EIF Contemporary Music highlights: Jim Gilchrist on the 2026 programme

Scotsman critic Jim Gilchrist picks his contemporary music highlights from the 2026 Edinburgh International Festival programme

Dàna with Ellie Beaton The Hub’s ever-adventurous series of intimate performances previews with the fast-rising Scottish all-women quartet Dàna, whose instrumental line-up is complemented by award-winning Aberdeenshire traditional singer Ellie Beaton. The Hub, 7 August

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis’s Lincoln Center Orchestra perform Black, Brown and Beige, Duke Ellington’s monumental musical encapsulation of Black American history, blending jazz, blues, and spirituals. They’re joined by vocalist Ekep Nkwelle and emerging American jazz stars with a “surprise programme”. Usher Hall, 11 August

Up Late: Jazz Jam The first of The Hub’s late shows features the dynamic pairing of pianist Joe Webb and drummer Domo Branch, returning to host performances by aspiring young jazz musicians they have been mentoring. The Hub, 11 August

corto.alto A product of Glasgow’s ultra-fertile young jazz scene, its name a salute to its leader trombonist Liam Shortall’s Irish-Spanish heritage, corto.alto deliver a simmering fusion of jazz, electronica, funk, soul and much else. The Hub, 18 August

Derya Türkan & Friends The Aga Khan Music Programme has long brought us superb musicianship from Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The first of the programme’s three concerts features Derya Türkan, a virtuoso on the near-human-voiced Turkish kemençe or spike fiddle. The Hub, 20 August

Scottish Ensemble & Brìghde Chaimbeul Scottish smallpipes virtuoso Brìghde Chaimbeul joins the Scottish Ensemble and filmmaker Jonny Ashworth to delve into Celtic mythology in a beguiling blend of new and traditional music. Queen’s Hall, 23 August

Simon Thoumire: Scots Fiddle & Clarsach Although known as a concertina virtuoso, industrious trad activist Simon Thoumire also composes contemporary folk works, as demonstrated by this assembly of string players who will premiere his concerto for clarsach. The Hub, 24 August

Camilla George Nigerian-born British alto saxophonist Camilla George blends jazz and Afrofuturism, her compelling grooves and improvisation celebrating her heritage while fusing African and Western styles. The Hub, 26 August

Routes to Roots Orcadian fiddler and composer Catriona Price returns to The Hub, this time with Argentinian group El Guapo and other guests in an intriguing cross-cultural celebration. The Hub, 27 August

Orchestra Baobab Compelling blend of Cuban and African dance rhythms from the popular Senegalese band. Starting life in 1970, they broke up in 1987, reformed in 2001 and have enjoyed global success ever since. The Hub, 28 August

Up Late with Donald Shaw The Hub season closes with a Scottish folk showcase led by Donald Shaw, accordionist, pianist, founder of the renowned band Capercaillie and director of That Other Festival, Glasgow’s Celtic Connections. Expect high-calibre playing from whatever band he has assembled. The Hub, 30 August

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