Events in Edinburgh on 16 December 2025
Scroll down to view the events taking place in Edinburgh on the 16 December 2025, or use the filters to narrow down the results.
Events in Edinburgh
A Trail of Burke & Hare
Follow a tale from Edinburgh's fascinating history as you journey through the very sites and locations where it all took place on outdoor escape room, A Trail of Burke & Hare!
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Almost Impossible 2.0: Martin Brock
Martin Brock is back at the Fringe with an electrifying, one-of-a-kind spectacle of slick, mind-bending magic, laugh-out-loud comedy, cutting-edge video production and astonishing illusions!
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Arthur’s Secrets
Come along on a guided walk to learn more about Arthur's Seat's turbulent past, created by fire and ice!
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Beyond Monet & Beyond Van Gogh
Step into a world of light, colour, and imagination with Beyond Van Gogh and Beyond Monet: The Immersive Experience at the Royal Highland Centre this Christmas!
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Castle Of Light
Make Castle of Light: Fire and Ice part of your festive plans and enjoy the largest annual projection show in the UK when it returns for its sixth year!
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Cinderella: A Fairytale
Coming to the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh Christmas 2025, the story we all love that has captivated audiences around the UK: Cinderella!
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Cold War Scotland
Exploring Scotland’s critical position on the frontline of the Cold War, a new exhibition will tell the stories of the Scots at the centre of this global conflict.
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Conifox Christmas Experience
Conifox Christmas Experience is back for it’s 8th year, with so much more than just Santa's Grotto!
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Conservation Hangar Talks
See behind the scenes of the work carried out in the museum’s Conservation hangar with these free talks.
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Cuddly Corgi Treasure Hunt
Looking to entertain the kids? Come and spot our cuddly corgis hiding around Britannia’s tour route.
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Curious About Edinburgh - Quirky Heritage Walks for the Curious!
Have fun discovering Edinburgh on this award-winning, quirky, self-guided, heritage walk with a treasure hunt theme from Curious About!
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Dear Library
To mark our 100th birthday, the National Library of Scotland presents a special exhibition, 'Dear Library'.
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Discover the Joy of Reading in Japanese – Join Our Book Club!
Are you passionate about Japanese but find it difficult to enjoy the learning process? Then join our Japanese Book Club, led by Edinburgh-based native tutor Hitomi Kobayashi-Prior!
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Dog Training in Edinburgh
Dogs Trust Dog School Edinburgh offer training classes for dogs at all stages of their lives, in a relaxed and enjoyable environment.
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Drawing the Italian Renaissance
This exhibition at The Palace of Holyroodhouse, brings together a wide range of drawings from this revolutionary artistic period, including 45 drawings never exhibited in Scotland before.
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Eat, Drink, Be Merry - Private Festive Party Night
Celebrate the season in style with an unforgettable night of festive fun at Delta Hotels by Marriott Edinburgh!
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Edinburgh ‘Open House’ Ceilidhs
Join Edinburgh ‘Open House’ Ceilidhs with Live Band & Caller, held in the Royal British Legion Hall! If you love to dance or want to learn this event is for you.
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Edinburgh Zoo Giant Lanterns
Edinburgh Zoo's award-winning Giant Lanterns event is back this winter, for the first time in six years, with a never-before-seen theme, featuring all things aquatic!
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Edinburgh’s Christmas: Around the World Starflyer
Try it if you dare! The Starflyer is back at Edinburgh's Christmas giving the finest, and most thrilling, views of the stunning city centre skyline!
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Edinburgh’s Christmas: Ice Skating
Get your skates on and glide all the way up and down Edinburgh’s famous George Street on the magnificent alpine ice rink!
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Edinburgh’s Christmas: LNER Big Wheel
The LNER Big Wheel returns to East Princes Street Gardens to give passengers a unique perspective of our spectacular city!
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Escape the Past: The Anatomist
Descend into a world of grave robbery, mystery and malpractice as you embark on a thrilling adventure into Edinburgh’s dark past.
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Escape the Past: The Deacon’s Cabinet
From Escape The Past comes a new escape room 'The Deacon’s Cabinet', a historical heist escape room which challenges you to outsmart the infamous Deacon Brodie!
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Five Sisters Zoo Christmas Illuminations
By popular demand, Five Sisters Zoo's Christmas Illuminations are back this winter with a mesmerizing display of colour and light!
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Hooked: 500 Years of Addiction
From heroin to gambling, from alcohol to love, explore the history of addiction at Hooked, an exhibition at the Physicians' Gallery.
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IKEA: Magical Patterns
IKEA Museum's Magical Patterns exhibition comes to Dovecot Studios, celebrating 60 years of innovative textile design.
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Kids Japanese After School Club Ages 7-12: Language, Crafts & Culture
Led by Hitomi Kobayashi-Prior, this Kids Japanese After School Club transforms screen-based self-study into real-world interactive learning with crafts, games, and cultural fun.
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Lanterns Grotto
Make your little one's evening at Edinburgh Zoo’s Giant Lanterns extra special this festive season and meet Santa Claus at our Christmas Grotto, which will be inside our Budongo Trail building!
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Live Music at The Botanist
The Botanist hosts live music from Thursday to Sunday every week! From acoustic singles, duos, trios and full band, we have it all.
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MAMMA MIA!
Don't miss MAMMA MIA! at the Edinburgh Playhouse from December 2025! Enjoy the ultimate feel-good factor at the world’s sunniest and most exhilarating smash-hit musical.
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Maps: Memories from the Second World War
Through personal stories, photography and memorabilia, this exhibition at the National War Museum charts the creation and use of maps during the Second World War.
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Michael Fullerton
A major exhibition by Glasgow-born artist Michael Fullerton comes to the City Arts Centre!
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Panorama: New Views of a City
Collective Edinburgh's Panorama programme takes inspiration from the origins of the panorama to explore how we see, move through and understand the city today.
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Panto 2025: Jack and the Beanstalk
Join Allan Stewart, Grant Stott and Jordan Young for the GIANT of a pantomime we've all BEAN waiting for!
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Reconfigure Life Drawing at Summerhall
Reconfigure welcomes all ages and all abilities, in an atmosphere of warmth and creativity, at these Life Drawing classes in Summerhall's iconic Anatomy Lecture Theatre.
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Resistance
Resistance explores how acts of resistance have shaped life in the UK, and the powerful role of photography in documenting and driving change.
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Rugby for Beginners
Corstorphine Cougars are running free beginners classes every Tuesday for Females of all ages who would like to try Rugby!
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Santa Paws at Dobbies Edinburgh
Give your canine companion their own festive experience with a trip to visit Santa Paws at Dobbies Edinburgh!
READ MORESanta Paws at Dobbies Livingston
Give your canine companion their own festive experience with a trip to visit Santa Paws at Dobbies Livingston!
READ MORESanta’s Grotto at Dobbies Edinburgh
Santa's Grotto is always one of our most popular experiences at Dobbies Edinburgh, and this year it's even more magical!
READ MORESanta’s Grotto at Dobbies Livingston
Santa's Grotto is always one of our most popular experiences at Dobbies Livingston, and this year it's even more magical!
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Scotland’s Gardens Scheme Open Garden: Kevock Garden
This wonderful hillside garden has magnificent views over the North Esk Valley with a wide diversity of plants and has featured in many magazine articles and gardening programmes.
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Showtime @ The Comedy Attic
Join us for Showtime at The Comedy Attic every Friday and Saturday for the best comedy this glorious city of Edinburgh has to offer!
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Snow White
Mirror Mirror on the wall, what is the greatest panto of all? Join us deep in the forest this Christmas as the Reconnect Regal Theatre presents ‘Snow White’!
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Spandex Comedy
Don't miss out on Spandex Comedy! Join us every Tuesday night for a top night of laughs featuring stand up comedians from across the country dropping in to liven up the start of your week!
READ MORESpeak Japanese with Confidence – Join Our Japanese Chat Club!
Looking to practise speaking Japanese in a relaxed and supportive environment? Then join our Japanese Chat Club, led by Edinburgh-based native tutor Hitomi Kobayashi-Prior!
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Tang Soo Do
Come and try out the traditional Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do at Gracemount Leisure Centre on Wednesdays & Saturdays!
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The Spirit of Christmas - A New Beginning
The Usher Hall will once again glow with festive spirit as the creative powerhouse behind "A Christmas Wish" proudly presents "The Spirit of Christmas - A New Beginning!
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The Wizard of Oz - Panto 2025
Join us over the rainbow this Christmas as Reconnect Reconnect Howden Park presents ‘The Wizard of Oz’!
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Unmasked: Exploring Scottish Portraiture
Featuring examples of painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking and photography, the exhibition at City Art Centre spans almost 400 years of artistic production.
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We Are The Witches. We Are, Hear
This is an exhibition of textile artwork by 70 wise women artist using their craft to Challenge, Disturb and Disrupt. Catch it at The House of Smalls in August!
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You Mean the World Exhibition
This exhibition explores the history of air pollution and of recycling and re-use in nursing and shows how talented nursing teams are taking climate action today.
READ MORESponsored Links
Events in East Renfrewshire
Here's a selection of events you can find over on our sister site, What's On East Renfrewshire:
Hands On Heritage
Every month the team at East Renfrewshire Culture & Leisure's Heritage Collection will select some of their most interesting treasures and share the stories behind them at Hands On Heritage!
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Monteiths Bar Quiz Night
Join Monteiths Bar for their weekly Tuesday quiz night hosted by the fun and charismatic Chris Wainwright!
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East Renfrewshire Bookbug Sessions
Free, fun and fantastic! East Renfrewshire Libraries run several interactive song, rhyme and story Bookbug sessions!
READ MOREEvents in Fife
Here's a selection of events you can find over on our sister site, What's On Fife:
Snow White
This year, The Alhambra Theatre is thrilled to announce, for the first time ever, the fairest panto of them all, Snow White!
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Santa’s Grotto at Dobbies Dunfermline
Santa's Grotto is always one of our most popular experiences at Dobbies Dunfermline, and this year it's even more magical!
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Small Business Market
Small Business Market is a monthly market based within Dunfermline's Kingsgate Shopping Centre featuring over 25 small businesses each month selling handmade crafts and more!
READ MOREEvents in Glasgow
Here's a selection of events you can find over on our sister site, What's On Glasgow:
Christmas Party Nights at Village Glasgow
This year, Village Glasgow's parties will be bigger, brighter, and more boogie-licious than ever before, with fantastic festive food, floor-fillers, and fizz flowing into the early hours!
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Glasgow Kiss: Ashley Rawson Solo Exhibition
For the first time Ashley Rawson's original paintings are being put on display, don't miss the Glasgow Kiss Exhibition at Cass Art in December!
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Festive Party Nights at the Glasgow Grosvenor Hotel
From festive Boogie Bingo madness and tribute nights to decade-spanning dancefloors, dazzling décor, live acts, and DJs, there's something for every kind of partygoer at the Glasgow Grosvenor Hotel!
READ MOREEvents in Lanarkshire
Here's a selection of events you can find over on our sister site, What's On Lanarkshire:
North Pole Express
North Pole Express at North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre is an enchanting winter exhibition for families and younger visitors!
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Get Walking Lanarkshire Health Walks
Join Get Walking Lanarkshire on one of their regular health walks! Enjoy the fresh air, meet new people and have a good blether!
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Snow Play
What would you do if one year Winter decided to stay and moved into your house? Find out when Snow Play, a show for little ones, comes to Cumbernauld Theatre!
READ MOREEvents in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
Here's a selection of events you can find over on our sister site, What's On Renfrewshire:
Renfrewshire Walking Network Community Walks
Enjoy some fresh air and activity on one of Renfrewshire Walking Network's free weekly health walks, held in locations across Renfrewshire!
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Santa’s Grotto at Dobbies Braehead
Santa's Grotto is always one of our most popular experiences at Dobbies Braehead, and this year it's even more magical!
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Renfrewshire Bookbug Sessions
Free, fun and fantastic! Renfrewshire Libraries run several interactive song, rhyme and story Bookbug sessions throughout the week!
READ MOREEvents in Stirling
Here's a selection of events you can find over on our sister site, What's On Stirling:
Stirling Ghostwalk
Take a tour of the strange tales and stranger characters of Stirling's Old Town on the Stirling Ghostwalk... comedy, drama, fact and fable - fun for boys & ghouls of all ages!
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A Blair Drummond Christmas
From the 29th of November to the 23rd of December, enjoy a full safari day out with all the animals you love – plus a sprinkle of festive magic at Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park!
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Brrrr!!! The Chilliest Penguin In The World...
With beautiful puppets, plenty of surprises and lots of audience interaction, this magical new visual theatre show from the artistic team at Macrobert Arts Centre is perfect for children under 6.
READ MOREEvents in Other Areas
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