (Scottish Ballet)
Thurs 27 Nov – Sun 7 Dec 2025
Wed – Sat: 7.30pm; Mats Sats, Sun 30: 2.30pm; Sun 7: 1.30pm.
Scottish Ballet’s spectacular and much-loved Snow Queen returns, after its hugely popular tour in 2022. This glittering production is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale – which was also the basis for Frozen. Set to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov which will be performed live by the full Scottish Ballet Orchestra. Book here.

December 2025

Jack and the Beanstalk (Panto 2025)
Sat 13 Dec 2025 – Sun 11 Jan2026
Mon – Sat: 2pm, 7pm; Suns, Xmas Eve & New Year’s Eve: 1pm, 5pm.
Join Allan Stewart, Grant Stott and Jordan Young for the GIANT of a pantomime we’ve all BEAN waiting for! Doomed to sell his trusty cow, join Jack and his family as they fight to outwit the evil giant, win riches beyond his wildest dreams, and earn the hand of the girl he loves. Book here.

February 2026

Nutcracker in Havana (Carlos Acosta)
Tue 3/Wed 4 Feb 2026
Evenings: 7.30pm; Weds mat: 2.30pm.
Set to an exuberant Cuban version of the magnificent Tchaikovsky score, the timeless story is brought to life with ballet at its core, enriched with Acosta Danza’s unique style and with Cuban dance traditions beautifully woven throughout the much-loved and joyful family tale. Book here.

Banff Mountain Film Festival 2026
Sat 7 Feb 2026
Blue programme: 2.30pm, Red programme: 7.30pm.
A brand-new collection of short films filled with extreme journeys, untamed characters and captivating cinematography. The two shows feature a different selection of films. Amplify the adventure by coming to both with a two-show discount.T. Book here.

Chris Ramsey (Here, Man!)
Sun 8 Feb 2026
Evening: 7.30pm.
Following overwhelming demand (mainly from his wife Rosie who is desperate to get him out of the house), Chris Ramsey will be back on the road in 2026 with a brand-new stand-up show. Book here.

Christmas Carol Goes Wrong (Mischief Theatre)
Tue 10 – Sun 15 Feb 2026
Tue – Sat: 7.30pm; Sat/Sun Mats: 2.30pm.
The Cornley Amateur Drama Society are back with tidings of chaos and joy, ready to tackle the Charles Dickens’ classic. As they battle miscommunication, delays to their set, actors missing in action and a growing feud over who will play the lead, it’s sure to be a disastrous take… Book here.

The Great Wave (Scottish Opera)
Thurs 19 – Sat 21 Feb 2026
Thurs & Sat: 7.15pm.
The world premiere of Dai Fujikura’s The Great Wave: an extravagant story about artist Katsushika Hokusai and his famous woodblock print. Japanese composer Dai Fujikura and Scottish librettist Harry Ross create a mesmerising musical drama that showcases the series of events that ignites The Great Wave off Kanagawa phenomena, influencing pop art culture today. Book here.

We Will Rock You (The Bohemians)
Wed 25 – Sat 28 Feb 2026
Evenings: 7.30pm; Mat: Sat: 2.30pm.
The Queen and Ben Elton musical, set in a future where rock music is forbidden, until a group of rock rebels (the Bohemians) make it their mission to bring it back against all odds in their fight against the all-powerful Globalsoft company and its boss, Killer Queen. Book here.

March 2026

Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts
Tue 3 – Sat 7 March 2026
Tue – Sat: 7.30pm; Mats Thurs, Sat: 2.30pm.
A chilling mystery unfolds when a young actress suddenly dies on stage during a performance, and Detective Chief Inspector Morse embarks on a gripping investigation. What begins as a suspicious death inquiry takes a darker turn when the legendary inspector, together with DS Lewis, uncovers a connection to sinister events in his own past, twenty-five years earlier. Book here.

Serena Terry: Therapy
Sun 8 Mar 2025
Evening: 7pm.
Park your worries at the door and strap in for a night of honest hilarity with the creator of online sensation Mammy Banter. Serena has tried and tested 22 different types of therapy in a bid to improve her physical and mental health and calm the chaos that comes with being a busy mum on the cusp of turning 40, resulting in some diverse, embarrassing and hilarious outcomes… Book here.

Horrible Histories The Concert
Fri 13 – Sun 15 Mar 2026
Fri: 6.30pm; Sat: 2.30pm & 6.30pm; Sun: 11am & 2.30pm.
When William Shakespeare is asked to create the greatest show on earth, he has no idea how much trouble he’s going to get from monstrous monarchs like Henry VIII, Queen Victoria and Mansa Musa. But things hot up when Death appears – and now Boudica, Napoleon and Cleopatra all want to take over! Can things get any worse? Of course they can – Loo Man’s in the building! Book here.

The Eternal Shame of Sue Perkins
Sun 22 Mar 2025
Evenings: 7.30pm.
You may know her as Bake-Off Sue, Taskmaster Sue, Just A Minute Sue, or the Sue that gives you travel envy – but stand-up Sue is full of surprises. In this brand-new show, she shares the unlikely happenings from a career in the spotlight. Book here.

Death on the Nile
Tue 24 – Sat 28 March 2026
Tue – Sat: 7.30pm; Thurs, Sat mats: 2.30pm.
On board a luxurious cruise under the heat of the Egyptian sun, a couple’s idyllic honeymoon is cut short by a brutal murder. As secrets that have been buried in the sands of time finally resurface, can the world-famous detective, Hercule Poirot, untangle the web of lies and solve another crime? Book here.

April 2026

The High Life (NTS)
Tue 7 – Sat 11 April 2026
Tue – Sat: 7.30pm; Thurs, Sat: 2.30pm.
The High Life returns in a new musical spectacular featuring all four original cast members – Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Siobhan Redmond and Patrick Ryecart. Oh deary me! Air Scotia has been sold, and unless our intrepid cabin crew can prove they’re still fit for purpose it looks like the future destination for Air Scotia is the scrap heap. Book here.

Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes
Tue 14 – Sat 18 April 2025
Evenings: 7.30pm; Mats: Thurs, Sat: 2.30pm.
Matthew Bourne’s magical double Olivier Award-winning production of the legendary Powell and Pressburger film. An intoxicating drama where life imitates art with fateful consequences, The Red Shoes will dazzle your senses and break your heart. Book here.

The Battle
Tue 21 – Sat 25 April 2026
Tue – Sat: 7.30pm; Thurs, Sat mats: 2.30pm.
London, 1995. Two of the country’s biggest bands release singles on the same day, commencing the battle of Britpop. Rivalries flare, friendships fracture and at the centre of it all a mania that would define an era – were you Blur or Oasis? Book here.

May 2026

Starstruck (Scottish Ballet)
Thur 7 – Sat 9 May 2026
Thur – Sat: 7.30pm; Sat: 2.30pm.
Gene Kelly’s multifaceted brilliance as an entertainer has delighted generations of movie-lovers, and his pioneering choreography has influenced generations of dance-makers. The only ballet created for the stage, Pas de Dieux, is given a new set of wings with a new twist, danced to the sparkling Jazz Age music of George Gershwin and Maurice Ravel. Book here.

The Marriage of Figaro (Scottish Opera)
Fri 29/Sun 31 May, Tue 2, Thurs 4, Sat 6 June 2026
Tue – Sat: 7.15pm; Sun: 3pm.
Sir Thomas Allen revives his much-loved production of Mozart’s unstoppable masterpiece. Simon Higlett’s sumptuous designs provide the backdrop for a comedy of social revolution and subversion that is as relevant today as ever, and this time sung in English. Book here.