Manipulate Festival

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

About Manipulate Festival

	, Various Locations Edinburgh
	Manipulate Festival Website
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Listed Under Attractions - Festivals

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.

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Upcoming Events at Manipulate Festival

Theatre

Manipulate Festival: Coffee With Sugar?

4th February 2026 - 5th February 2026

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh West

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

Theatre

Manipulate Festival: Size Matters

5th February 2026 - 6th February 2026

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh West

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

Dance

Manipulate Festival: The Rite of Spring

7th February 2026 - 8th February 2026

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh West

Theatre

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

7th February 2026 - 8th February 2026

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh West

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.

Theatre

Manipulate Festival: The Wood Paths

9th February 2026 - 10th February 2026

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh West

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

Festivals

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.

Festivals

Scottish International Storytelling Festival

, Various Locations Edinburgh

The Scottish International Storytelling Festival returns from 22nd October to 1st November 2025 with the theme 'Lights of the North'.

Festivals

Burns&Beyond

Burns&Beyond returns in January 2024, celebrating the life and legacy of Robert Burns through traditional and contemporary art and culture from across Scotland and Beyond!

Festivals

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.

Festivals

Festival of Politics

, Edinburgh Old Town EH99 1SP

The Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics takes place in August, with a three-day programme of over 30 events, taking place in the home of Scottish politics at Holyrood.

Festivals

Rare Books Edinburgh

Rare Books Edinburgh is a festival dedicated to rare, collectable and important books and the history of the book.

Festivals

First Stages Festival

Traverse Theatre 10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh West EH1 2ED

The Traverse kicks off its 2022 programme with a wide range of interactive workshops and Q&As, in-person readings and creative prompts for first time writers to seasoned theatremakers.

Festivals