An antidote to tartan clichés: Soundhouse Winter Festival 2026 brings an eclectic five-day roster of jazz, indie, and trad to Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre.

Luis Schmidt arrived from Bavaria to give Edinburgh a civic orchestra. Between score hires and dukes, he is learning how arts survive a funding freeze.

Donald Shaw gathers an all-star trad ensemble at The Hub, but polite EIF restraint keeps a potentially explosive folk finale from ever fully catching fire.

At the Edinburgh Tattoo, ancient carnyx calls and massed pipes elevate military pomp into an unexpectedly sombre, deeply moving reckoning with modern conflict.

Veiled in black, RÓIS resurrects the ancient Irish art of keening, weaving raw grief into ethereal electronics, dark ritual, and surprising post-punk energy.