Connect festival 26th – 28th August 2022

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If you’re looking for something a little bit different to mark the final festival weekend – then Connect festival, starting tomorrow could be it !

Edinburgh’s newest festival, Connect  has the most amazing line-up and offering lots of different experiences and stages….With award-winning headliners and local grassroots talent, Connect is wrapped in outstanding experiences that also includes comedy, spoken word, debate and wellness, as well as exceptional food and drink from local talent and big-name Scottish chefs. Children over 5 are welcome to attend the festival with an adult, and there are a range of child-friendly activities on offer.

I’ve been having a little nosey around the website before the festival opens tomorrow and it looks incredible…..loads of great music, the speakeasy stage with comedy and spoken word, the rest and be thankful area offering experiences such as cold water therapy, family yoga sessions and workouts, and the tiny changes Gardeners cottage pop up stage featuring acoustic sessions throughout the weekend. Add into this an assortment of delicious food offerings and the promise of sunshine over the weekend and it looks set to be a fantastic event all round !

Tickets are still available to purchase here. And the best bit ? You can come home to your own bed in-between …. sounds like the ideal festival to us !!!

Big Beach Busk – Portobello 27th August 2022

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So, the festival is almost ending…we are feeling a bit sad about that after such an incredible month. But this weekend, enjoy some sunshine and relax by the sea and be reminded of all the homegrown Edinburgh talent we have as the Portobello Big Beach Busk is back and is happening on Saturday 27th August 12 – 6pm….buskers will line the promenade and it’s set to be a fantastic event !!!

As always, anyone can join in, you don’t need to ask, it doesn’t have to be music – anything that entertains is the key !

Most importantly – have fun !!

Second week highlights…..2022

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We haven’t managed to see quite as much this week as we were away over the weekend, and now it’s back to school…eek. We have squeezed in a show or two though of course, and a few snacks along the way. There is still lots on, and some new shows just starting, so do keep on exploring the festival programme….

Top picks this week have been :

Brave Space – Beautiful, immersive and intimate circus, where you are invited in to get up close and personal with the performers. A gentle and emotive start to the day….Visually stunning, with serene and graceful performances, Brave Space is an oasis amongst the hustle and bustle just outside 

Boom – Emotive, energetic, playful and poignant…this circus takes you through a whirlwind of emotions and is seriously impressive. Boom is based on real events where performers met just after the outbreak of war in Ukraine, in March 2022, and its incredible what they’ve produced together to share here in Edinburgh. 

For the littler ones, our mini-reviewer has enjoyed :

Dinosaurs and all that rubbish – Balancing both an environmental message and lots of fun, this show is sure to delight younger audiences and their accompanying adults alike !This show was a massive hit with our mini-reviewer, and also with me! 

Splash Test Dummies – There is a reason why these guys are seasoned favourites of the fringe! Back with their aquatic themed silliness – Splash Test Dummies is a totally bonkers, fun show full of audience participation, slapstick comedy and splattered with some pretty impressive circus skills! 

Spotlight on : The Pianodrome

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Once again, readers of this blog will know I love the magical, immersive space of the Pianodrome. Over the years it has travelled around various corners of the city, and this year it has found it’s home in the Old Royal High building….

The Pianodrome is such an incredible venue for any performance, a legendary 100 seater amphitheatre made entirely from upcycled pianos….it really is worth a visit in itself. And this year, the Old Royal High hosts a new space – the Tinderbox Grand Hall.

I have been lucky enough to visit for one of the free lunchtime concerts and it was bliss – and I’m sure now that the city has become a little busier, it is much more of a calm oasis, offering an antidote to some of the festival hecticness outside…lunchtime concerts are on between 1-2pm every day in August – full line up here.

Kids are included in the wider programme too:

First Piano On The Moon – For ages 5+ – 20/21st, 27/28th August – ‘William’s dream comes true, chosen to play at Mozart’s birthday celebrations. He’s piano-tricks aplenty to impress school friends, but the prestigious event is full of young prodigies playing proper pieces from memory. If only a genius like Mozart were on hand to guide William through the concert…

Otherwise, the summer resonancy programme is jam packed with events, including live music, performances, folk sessions, life drawing and much much more….

Film Fest In The City : 12th – 14th August

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This almost passed me by and we are sad to be missing it as we’re away this weekend, but if you are able, this is always a treat in festival season, free outdoor film screenings at St Andrews Square – and miraculously it looks like it’ll be perfect weather to take a picnic blanket along and enjoy some entertainment !!

The full information is here on the website, and I’ve picked out the family friendly films below:

Friday 12 August

11.00 – Paddington (2014) -Everyone’s favourite bear in his first big screen adventure as he travels from deepest darkest Peru to London to try and find himself a new home.

13.00 – Fantastic Mr Fox (2009) -Filmmaker Wes Anderson guides an A-list cast in this stop-motion take on Roald Dahl’s classic book.

15.00 – Christopher Robin (2018) -Ewan McGregor stars as a now-grown-up Christopher Robin who is visited by Winnie the Pooh to help find his lost friends in the Hundred Acre Wood.

Saturday 13 August

11:00 – Brave (2012)-Follow Princess Merida as she forges her own path in Disney and Pixar’s journey into the mythical Scottish kingdom of DunBroch. Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen. Pre-screening family entertainment, including face-painting.

13:00 – The Illusionist (2010)-Based on the story by Jacques Tati, this beautifully animated tale tells of a French illusionist who travels to Scotland, where he meets a young woman where their exciting adventures together change both their lives forever. Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen. Pre-screening family entertainment.

15:30  –  Rob Roy (1922)-Join us for a special live musical performance by multi-instrumentalist David Allison to accompany this impressive 1922 classic film.

18:00 – Wall-E (2008) -An all singing, all dancing modern classic from Pixar.

Sunday 14 August

11:00 – Shrek (2001) -Join a whole host of fairy tale characters in this animated, tuneful and funny animated adventure.

13:00 – Big (1989) -Tom Hanks reconnects with his youth in this 80s family classic.

15:15 – Whip It (2009) -Get your skates on and join Babe Ruthless and the roller-derby team in this funny and quirky drama.

17:30 – The Farewell (2021)-A funny and uplifting tale of a family reconnecting with their past

19:45 – Twilight (2008)-Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart star in this everlasting teenage vampire romance.