Article Source: St James Quarter
Last Updated: 2 July 2024 13:36
Edinburgh’s free music festival will offer a diverse range of musical performances from over 80 incredible emerging artists.
From Friday 16th August to Sunday 25th August, guests can get that festival feeling in the heart of the Capital, with not an inch of mud in sight.
This year’s St James Quarter Sessions will launch on August 2nd with a series of pop-up busking performances in partnership with SNACK Magazine. Running throughout August, musicians can apply for a paid performance slot with applications set to open on Friday 5th July.
After launching in 2023, St James Quarter Sessions will again take place during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, supporting some of Scotland’s unique up-and-coming musicians as well as bringing in more established performers from across the UK. 2024 also sees the addition of a rooftop stage with jaw-dropping views across Edinburgh to the castle, Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill. The free music festival will fill all floors with more than 80 acts performing across the Galleria and 5 venues within the Quarter from pop-up live acoustic sets and DJs to full band performances with a diverse mix of artists from indie rock and alt-pop to jazz fusion and hip hop.
St James Quarter has also teamed up with Forth 1’s Boogie in the Morning to find the best of local talent who will win the chance to perform on one of the stages during the festival AND a day in the W Edinburgh recording studio.
With this unique addition to the Fringe Festival offerings, guests should expect the unexpected throughout the 10 days of Sessions, with a whole host of performances from impressive music talent. Fans can anticipate the line-up to be filled with their favourite DJs, musicians, and rising artists. The Quarter's stores, dining, and entertainment venues will also be joining in with the festival spirit including performances in Bonnie & Wild, Gordon Ramsay Street Burger, The Botanist, The Alchemist and Duck & Waffle.
Free tickets will be available on the St James Quarter app later this month, along with the full line-up announcement for St James Quarter Sessions 2024.
Susan Hewlett, Brand and Marketing Director, said: “2024 has been a tumultuous year for the music industry, specifically festivals, many of which have sadly been cancelled due to rising costs and consumers being more cash conscious. The success of the first St James Quarter Sessions allowed guests to experience emerging live music talent in the city centre for free, whilst also being able to take advantage of an exciting array of food and drink offerings and amenities. The month-long festival all under our glass canopy in the comfort of the Galleria allowed visitors to experience memorable, intimate performances with incredible talent with our retail and leisure partners commercially benefitting from the rise in footfall too. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a calendar highlight for many of our guests, and we cannot wait to be at the heart of the buzz, welcoming our guests to the second edition of St James Quarter Sessions.”
Guests can sign up for free tickets by downloading the St James Quarter App HERE which allows them to stay updated with events happening throughout the Quarter for Sessions and beyond.
For more information, please email: stjamesquarter@johndoehub.com
Dobbies Garden Centres is inviting customers along to an afternoon of creativity, connection, and cake this January, with a brand-new Crafternoon Tea Club.
READ MORE
A modern twist on a traditional Scottish serve is being poured across Edinburgh this festive season, as two of the city's leading independent drinks producers announce a flavour-led collaboration.
READ MORE
Following the incredible success of last year's blockbuster exchange with the National Gallery of Ireland, Scotland's own much-loved Turners are back in Edinburgh for 2026!
READ MORE
Europe's largest indoor fun fair, The IRN-BRU Carnival, has opened to the public at Glasgow's SEC with its greatest show to date!
READ MORE
A much-loved Belhaven pub in the heart of the Old Town is set to ring in the New Year in style with a brand-new look and elevated offering as it undergoes a significant programme of refurbishment.
READ MORE
Experience the award-winning after-dark event at Edinburgh Castle one final time, with a special £10 ticket available for the final night (Sunday 4 January 2026).
READ MORE
Edinburgh Rugby has scored a new deal with one of the city’s most popular sports bars, which will see all the buzz from Hive Stadium pop-up in the Grassmarket.
READ MORE
It’s a winner! A spectacular new photograph is now on show at National Galleries Scotland: Portrait to celebrate Scotland’s men reaching the FIFA World Cup 2026.
READ MORE
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay has announced the event will include live streaming for the first time, opening the New Year’s Day performances to audiences around the world.
READ MORE
This December, The Scotch Whisky Experience invites guests to raise a dram to a quarter-century of discovery as the Distillers’ Fair returns for its 25th year.
READ MORE
Scotland’s world class collection of surrealist art is back home in Modern One and free to visit from 17th December 2025.
READ MORE
Two in a row: The Johnnie Walker Experience has once again been named Europe and The World’s Leading Spirit Tourism Experience at the 2025 World Travel Awards(WTA).
READ MORE
Dynamic Earth is pleased to announce the appointment of Gwilym Gibbons as its new Chief Executive Officer, following a rigorous and far-reaching recruitment process.
READ MORE
Edinburgh's Christmas has added new special themed skating sessions to run throughout the season.
READ MORE
Film fans in Edinburgh can now enjoy the latest releases in even greater clarity and colour with the arrival of Laser by Barco projection technology at Vue Edinburgh Omni.
READ MORE
Deer Park is helping to kickstart the footballing journey of young players by sponsoring new training kits, match kits, and rain jackets for the Livingston FC Community’s 2017 age group.
READ MORE
DF Concerts launches the DF Academy to strengthen pathways between education and Scotland's live music & events industry.
READ MORE
2026 represents a landmark year for Dance Base, Scotland’s National Centre for Dance, as the organisation celebrates 25 years in its purpose-built home in the heart of Edinburgh’s Grassmarket.
READ MORE
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo has welcomed a second male sloth bear, named Rajath.
READ MORE
A ‘KNOCK-OUT’ new beer has been unveiled inside an ice sculpture in Edinburgh to celebrate 150 years since the legendary North Pole expedition it was originally brewed for.
READ MORE
To celebrate World Ice Skating Day on 14 December, the National Galleries of Scotland got their skates on to recreate one of the most iconic paintings, Sir Henry Raeburn’s Skating Minister.
READ MORE
See the highly anticipated new comedy drama before anyone else, with preview screenings at Everyman cinemas nationwide.
READ MORE
Swiss art collective PROJEKTIL brings its vivid light and sound show to Edinburgh from 31 January, following acclaimed runs in Glasgow, Liverpool and Leeds
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Book Festival and Celtic Connections unveil major new partnership bringing together Scotland's most celebrated writers and musicians!
READ MORE
Lost Shore Surf Resort, Europe’s largest inland surf destination, is gearing up for a spectacular start to 2026 with a packed programme of festive events.
READ MORE
The Scotch Whisky Experience is proud to announce that Chief Executive Susan Morrison has been inducted into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame,
READ MORE
DF Concerts & Events is celebrating the success of their sustainability initiatives delivered across their major summer events in 2025.
READ MORE
On Sunday 25th January, for one night only, Isaac McHale returns to his native Scotland for a Burns Night dinner with Stuart Ralston at his Michelin-starred Lyla.
READ MORE
Scottish comedy producer Brass Tacks Comedy is once again offering one Scottish or Scotland-based comedian a funded Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut for 2026, supported by Red Bull UK.
READ MORE
With toasts to celebrate the new year breaking around the world, the experience is not to be missed!
READ MORE