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Manipulate Festival

The 19th edition of Manipulate Festival will take place between 4th and 10th February 2026.

Manipulate Festival

About Manipulate Festival

, Various Locations Edinburgh
Manipulate Festival Website
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Manipulate Festival is an annual international celebration of excellence in animated film, puppetry and visual theatre, bringing the very best of international and Scottish work to adult audiences of over 3000 across Edinburgh and beyond each February.

The programme features an eclectic range of boundary-pushing performances and screenings across many visual disciplines, creates a platform for creative exchange and discussion, and serves as a home for Scottish artists to experiment with and receive feedback on new ideas.

The Festival has gained recognition nationally and internationally for its innovative curation and unique blend of artforms, including animated film, circus, dance theatre, mime, object theatre, puppetry, physical theatre and visual theatre. The Festival offers an essential moment in the cultural calendar for audiences to gather and form communities of interest, for artists to network and exchange ideas, and for cross-cultural creative exchange between nations.

Upcoming Events at Manipulate Festival

Manipulate Festival: Coffee With Sugar?

4th February 2026 - 5th February 2026

Using thousands of coffee beans, flying candyfloss, biographical fragments, historical sources, video art and live music, ‘Coffee with Sugar?’ is a visually striking performance!

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Kar

4th February 2026 - 5th February 2026

Blending object theatre, physical comedy, and explosive live music, Kar is a riotous reimagining of a literary classic like you've never seen before, don't miss it at the Studio Theatre!

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Manipulate Festival: Size Matters

5th February 2026 - 6th February 2026

Blending puppetry, science, and surrealist theatre, Julia and Mamoru and their puppet doubles explore how time and perception shift with size.

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The Raft of the Crab

6th February 2026

The Raft of the Crab at Edinburgh's Studio Theatre is a genre-defying journey through pain, perseverance and play, told with rare honesty and theatrical imagination.

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Manipulate Festival: Don Quixote (is a Very Big Book)

7th February 2026 - 8th February 2026

In his new one-man show, Dik Downey (Green Ginger, Pickled Image, Opposable Thumb) weaves together the crazed delusions of Don Quixote with his own struggle against reality.

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Snapshots

8th February 2026

Part of the Manipulate Festival, Snapshots is a platform for artists based in Scotland to try out new or developing work across puppetry, circus, physical theatre, visual theatre and dance!

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Tell Me

9th February 2026 - 10th February 2026

The Scottish Premiere of Tell Me, a striking fusion of circus, dance and theatre from one of Scotland's most exciting young voices in contemporary performance comes to the Studio Theatre.

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Manipulate Festival: The Wood Paths

9th February 2026 - 10th February 2026

Wood Paths is a celebration of humanity’s endless creativity and our desire to understand, to shape, and to find beauty in the mess.

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More Festivals in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Krampus Festival

29 - 35 Niddry Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1LG

While Santa and his elves frolic under snowflakes, something sinister is lurking in the icy caverns of Niddry Street.

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Falastin Film Festival

Scottish Storytelling Centre 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1SR

Falastin Film Festival (FFF) is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit collective of Palestinians and allies dedicated to bringing Palestinian art to the Edinburgh and Highland audiences.

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Edinburgh Art Festival

Edinburgh Art Festival , Various Locations Edinburgh

Founded in 2004, Edinburgh Art Festival works with local and international partners to present an ambitious and meaningful programme of exhibitions, events and projects across the city.

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Edinburgh International Film Festival

88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh West EH3 9BZ

The Edinburgh International Film Festival will return from 13th to 19th August 2026 at the very heart of Edinburgh's festival season.

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NT Art Month

, Edinburgh New Town

NT Art Month is a month-long celebration of the incredible arts quarter in Edinburgh's New Town.

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Edinburgh International University Film Festival

Scottish Storytelling Centre 43 - 45 High Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1SR

The Edinburgh International University Film Festival (EIUFF), launching in 2025, is driven by a mission to champion and support the creative talents of university students across the UK.

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FuturePlay Festival

54 George Street, Edinburgh New Town EH2 2LR

Formerly the Edinburgh Digital Entertainment Festival, FuturePlay is on from the 3rd to 26th August.

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Edinburgh International Festival

, Various Locations Edinburgh

The Edinburgh International Festival is an unparalleled celebration of music, theatre, opera and dance performed across our beautiful city.

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Edinburghs Hogmanay

, Various Locations Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is back to celebrate the end of 2025 and the new year with an unforgettable experience for Edinburgh and beyond.

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Red, Red Rose Street

NA NA, NA NA

Red Red Rose Street returns for 2018 with a festival of Burns’ music and words running from 25th - 27th January.

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Lammermuir Festival

, Various Locations East Lothian

Lammermuir Festival is East Lothian's celebration of Beautiful Music in Beautiful Places.

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Edinburgh International Improv Festival

Monkey Barrel Comedy 9-12 Blair Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1QR

Edinburgh International Improv Festival returns from 5th to 8th March 2026, bringing the best improvisational theatre to Edinburgh.

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All Festivals listings in Edinburgh

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Sponsored Links

Wonder & Co
Escape The Past
Cancer Research UK
The Cookbook Shop
The Cogency
Fayre Play
King Pins
The Chocolatarium
Cancer Research UK
ATG
Edinburgh Dungeon

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