For a final blast of 2025, it's @tallahbrash.bsky.social's annual recap of the best of this year's Scottish music in One Big Playlist, ft. KuleeAngee, Isabella Strange, Jacob Alon, SOAPBOX, SHEARS, Simone Seales, Nani Porenta, Kathryn Joseph + 117 others... www.theskinny.co.uk/music/new-mu...

One final, faintly festive new music playlist update of 2025 🎄 Doss' excellent new Xmas tune leads our MUSIC NOW playlist, alongside tracks by @pictishtrail.bsky.social Theo Bleak, Brìdghe Chaimbeul + more SPOTIFY: open.spotify.com/playlist/6r1... YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

We recap another year in Scottish film – reflections from fine folk at @glasgowfilmtheatre.bsky.social @filmhouseedinburgh.bsky.social @glasgowshort.bsky.social @takeoneaction.bsky.social and more... www.theskinny.co.uk/film/opinion... [by @jamiedunnesq.bsky.social]

"Don’t get me wrong, I love to limit the number of times I have to talk to other people, but I do wonder about what we’ve sacrificed in the name of convenience." In our LOVE BITES column, an ode to the gentle friction and social interaction of the checkout

It's the most wonderful time of the theatre year - we head out to the Xmas shows at @lyceumedinburgh.bsky.social, Citizens Theatre, @trontheatre.bsky.social and Festival Theatre, with a 7-year-old in tow... www.theskinny.co.uk/theatre/show...

One of Scotland's biggest club nights, Headset, is taking over The Mash House this New Year's Eve – 12 DJs pick out 12 tracks you can expect to hear on the night

"It was really fast, very chaotic, always on the verge of disaster and put together at the last minute (a model we’ve stuck to for the last 11 years)" Donny Vostok, of alt comedy night Chunks, takes us behind the curtain as the collective celebrates 11 years

I'm in this proudly stumping for Hedda and Final Destinations Bloodlines alongside other brilliant members of @theskinnymag.bsky.social's film team! www.theskinny.co.uk/film/opinion...

In many ways this was a challenge to whittle down and I'd add in The Mastermind now and a few more but... What a nice problem to have: too many films with something to offer!

"UK clubbing culture can often take itself too seriously, but Optimo instead embraces humour and playfulness" After the heartbreaking loss of Keith McIvor – one half of @optimo-espacio.bsky.social – we hear why the culture they built can never truly die

In the face of literally everything, we look at some design industry tops hits to remind us all that creativity is alive and well 🎨

"As our Saltire too-often joins the Union Jack on streets across the country, I’m less sure what it symbolises and what it wants to symbolise" Our intersections editor unpacks how flags have risen over 2025, and questions the multiplicity in meaning they hold

"I once gifted a boy an actual cow’s heart for Valentine's Day" Ahead of her appearance at First Footin' on New Year's Day, @tallahbrash.bsky.social catches up with the inimitable Kathryn Joseph (@kathrynjoseph11.bsky.social)

Our new art column GUT FEELINGS sees one writer take a walk through Glasgow's muralled streets, bringing up memories of visiting the tenement flat of the late community activist and artist John Kraska

'In a host of beautifully restrained performances, Renate Reinsve delivers another knockout turn...' ★★★★★ for Sentimental Value, one of our films of the year, out in the UK on Boxing Day

Future cult classics, surprisingly good franchise reboots, wild cinematic experiments and straight-to-streaming Gerard Butler thrillers – our writers shout out 2025's most overlooked and underrated movies... www.theskinny.co.uk/film/opinion...

With a short but sweet set, Haiver – the new band from former Frightened Rabbit guitarist Billy Kennedy – offer a window into why so many people are already paying attention

From #edfringe hilarity from John Tothill, Mark Silcox and Sam Campbell to new books by Nicola Barker and Richard Ayoade, The Skinny team pick out a few of the year's funniest moments... www.theskinny.co.uk/comedy/opini...

On our film podcast, The Cineskinny, we're talking Films of The Year. A top 10, chat about *how to make a top ten*, a bit on sexy vampires... it's the year in kino, boiled down to 1hr-ish APPLE: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/o... SPOTIFY: open.spotify.com/episode/19GV... @jamiedunnesq.bsky.social

All credit to Stereolab for refusing to pander to nostalgia – but a shortage of 'the hits' does mean we have to settle for brilliant but less-familiar tunes. Worse problems to have, but still... here's our review www.theskinny.co.uk/music/live-m...

If you look exclusively at the UK release calendar, 2025 was a pretty great year for films. (I try to tweak my Best of the Year list for every place that asks me for one, pretty chuffed with the one below for the folks at @theskinnymag.bsky.social)

Our film writers share their personal top tens from 2025 w/ contributions from @carmenchloie.bsky.social @louiscammell.bsky.social @emcletters.bsky.social @roryjdoherty.bsky.social @jamiedunnesq.bsky.social @iana.bsky.social @rafiews.com

Thank you to Andrés Ordorica and @theskinnymag.bsky.social for this gorgeous review of Terry Dactyl! "Through rich lyrical prose, Terry Dactyl serves as an urgent reminder of what it means to overcome and survive in times of immense turmoil."

Every year, FilmHub Scotland selects four Scotland-based film programmers to be their New Producers – @jamiedunnesq.bsky.social catches up with this year's cohort www.theskinny.co.uk/film/intervi... @macrobertarts.bsky.social @hrfmichael.bsky.social

On the latest ep of our new music podcast, we catch up with the lovely @kathrynjoseph11.bsky.social to talk about her new album, and working with the equally lovely Lomond Campbell Listen on your fav podcast app... podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/k... [Big thanks to @thegladcafe.bsky.social]

Updated MUSIC NOW, our new Scottish music playlist, w/ Charlotte Devlin, @mjohnhenry.bsky.social, Quiet Man, @thejustjoans.bsky.social + more. It's on Spotify and YouTube... We also have a chat with cover artist CUZINO on the website, link below www.theskinny.co.uk/music/interv... #newmusicfriday

Ahead of Lost Map's HUMBUG! Christmas party this weekend, we caught up with Johnny Lynch to talk festive tunes/ play him five different versions of Little Drummer Boy and see how long it took him to notice...

This is a great list, hadn't heard most of these records till today. Kai Reesu - Kompromat vol. i is incredible. Well worth checking out.

❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

'A pitch-black, satirical, and sensual examination of the desire to belong, to love and be loved, and what it means to be needed...' Open Wide by Jessica Gross, review by Alistair Braidwood

Wolf Alice made an arena-sized return to Glasgow this week, but even at this grand scale they showcased a winning mix of vulnerability and raw emotion

With just one hour, a handful of instruments and sundry objects, and a whole lot of gumption, Mermaid Chunky build a glorious case for live music

'The musical craftsmanship and boundary-blurring ingenuity on display tonight is undeniable' On her return to Glasgow, watching Sudan Archives feels like seeing the future of music... www.theskinny.co.uk/music/live-m...

Rae-Yen Song 宋瑞渊's largest exhibition to date encompasses ceramic, textile, light, sound and moving image to create a fully immersive world within the walls of Tramway www.theskinny.co.uk/art/reviews/... #glasgow #glasgowart

"An exceptional survey of the 'shared culinary grammars' that have shaped modern life and keep us striving for something more..." ★★★★★ for All Consuming by Ruby Tandoh, reviewed by Tara Okeke www.theskinny.co.uk/books/book-r... @serpents-tail.bsky.social

LURKER presents access and attention as dangerous humiliations and warns of the interminable transaction that is success. ★★★★ for LURKER, out in the UK this weekend... www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-rel...

Bing Liu's PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT LIFE is a commendable reflection of the harm caused by oppressive systems, but at times it feels like a portrait too lightly sketched www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-rel... [review by @jslaterwilliams.bsky.social]

In Dec's new Scottish music round-up, folk! Dream-pop! Stuff you can dance to! Songs you can sway to! All of this and more, at the link below and in our MUSIC NOW playlist on Spotify and YouTube... www.theskinny.co.uk/music/new-mu...

As @oramawards.bsky.social come to Scotland to mark British composer Daphne Oram’s centenary, some of Scotland’s leading electronic artists reflect on her influence – and the persistent challenges in today’s electronic scene

New solo exhibitions by Felicity Hammond and Jamie Cooper offer incisive commentary in vivid technicolour – Toby Üpson on V4: Repository at Stills, and the upcoming Levelling Up at @fruitmarket.bsky.social www.theskinny.co.uk/art/features...

"Through rich lyrical prose, Terry Dactyl serves as an urgent reminder of what it means to overcome and survive in times of immense turmoil..." Terry Dactyl by @mbsycamore.bsky.social, reviewed by Andrés Ordorica www.theskinny.co.uk/books/book-r... @cipherpress.bsky.social

News from @glasgowfilmfest.bsky.social! James McAvoy's directorial debut CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN' will close GFF 2026 www.theskinny.co.uk/film/news/ja... [by @jamiedunnesq.bsky.social]

Our writers pick their favourite books of the past year, with work by Aria Aber, @catherinelacey.bsky.social, Claire Star Finch and @katefolk.bsky.social making the list...

It's that time of year - @theskinnymag.bsky.social has released their top films of 2025 and I'm delighted to have contributed a short blurb on Nickel Boys www.theskinny.co.uk/film/opinion...

Here are our favourite films of 2025 – sexy vampires, low-energy heists, long car chases, *big* cinematography and human stories of resistance and reunion www.theskinny.co.uk/film/opinion...

Our Scottish Albums of the Year list: a bit loud, a bit tender, lots of dancing, some sad bits, 10 great records from another great year in Scottish music... www.theskinny.co.uk/music/opinio... @mogwai.scot @dancerband.bsky.social @kathrynjoseph11.bsky.social

'More or Less' 9th Best Scottish Album of the Year 2025 according to @theskinnymag.bsky.social - Big Thanks to them! www.theskinny.co.uk/music/opinio...

From the folk who brought you Noto and Tipo, new Edinburgh restaurant Vinette is a comfy, cosy bistro with some all-action cooking and a frankly outrageous burger

"It’s hardly a surprise they’re this good, but the fact that they can lose not a sliver of their idiosyncratic genius at this scale is honestly astonishing." ★★★★★ for My Bloody Valentine at the Hydro

With their South Clerk St Demos EP out now, we catch up with Edinburgh musician and producer Nani Porenta