"At least one day in every six Edinburgh is full-on party time and I like those odds" Mark Thorne of Thorne Records appears in our Edinburgh City Guide to discuss what he loves about the capital 🏰

Spoke w/ director Daniele Rugo about the essential doc LIFE SUPPORT for @theskinnymag.bsky.social: a film comprised of testimonials and personally recorded footage from the few international healthcare workers permitted entry into Gaza. In UK cinemas from 10 July. www.theskinny.co.uk/film/intervi...

"I usually get very excited when someone visits and become an over-enthusiastic tour guide." Becca and Su from Dundee Radio Club talk us through their perfect day in Dundee ☀️

Edinburgh is a small city with lots of cinemas and one of the longest-running film festivals in the world. We look ahead to Edinburgh International Film Festival and run down all your cinema options 📽️ www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/ed...

Stepping away from the role of Miss Paramore, Hayley Williams’ sold-out solo show at O2 Academy Glasgow only confirms the recent record mantra: death to ego, long live emo ★★★★★ gig review: Hayley Williams @ O2 Academy, Glasgow

"A magnificent feat in angry, sad and fantastical folk-rock" We give ★★★★★ to mary in the junkyard's debut album ROLE MODEL HERMIT, out today

"I wanted something that tied different materials together but also that warped in space" At @collective-edin.bsky.social, artist Richard Maguire investigates the surveillance of sexualities under colonialism through drawings and sculpture

July brings vast and atmospheric releases across the board – eye-catching percussive moments from Doom Scroller, dark folk from Wild Gods, burbling electronic productions from digital omnivore Nick Dow, plus loads more…

"Though capable of stadium-ready pop hits, Cain is just as comfortable making complex country ballads – both of which sound great live, and are lapped up by her adoring fans" Read our ★★★★ review of Ethel Cain's Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour in Edinburgh

Whether you’re after an island vibe or a boogie by the bandstand – our July clubbing highlights have you sorted. Top picks include Hannah Laing, Chaos in the CBD and Caribou

"Glasgow transforms into some kind of utopia when the sun is out. You’ll find a whole cross section of society sunbathing in the park, taps aff" For our Edinburgh City Guide ZARA GLADMAN offers the perfect daytrip to Scotland's biggest city www.theskinny.co.uk/travel/featu... @zanyzaz.bsky.social

Edinburgh International Film Festival returns with new films from Nicolas Winding Refn, Greg Araki and Paul Wright and on-stage talks with Ewan McGregor, Kenneth Branagh and New Hollywood legend Bruce Dern

Move over Richard Ashcroft, Kasabian and Lewis Capaldi, and say hello to CMAT, Wolf Alice, Girl Group, Jacob Alon, Lacuna and more in our girls' guide to TRNSMT www.theskinny.co.uk/music/live-m...

"Director den Hertog likens the opening scene and the central premise of Lear to 'the making of a will prior to death'" A new King Lear at @pitlochryft.bsky.social places dementia, family and feminine leadership at the heart of Shakespeare's great tragedy www.theskinny.co.uk/theatre/inte...

Queen's Park Arena returns with outdoor screenings of cult films and family faves, Filmhouse celebrate the genius of David Byrne and GFT present an inventive season celebrating puppets on screen

There's still time to catch The Karate Kid: The Musical in Glasgow this week 🥋 Read our ★★★★ review of this vibrant and engaging take on the iconic 80s teen movie

From 100 capacity sweatboxes and grassroots spaces to concert halls and stadiums – big and small, Edinburgh's got it all

"Blends mythological references, witty humour, and stark social commentary" ★★★★★ book review: CANON, the debut novel from Paige Lewis, out 2 Jul

As the theatre scene catches its breath before the Edinburgh Fringe arrives, July offers a smaller but varied programme www.theskinny.co.uk/theatre/show... @dundeerep.bsky.social @rcsofficial.bsky.social

Edinburgh International Film Festival celebrates 30 years of Trainspotting with a live commentary from cast and crew at Leith Theatre, followed by DJ sets from Irvine Welsh and Darren Emerson www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/ed...

From community-focused and record label-hosted events to massive outdoor gigs and everything in-between, Edinburgh's music scene is actually pretty damn good www.theskinny.co.uk/music/opinion/edinburgh-music-scene-2026

"Out-in-the-world antics are shot with handheld cameras and without permits, so the politely baffled reactions they receive from the general public are mostly genuine" Our ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ film of the month is NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE, out this Friday

"Taking the listener through a narrative arc of marvel and adventure" ★★★★ album review: TERRA INCOGNITA by Akusmi, out this Friday via @tonalunion.bsky.social www.theskinny.co.uk/music/review... [Review by @rhagiwr.bsky.social]

"You can't beat a can in the Meadows between Fringe shows, or a fancy, fancy picnic in Inverleith Park after a trawl through the Stockbridge delis" Our Edinburgh City Guide is loaded with suggestions to have your best summer so far ☀️ www.theskinny.co.uk/things-to-do... #edfringe #edinburgh

"These games and the infrastructure for them [...] can be an opportunity to bring sport into our collective lives.” We take a look at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and consider what the 2026 Games may offer Glasgow and its communities

It's nearly Fringe time, which means works-in-progress a-plenty at comedy clubs across Scotland this month

Director Olivia Wilde gives two fingers, as well as a deep understanding, to human relationships in The Invite www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-rel...

Robyn's first Glasgow gig in more than 15 years was everything you could hope for from one of modern pop’s true greats... Five stars from us, review below... www.theskinny.co.uk/music/live-m...

In our July live music round-up... – Kelburn Garden Party and Belladrum return – A fresh batch of gigs at Queen’s Park Arena – MR WORLDWIDE! 🌍 – A bumper Lost Map party in Glasgow All that and loads more, details below

Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the Fringe programme? Looking for some recommendations tailor-made to fit your tastes? With our extremely *accurate* and *scientific* #Edfringe personality test, we can help!

From museums and libraries to monuments and bookshops, Edinburgh well earns its status as the world's first UNESCO City of Literature... www.theskinny.co.uk/books/featur... [from our Guide to Edinburgh, out this week]

The London Contemporary Orchestra brought a wide-eyed, cinematic wonder to the music of Arooj Aftab as their collaborative tour reached Edinburgh... www.theskinny.co.uk/music/live-m...

“I’m lucky in that I still don’t know anything about filmmaking...” – Matt Johnson, 2026 As the *excellent* Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie arrives in the UK, we chat to Johnson and co-writer/co-star Jay McCarrol www.theskinny.co.uk/film/intervi... @vertigorel.bsky.social

"Pulls you down into the depths of its own nocturnal dreamworld" Finnish/Australian experimentalist Helen Svoboda takes us on a descent into dream logic on HEADWATER, out 26 Jun

"Momo Yamaguchi’s debut novel paints obsession in all its gruesome glory: its blisters, its scars, and the bandages we use to soothe it" ★★★★ for Hello Limerence, out now via @faberbooks.bsky.social

A married couple decide to open up their relationship in this timely exploration of non-monogamy, parenthood and intimacy Book review: Skin Contact by Elisa Faison, out now via @hodderbooks.bsky.social

"Careens through 400 years of human and post-human history" Told (and possibly read) in non-linear order, Luis Othoniel Rosa's expansive sci-fi novel gets ★★★★ from us 🐈 ANIMAL SPIRAL is out now via @charcopress.com www.theskinny.co.uk/books/book-r... @luisothonielrosa.bsky.social

"Romvari lays out this family crisis drama as a mosaic of fragments that are rich in visual and sonic details" June's film of the month is Blue Heron, by Canadian-Hungarian filmmaker Sophy Romvari – read @jamiedunnesq.bsky.social's ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review

"Minor accidents and major incidents happen, cracking open numerous plot possibilities, and main characters [...] are sketched with verve" Book review: The Villain's Dance by Fiston Mwanza Mujila, out now via @andotherstories.bsky.social

Rebecca Zlotowski's psychiatrist-turned-detective drama is juggling quite a few elements, but Jodie Foster spins the plates with such poise that you’ll want to go along on her character's journey Our take on A PRIVATE LIFE, out this weekend

A decade in the making, Downtown Boys' new record Public Luxury is unashamedly political exercise, but never strays into preaching to the converted www.theskinny.co.uk/music/review... @subpop.bsky.social

"So many of the memories that we have as adults come from being told stories about our pasts and not necessarily from images we remember..." We catch up with Sophy Romvari to discuss her excellent debut film BLUE HERON www.theskinny.co.uk/film/intervi... @conic.film

Want a dram? Sometimes you gotta go direct – here are a few distilleries to pop onto your map, from city centre spots you can reach on the bus, to island adventures into worlds of peat and big chunky waves 🥃

Whisky is a portable, shareable piece of its environment – and it can go to somewhat unexpected places. Janette Ayachi reflects on one such experience, bringing Scotland's national drink and poet to the UAE

Another #newmusicfriday, another update to our New Scottish Music playlist... We've added new tracks by Both Hands, Tina Sandwich, Pinc Wafer, Filmstar, Grogg, Sha Rivari & the Maybes, Hound, Curiosity Shop, Katie Gregson-Macleod and Finlay Birch open.spotify.com/playlist/6r1...

On this week's Cineskinny podcast, a big thumbs up for Blue Heron, a thumbs down for Disclosure Day, and a beckoning, 'come with us' gesture as we preview our screening of Gregg Araki's Nowhere at @glasgowfilmtheatre.bsky.social www.theskinny.co.uk/film/news/ci...

Edinburgh synth-pop duo Both Hands step into our new music Spotlight – we talk songwriting, performance art and their forthcoming debut album on Lost Map

Whisky takes water and grains and turns them into something special, but it also takes a toll Anna Comrie reflects on a childhood in the heart of whisky country, and the impacts of the region's lifeblood industry on its land and inhabitants

Have you got your copy of the new GNAW magazine? This issue is all about whisky, and contains a dazzling directory of the best shops across the UK for bringing home a bottle 🥃

"We had a dram and made a pact: the bottle stays in Scotland, only to be drunk on the rare occasions when we’re together." A bottle of whisky holds more than just liquid – in the new issue of GNAW, you can find an ode to absent friends