10 Events for music and dance lovers
Whether you’re into live orchestral performance, late-night dancing, traditional ceilidhs or learning an ancient instrument, this year’s festival has something to move you. Here are ten events to get on your radar.
All events are free or ticketed on a sliding scale, with free entry options for refugees and asylum seekers.
When: Friday 12 June, 6–9pm
Where: St Paul’s and St George’s Church, 46 York Place, Edinburgh
Kick off the festival on the very first night with a proper ceilidh. Hosted by Edinburgh churches and rooted in solidarity and welcome, this is a joyful evening of live music, dancing, food and friendship.
New Scots and the wider community are brought together to celebrate the people who make Edinburgh’s communities rich and diverse. Wheelchair accessible, all ages welcome, and completely free.
When: Friday 12 June, 5–7pm
Where: Radio Buena Vida and Café Buena Vida, 535 Victoria Road, Glasgow
This is a two-hour live radio programme from Radio Buena Vida, co-created by residents, volunteers and invited contributors with lived experience of the refugee and asylum system.
The show airs as a free, in-person listening event at Café Buena Vida, turning radio into a shared communal experience. No need to register, just turn up early to grab a seat. Can’t make it in person? You can listen live at buenavida.co.uk, and the show will be archived on Soundcloud afterwards.
3. Learn to Play the Mbira with Tawona Sitholé
When: Tuesday 16 June, 12–1:30pm
Where: University of Glasgow Peace Garden, Glasgow
Poet, playwright and musician Tawona Sitholé joins his brother Ernest to lead an outdoor mbira workshop in the beautiful University of Glasgow Peace Garden. The art of crafting and playing the mbira is inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. It survived only because of brave people who kept the knowledge alive in secret through years of cultural repression.
No musical experience is required whatsoever. Just turn up, and they’ll talk you through it. In case of bad weather, the session moves indoors nearby.
When: 20 June, 4-7pm
Where: The Y Centre, Perth
A gathering to celebrate the diversity in the Perth & Kinross community by sharing music, dance and cuisines. This free event offers a programme of performance & interactive activities together with a light meal. All are welcome including families, and individuals from across the community.
5. Together We Thrive: A Celebration of Community and Culture
When: 13 June, 12-4pm
Where: The Tolbooth, Stirling
This special event brings together an extraordinary lineup of artists and performers from across the world. First, published Ukrainian poet Anna Yanenko will perform a selection of her moving and beautifully crafted poetry. Yemeni artist Shatha Altowai will showcase her powerful and captivating artwork, offering a unique visual journey through her experiences and creativity. Accompanying the talk will be the rich and soulful sounds of talented pianist Saber Bamatraf. Musicians in Exile will also present an uplifting performance featuring music from a diverse range of cultures and countries.
When: 20 June, 2-3.30pm
Where: Norton Park Business and Conference Centre, 57 Albion Rd, Edinburgh,
New Scots Extravaganza is a multicultural performance bringing together refugee and migrant communities in Scotland through music, dance and storytelling.
This event is not just a series of performances, but a shared narrative about journey, identity and belonging. Artists from Ukrainian, Syrian, African, Indian and other communities present both traditional pieces and collaborative performances, where cultures meet and create something new together.
7. Community Celebration for Refugee Festival: Yahya’s Hub
When: 21 June, 2026 3-6pm
Where: Food story, Aberdeen
Join our community for the day, meet our young people as they share traditions from their cultures through food, music and dance.
YAHYAS Hub SCIO is a small youth-led charity supporting young asylum seekers, refugees, and local young adults by providing safe, welcoming, and non-judgmental spaces to connect and grow in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Through workshops, cultural exchange, and community events, we help young people develop and strengthen skills.
8. Nai Barghouti Quartet with the RSNO
When: Saturday 20 June, doors 7:30pm
Where: Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, Glasgow
Award-winning Palestinian singer, composer and flautist Nai Barghouti returns to Glasgow following her sold-out 2025 performance, this time joining forces with her Amsterdam-based quartet and musicians from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She has performed everywhere from the London Jazz Festival to the Edinburgh International Festival to the UN headquarters in New York, and her genre-defying rearrangements of iconic pieces blend Arabic maqams, jazz and classical western music in a way that feels like nothing else.
When: Saturday 20 June, 11:30pm – 2:30am
Where: The Marlborough, Glasgow
For those who want to keep the music going after the Nai Barghouti concert, MARSM UK takes over The Marlborough for a night of high-energy dancing and genre-blurring sounds from across the South West Asian and North African region and its global intersections. The night features a curated lineup of boundary-pushing DJs, led by the rhythmic depth of Persiajoon and the genre-blurring artistry of Intibint, alongside a third headline performer to be announced. Diaspora heritage meets the driving pulse of the underground. Tickets are £6 for Nai Barghouti concert-goers and £10 as standard. Age 18+.
When: 20 June, 4-7pm
Where: Kinning Park Parish Church Hall, Glasgow
A vibrant showcase of Ethiopian music, dance, food and culture. Ethiopia has one of the world’s oldest and most distinctive cultural traditions, and this is a rare chance to experience it up close, from traditional music and costume to dance forms that vary dramatically region by region.
Check out the full festival programme to see what else is happening near you.
Refugee Festival Scotland 2026 is made possible with support from the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, awarding funding on behalf of Screen Scotland and the BFI National Lottery.
