There are our choices from the wide range of arts on offer today.
Edinburgh International Festival
Today the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) continue their residency playing the fabulous music of Duke Ellington, and tomorrow the Orchestra under the direction of their founder, Winton Marsalis, will perform with pianist, Yuja Wang, (and we are told there are a few tickets remaining for that). In a historic first Yuja Wang who is one of the most electrifying artists will join the orchestra to perform newly commissioned orchestral arrangements of some of the most virtuosic jazz piano solos.
Wynton Marsalis, Artistic Director and founder of JLCO, “Wang brings her extraordinary artistry to a dazzling program that includes Erroll Garner’s deeply grooving Autumn Leaves, Dave Brubeck’s angular Blue Rondo à la Turk, Oscar Peterson’s aptly titled L’Impossible, Thelonious Monk’s lyrical Monk’s Mood, Bill Evans’ graceful Waltz for Debby, and Art Tatum’s breathtaking Tiger Rag—a work never performed because of its extraordinary technical demands.”
The Orchestra also performed at the Opening Concert: All Rise on Saturday Night at Usher Hall which our reviewer considered a five star performance. And on the EIF programme, the Opera, The Galloping Cure is attracting rave reviews and will only be performed tonight and tomorrow night before ending its short run.
Fringe
Benches, presented by Samuel D Loveless & Tim Hart, is a free immersive, neurodiversity-led exhibition of 1,300 photographs which Tim Hart, and amateur photographer who is autistic has taken.
The photos are shown with film, music, and a benches walking tour.
Through benches, post boxes, phone boxes and other familiar features of the British landscape, BENCHES offers audiences the opportunity to step into Tim’s world and discover the many ways shared public spaces can be experienced. He was photographing benches, letter boxes, phone boxes, buses, pubs and fairground rides, and his nephew Samuel discovered there was an artistry in the work.
On the surface, BENCHES is an exhibition about benches. Beneath that, it is a portrait of sincerity, creativity and the quiet beauty that can emerge when we follow what fascinates us.
Samuel D Loveless, Composer & Interdisciplinary Artist, said: “I hope BENCHES encourages people to look differently, not just at benches, but at the people around us. There are extraordinary artistic voices hiding in plain sight, and sometimes all they need is the opportunity to be recognised.”
- Venue: The Bakery, MyEdinburgh (Venue 104)
- Tickets: Free (no booking required)
- Dates: 12-16 August 2026
- Opening Hours: 10:00-17:00 (drop-in installation)
- BENCHES Walking Tour: 13-16 August, 10:30 (40 minutes, starts at The Bakery)
Fringe ahead – on 16 August
LE VENT DU NORD
- Sunday 16 August 2026 9.p.m
- The Queen’s Hall Clerk Street Edinburgh EH8 9JG
- https://www.thequeenshall.net/whats-on/le-vent-du-nord-tickets-edinburgh
Le Vent du Nord have become an incomparable creative force within Québec’s progressive folk music scene. Since forming in 2002, they have experienced a meteoric rise that continues to amaze. To date, the band have performed over 2,400 shows across four continents, released 13 albums and received numerous prestigious international awards including Artists of the year at Folk Alliance International & Canadian Folk Music Awards, two JUNO Awards, a BABELMED/Mundial Montréal Prix Pont Transatlantique and a Songlines Music Awards: this recognition was particularly important for the group, as it made them the first French-speaking artists to win in the Americas category. This was highlighted during a gala evening at the Barbican in London (March 2024), where they performed alongside world music artists such as Salif Keita.
The current line-up consists of founding members Nicolas Boulerice and Olivier Demers, Réjean Brunet, André Brunet and newest member André (Dédé) Gagné (since March 2024). The band’s original compositions, arrangements of traditional repertoire and dynamic live performances are now acclaimed worldwide and with their latest release Voisinages they prove their music is very much of our time.
