Nightlife in Edinburgh

157 clubs, live music venues and late-night spots in Edinburgh.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first. Showing the top 40 of 157.

Photo: Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)

DoLive music venueOld Town
Usher Hall
The city's main concert hall, capacity 2200, and home to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. It was completed in 1914, funded by Andrew Usher the whisky distiller and blender.
Box Office Mon-Sat 10AM-5:30PM, Sun 1-2PM · Wheelchair accessible
DoLive music venueNew Town
Edinburgh Playhouse
Built as a cinema in 1929 and refurbished in 1980, this is now Scotland's largest performance space, with a capacity of 3059. That's about 1000 more than can comfortably be seated and 2000 more than they have toilet provision for. It's run by ATG, Ambassador Theatre Group.
Wheelchair accessible
DoLive music venueSouth
The Queen's Hall
Performance space for musical events across all genres. The neo-classical building was a chapel from 1824 and converted to a concert hall in 1979, with a capacity of 900.
Wi-Fi · Wheelchair accessible
DrinkPubOld Town
Sandy Bells
Likewise frequented by medical students, this has live folk music every night.
Mon-Sat noon–1AM, Sun 12:30PM–midnight · Wheelchair accessible
DoLive music venueOld Town
Reid Concert Hall
General Reid (1721-1807) endowed the School of Music at the University of Edinburgh. They put on occasional free lunchtime concerts here, especially on 13 Feb, Reid's birthday. You may also be able to look in on their collection of antique instruments.
DrinkBarLeith
Nauticus
Nautical-themed pub with dark panelling, they have beer but are mainly a whisky and cocktail bar. No food.
Mon 5PM-midnight, Tue-Fri 3PM-midnight, Sat Sun 2PM-midnight · Limited wheelchair access
DoComedy clubOld Town
Monkey Barrel Comedy
Intimate comedy venue with several acts each night. Drink and some food available.
Venue 6PM-midnight · Adult £8, student £6
DrinkBarOld Town
The Jazz Bar
Live music every night, majoring on jazz; early shows are generally free, later gigs individually priced. Limited food or seating.
Mon Tue 7PM-midnight, Wed-Fri Sun 5PM-3AM, Sat 2PM-3AM
DrinkPubNew Town
Barony Bar
Trad pub, dog-friendly, sometimes has live music. It calls itself a gastropub but customers don't much rate the food.
Sun-Thu noon-11PM, Fri-Sat noon-1AM · Outdoor seating · Wheelchair accessible
DrinkWhiskey barLeith
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Connoisseur whisky-drinkers' private club, with other branches on Queen St and in Glasgow, trying to convey old-money opulence and exclusivity without snootiness and froideur. If you've genuinely got a nose for the good stuff and are in Scotland for an extended period then it's worth buying the annual membership. Otherwise it's just a marketing ploy to wannabes.
£85 per year
DoOld Town
The Lost Close
Underground experiences and tours led by expert Storytellers. Whisky, gin and beer tastings available - starting from £15.
DoArts centreSouth
Summerhall
Contemporary art exhibitions and event venue in a confident Edwardian building, home of Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies from 1916. In 2011 the vets moved out to Easter Bush campus, birthplace of Dolly the Sheep. See below for the distillery, brewery and pub within Summerhall.
Limited wheelchair access · Wheelchair accessible
DoLive music venue
Hidden Door
Annual non-profit art, music, theatre, etc. event taking place in unused spaces in the city that change from year to year. End of May/beginning of June.
DrinkCocktail barOld Town
56 North
Cocktail bar incorporating South Loch gin distillery.
Daily 11AM-1AM · Limited wheelchair access · Outdoor seating
DrinkCocktail barNew Town
Tonic
A great cocktail bar with friendly helpful staff.
Mon-Thu 5PM-1AM, Fri-Sun noon-1AM · Outdoor seating
DrinkNightclubOld Town
Cabaret Voltaire
Atmospheric basement vault with regular gigs.
Thu-Sat 7PM-3AM
DrinkCocktail barOld Town
Dragonfly
Well-hidden but popular cocktail lounge.
Wed-Fri, Sun 4PM-1AM, Sat 2PM-1AM
EatNepalese restaurantOld Town
Gurkha
formerly Bombay Bicycle Club
Traditional Indian and Nepalese restaurant.
Tue-Sun 3PM-10:30PM
DrinkNightclubOld Town
The Bongo Club
A café-bar and live music venue.
Tue-Sat 11PM-3AM
DrinkNightclubOld Town
The Liquid Room
800-capacity live music venue.
Fri Sat 11PM-3AM
DoWest Not mapped
Murrayfield Ice Rink
Popular ice rink with leisure skating sessions, and ice-discos on Friday and Saturday nights. It's the home rink of the Edinburgh Capitals ice hockey team, who play Sept-March in the Scottish National League, the UK second tier. (Their rivals Murrayfield Racers folded in 2022.) The curling club also play here on a separate rink.
Mon 2-7PM, Wed Thu 2-9PM, Fri Sat 10AM-9PM, Sun 11:30AM-7PM
EatOld Town Not mapped
Whiski
A bit touristy, but a good choice for Scottish food, drink and music. Hundreds of whiskies available, bar staff happy to advise. Live music every night from 9:30PM, try to sit up front for this.
Daily 10AM-1AM
DrinkBarNew Town
Eastside
Busy cocktail bar and night entertainment spot.
Sun-Fri 9PM-3AM, Sat 5PM-3AM
Do Not mapped
Meadows Festival
A free festival in the Meadows (South) on a weekend in early June with lots of food stalls, second-hand merchandise and live music.
DoLive music venue
Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival
Festival of about 150 concerts in 11 venues.
10 days in July
DoTheatre
Symposium Hall
The King Khalid Building is an event space in the Southside, Edinburgh, Scotland, owned and operated by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. The building was constructed as Roxburgh Free Church in 1847 and converted to its current use in 1982. The building's first occupants, Roxburgh Free Church, began as a Relief congregation in 1803, subsequently joining the Church of Scotland in 1833 then the Free Church at the Disruption of 1843.
DoTheatre
The Studio
22 Potterrow
Wheelchair accessible
DrinkBar
Crybaby
4-6 Dean Street
We-Su 15:00-01:00
DrinkCocktail bar
Bar Salsa
3 Cowgatehead
DrinkCocktail bar
Bramble
16A Queen St
DrinkCocktail bar
Casablanca Cocktail Club
235 Cowgate
DoLive music venue
Church Hill Theatre
Morningside Rd
DrinkNightclub
Club Tropicana
23 Lothian Rd
DrinkCocktail bar
Copper Blossom
107 George St
DrinkCocktail bar
El Barrio Latino
47 Hanover St
DrinkCocktail bar
Element
110-114 Rose St
DrinkCocktail bar
Elio's
38a George Street
DrinkCocktail bar
Encore Edinburgh
2 Hope St
DoLive music venue
Fingers Piano Bar
61A Frederick St
DrinkCocktail bar
Heads & Tales Gin Bar
1a Rutland St

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Edinburgh (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Place data from Overture Maps. Some descriptions from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).