Brian Ferguson
@brianjaffa.bsky.social
Edinburgh-based arts and culture journalist. Arts and Entertainment Journalist of the Year - 2026 Scottish Press Awards. Any views expressed are mine alone. www.heraldscotland.com
I finally made it to North Berwick for a proper visit to Fringe by the Sea for the first time. Here’s what I made of the “festival experience” at this increasingly popular event. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...
Can a seaside town's festival experience match what is on offer in Edinburgh?
Fringe by the Sea's audiences are booming at a time when other festivals are struggling with poor ticket sales.
heraldscotland.com
What is really going on with the former CCA arts venue in Glasgow and its 50-year archive? My latest long-read for The Herald: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2643859...
What is really going on with the former CCA arts venue and its 50-year archive?
The Scottish Government and Creative Scotland are under fire more than six months after the arts venue went into liquidation.
heraldscotland.com
Really hope I'm wrong, but I cannot see the city council getting public transport back onto Princes Street until after the Edinburgh Festival.
The Herald@heraldscotland.bsky.social · yesterdayEXCLUSIVE Public transport disruption in the aftermath of the Princes Street fire is set to continue until the last few days of Edinburgh’s summer festivals season, the city council has admitted www.heraldscotland.com/news... @brianjaffa.bsky.social
Now here’s a big Edinburgh Festival story!
The Herald@heraldscotland.bsky.social · 2d agoOne of the biggest and brightest voices in Scottish arts journalism is joining The Herald to report from the Edinburgh Festivals. We are delighted to welcome @nicolameighan.bsky.social, formerly of Radio Scotland, who will be writing a festival diary www.heraldscotland.com/news/2643265...
Edinburgh City Council: “There’s plenty capacity on the buses.” Time to dust off the bike yet? 🚲
“We are very grateful to our cast, crew and creative team for their dedication to the production, but the current economic climate has resulted in lower than expected ticket sales.”
The Herald@heraldscotland.bsky.social · 3d agoEXCLUSIVE 'If Edinburgh of all places is stuck on 19 per cent sales - you know you’re f***ed!' www.heraldscotland.com/news... @brianjaffa.bsky.social 𝘐𝘔𝘈𝘎𝘌: 𝘐𝘢𝘯 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵/𝘗𝘈 𝘞𝘪𝘳𝘦/𝘗𝘈 𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴
“We are very grateful to our cast, crew and creative team for their dedication to the production, but the current economic climate has resulted in lower than expected ticket sales.”
The Herald@heraldscotland.bsky.social · 3d agoEXCLUSIVE 'If Edinburgh of all places is stuck on 19 per cent sales - you know you’re f***ed!' www.heraldscotland.com/news... @brianjaffa.bsky.social 𝘐𝘔𝘈𝘎𝘌: 𝘐𝘢𝘯 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵/𝘗𝘈 𝘞𝘪𝘳𝘦/𝘗𝘈 𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴
It wouldn’t be Edinburgh in August without some kind of crisis looming over the festivals. But the shows, more than 5000 of them, will absolutely still go on. The council, the Scottish Government & transport operators must now do all they can to help them. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2642126...
Fringe fury as Princes Street remains shut for three more weeks over safety fears
Public transport disruption is expected for at least two weeks of the Edinburgh Festival season.
heraldscotland.com
Another must-read Scottish culture top 50 from The Herald today. Let us know what you think! www.heraldscotland.com/news/2628777... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
The 50 most exciting Scottish artists of 2026 - ranked
Discover Scotland's 50 most exciting artists in 2026, from Turner Prize winners to rising stars shaping the nation's creative future.
heraldscotland.com
🚨 Exclusive: City council chiefs have urged people to plan ahead for “walking or cycling wherever possible” when the city’s festivals are up and running as they insisted they are still unable to set a date for the reopening of Princes Street. 🚨
Exclusive: Edinburgh’s new indoor concert arena has stalled more than two years after securing planning permission. Work is yet to get underway due to problems finding a main contractor and supply chain issues. Full details: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2626324... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
New Edinburgh concert arena stalls over soaring construction challenges
Work is yet to start on the 8500-capacity venue, more than two years after planning permission was secured, due to problems finding a main…
heraldscotland.com
More grim news for Glasgow’s nightlife and cultural scene: The Garage has been put up for sale. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2625642... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
ICYMI: My exclusive for The Herald on Edinburgh’s new Festival City Ambassadors. Could that be a role for you? @heraldscotland.bsky.social
🎟️ Exclusive: Edinburgh’s new tourist tax will pay for a new team of “Festival City Ambassadors” to welcome & help visitors, festivalgoers & performers, as well as work with the police & the city council to respond to complaints and report incidents. 🎟️ www.heraldscotland.com/news/2625274...
🎭 If you are involved in Scottish theatre in any way, this long-form piece from The Herald’s theatre critic Neil Cooper is absolutely essential reading - on the escalating challenges for actors, writers, producers and companies. 🎭 www.heraldscotland.com/news/2623830... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
How much do Scottish actors really earn?
Many Scottish theatre actors and freelancers face low pay, short contracts and rising costs, raising doubts about whether the job is still…
heraldscotland.com
Revisiting one of Scotland's great albums - Pedestrian Verse by the peerless Frightened Rabbit @heraldscotland.bsky.social @brianjaffa.bsky.social
'Not just for miserable Scots' - How cult favourites won over music lovers worldwide
Revisiting Frightened Rabbit's Pedestrian Verse album: 'The album has big soaring songs that are gateways for people to get into it,…
heraldscotland.com
The last thing Edinburgh needs is to import any dire “patter” from Glasgow. These bloody cones are a national embarrassment. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2624718...
'Leave it for Glasgow': Backlash as traffic cones appear atop Edinburgh's statues
A widely-viewed video posted on X depicts several young men placing a cone on the statue of David Livingstone next to the Scott Monument.
heraldscotland.com
NEW: A David Bowie treasure trove spanning his entire career is to go on display in Scotland after V&A Dundee secured the premiere of an exhibition which will tour across the UK. Full details: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2624100... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
🎶 First look at the work underway on the project to create Edinburgh’s first new purpose-built concert for more than a century. 🎶 www.heraldscotland.com/news/2622945... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
There are some surprising results in Scotland's first major census of arts workers, finds @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social @brianjaffa.bsky.social
Revealed: The hidden map of Scotland’s arts hotspots - and who is being left out
Scotland’s new cultural map reveals artists and arts workers are spread far beyond Glasgow and Edinburgh – but disabled and poorer Scots are…
heraldscotland.com
📚 NEW: Edinburgh’s bookshops, publishers, book festivals, meet the author events and literary tourism have been valued at more than £50m to the city’s economy every year. 📚 www.heraldscotland.com/news/2622203... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
The surprising amount Edinburgh earns every year from its world famous book culture
From Harry Potter to Trainspotting, Edinburgh's reputation as a literary powerhouse is generating more than £50 million a year for the…
heraldscotland.com
📺 NEW: Edinburgh has lost its TV Festival to Greater Manchester after hosting the event for half a century. 📺 Full details: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2621844... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Secret gig review: 'The Trashcan Sinatras deserve to be much bigger than they are,' says @teddyjamieson.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social @trashcansinatras.bsky.social @brianjaffa.bsky.social
One of Scotland's great 80s and 90s bands play secret hometown gig - and I was there
Review: Trashcan Sinatras, Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine: The first half of the set trades in the band’s love of sweet restraint and low BPMs, with…
heraldscotland.com
Original 'riot girls' Joan Jett, Lydia Lunch and Shirley Manson are back on stage in Scotland soon - so get your tickets now @teddyjamieson.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social @joanjettofficial.bsky.social @lydialunch.bsky.social
Original 'riot girls' Shirley Manson, Joan Jett and Lydia Lunch are back on stage
Original 'riot girls' Shirley Manson, Joan Jett and Lydia Lunch are back on stage in Scotland next month - so book now.
heraldscotland.com
When the Edinburgh Festival Fringe launches its programme this Thursday there will be well over 3600 shows to choose from. Here’s my early pick of intriguing new Scottish productions to seek out in August. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2615160... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
🌲 🌷 🪴 🌺 🌳
Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco@joshpizpom.bsky.social · 2mo agoEXC: Edinburgh's private gardens could be opened up to the public under the terms of a proposed council programme... Cockburn Association says any changes must be "collaborative and voluntary". @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2615657...
When this Tina Fey comedy drama appeared on Netflix a year ago, it caused a mini-culture war between young viewers who found it middle-aged and smug and your actual middle-aged and smug who didn’t give two hoots what Gen Y/Z thought. @heraldscotland.bsky.social @brianjaffa.bsky.social
Four Seasons: Get the fancy crisps, TV for grown-ups returns
It began life as a movie written and directed by Alan Alda. Passed into Tina Fey's more than capable hands it became a hit Netflix series. Now The…
heraldscotland.com
Scotland has a seat at the top table thanks to Glasgow International, founded in 2005 and, since last year, under the care of its sixth festival director, Glasgow School of Art-trained Shetlander Helen Nisbet. @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Inside Scotland's answer to Venice Biennale: a guide to Glasgow International 2026
From the Olympics of the art world in Venice to Glasgow’s own biennial, Glasgow International 2026 shows how a city with limited cash but huge…
heraldscotland.com
