CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR EVENT

Edinburgh International Festival: Samsara

Mythological storytelling brings East and West together in this moving contemporary dance duet.

Edinburgh International Festival: Samsara

About Edinburgh International Festival: Samsara

Listed Under Dance Events

Inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, Samsara is a spellbinding piece for two dancers that traces the steps we take, both forward and backward, in search of our higher selves.

UK/Indian dancer Aakash Odedra and Chinese dancer Hu Shenyuan draw on the dance traditions of their respective countries to explore the notion of samsara: the wheel of life, of birth, existence and re-birth.

Drawing on thinking and imagery at the heart of Buddhist philosophy, Samsara’s mythological storytelling merges with personal experience from two globally opposite perspectives, in a seductive, astonishing journey of twin movement.

Sponsored Links

Fayre Play
Kevin Quantum
RSPB
MNB
Escape The Past

Other Events at The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh or Edinburgh International Festival

Jack Dee: Small World

11th May 2025

In what is set to be one of the comedy highlights of next year, Jack Dee has announced he'll be bringing his brand new live tour to the Royal Lyceum Theatre in May!

READ MORE

KELI

13th May 2025 - 17th May 2025

Marking 40 years since the miners' strikes and featuring a sharp, hilarious script and live brass score KELI is a gripping show about community, creativity, and music!

READ MORE

Mhairi Black - Politics Isn’t for Me

20th May 2025

Following a sell-out run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Mhairi Black will bring her hit show, Politics Isn't for Me, to The Lyceum on Tuesday 20th May!

READ MORE

The Big Comedy Roadshow with Jayde Adams

25th May 2025

Presented by Scotland’s original home of live comedy Gilded Balloon, this is the ultimate night out for comedy fans!

READ MORE

The Mountaintop

31st May 2025 - 21st June 2025

It’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr’s last night on Earth. This funny, compelling drama imagines the man behind the legend on the eve of his assassination.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Make it Happen

30th July 2025 - 9th August 2025

Set in Edinburgh, Make it Happen sees legendary actor Brian Cox return to the Scottish stage for the first time in a decade as Adam Smith, the ghost of fiscal past.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival

1st August 2025 - 24th August 2025
Various Locations Edinburgh

The Edinburgh International Festival returns from 1st to 24th August 2025 with live performance throughout the city.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: The Dan Daw Show

2nd August 2025 - 4th August 2025

This daring International Festival debut fuses sexy choreography and touching theatricality to take a stand against the disabling forces of society.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: NYO2: Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony

3rd August 2025

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein and Carnegie Hall's NYO2 take on a thrilling pairing of Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: NYO2: Family Concert

4th August 2025

Suitable for children and their grown-ups, we invite curious minds discover the magic of classical music in this joyful concert at the Usher Hall.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Best of Monteverdi Choir

4th August 2025

Led by conductor Jonathan Sells, the Baroque choir present a dazzling showcase of their repertoire.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: María Dueñas & Alexander Malofeev

4th August 2025

Maria Dueñas and Alexander Malofeev are one of the most inspired pairings in the recital world. This collaboration illuminates works by Karol Szymanowski, Claude Debussy and César Franck.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Holst’s The Planets

5th August 2025

Let the London Philharmonic Orchestra takes you on the ultimate cosmic journey at the Usher Hall on 5th August!

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Pavel Kolesnikov & Samson Tsoy

5th August 2025

Join creative collaborators Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy for a deeply spiritual recital of piano works, ranging from Bach to Messiaen.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Bruce Liu plays Ravel

6th August 2025

Join Bruce Liu, Myung-Whun Chung and Beijing’s NCPA Orchestra for jazz-infused Ravel and Saint-Saëns’s spectacular Organ Symphony.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Mark Simpson & Richard Uttley

6th August 2025

Mark Simpson brings dual talents as composer and clarinettist to an intimate programme featuring Johannes Brahms and his own works.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Hugh Cutting & George Ireland

7th August 2025

Experience the expansive range of vocal music, from Baroque arias to specially commissioned contemporary works.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Works and Days

7th August 2025 - 10th August 2025

Birth, life and death converge at the heart of this visually spectacular performance, as theatre collective FC Bergman seeks the truth about our place in the wider world.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Leonard Elschenbroich & Alexei Grynyuk

8th August 2025

Explore the musical love triangle between Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Bach & Bartók

8th August 2025

Budapest Festival Orchestra return to the Festival with a programme that celebrates their Hungarian heritage and showcases the vibrancy of music written for dance.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Fibonacci Quartet

9th August 2025

One of Europe’s leading string quartets, Fibonacci Quartet, brings their trademark brilliance to a programme of Scottish and Czech music!

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: La clemenza di Tito

9th August 2025

Under the baton of Maxim Emelyanychev, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Chorus continue their electrifying explorations of Mozart at the International Festival.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: NFM Leopoldinum: Bizet’s Carmen Suite

10th August 2025

Experience the unforgettable music of Bizet’s opera Carmen alongside moving pieces by Bacewicz and Strauss.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Piotr Anderszewski

11th August 2025

The Polish pianist Piotr Anderszewski is known for his intimate and subtle playing style. It is beautifully suited to this programme of small-but-perfectly-formed works.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Sitkovetsky Trio

12th August 2025

Experience evocative works for piano trio, from Beethoven to a UK premiere by Iranian composer Mahdis Golzar Kashani from the Sitkovetsky Trio!

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: LSO: Beethoven & Shostakovich

12th August 2025

Nicola Benedetti and Sir Antonio Pappano co-present this concert, introducing two monumental symphonies by composers reckoning with mortality and the world around them.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Bostridge, Pappano & Members of the LSO

13th August 2025

Expressive singing reveals the emotional depth of Benjamin Britten, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Edward Elgar.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Orpheus and Eurydice

13th August 2025 - 16th August 2025

Circa joins with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and a chorus from Scottish Opera for the European premiere of this electrifying production of Gluck’s seminal opera at The Edinburgh Playhouse.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Bomsori Kim & Thomas Hoppe

14th August 2025

Award-winning violinist Bomsori Kim is joined by eminent pianist Thomas Hoppe in this stunning recital celebrating Poland's rich musical heritage.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: LSO: A Sea Symphony

14th August 2025

Celebrate 20th-century British treasures from Elizabeth Maconchy to Ralph Vaughan Williams performed by the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO).

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Book of Mountains and Seas

14th August 2025 - 16th August 2025

Ancient Chinese myths inspire Huang Ruo's opera, confronting humanity's complex relationship with nature.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Cutting the Tightrope

14th August 2025 - 17th August 2025

This collection of short plays audaciously explores the power of the arts in today's world events, political resistance and displays of artistic freedom.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Florian Boesch & Malcolm Martineau

15th August 2025

Celebrated for their Lieder performances, this duo showcases the lyrical beauty of Johannes Brahms and Robert Schumann.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Mary, Queen of Scots

15th August 2025 - 17th August 2025

Renaissance meets punk in Scottish Ballet’s retelling of the story of one of Scotland’s most famous women.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: LSO: Puccini’s Suor Angelica

16th August 2025

Sir Antonio Pappano conducts the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in Giacomo Puccini’s heartfelt opera.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Ryan Wang

18th August 2025

Ryan Wang, BBC Young Musician of the Year winner, takes on an all-Chopin programme that showcases extraordinary mastery of the piano.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Shostakovich Inside Out

18th August 2025

Explore Dmitri Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony as Aurora Orchestra unpacks its drama, depth and defiance.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Dementia Friendly Concert

19th August 2025

New to the International Festival this year, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra performs familiar repertoire for people with dementia and their loved ones.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Belcea Quartet

20th August 2025

Revitalising and transforming chamber music from the 18th and 19th centuries, Belcea Quartet's provocative recital spans Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Mozart.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Breaking Bach

20th August 2025

Discover Johann Sebastian Bach from a fresh perspective in this world premiere where classical music meets hip hop and contemporary dance!

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: As You Like It A Radical Retelling

20th August 2025 - 23rd August 2025

Encounter Cliff Cardinal's radical reimagining of Shakespeare's classic in this unapologetic production at Church Hill Theatre!

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Faustus in Africa!

20th August 2025 - 23rd August 2025

Through puppetry and animation, Handspring Puppet Company reimagine Faust's downfall and reframe the classic tale to confront colonialism and the climate emergency.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Dunedin Consort & John Butt

21st August 2025

This leading baroque ensemble revives Handel's sparkling comic cantata, unearthing the origins of his operatic masterpieces.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Bernstein & Stravinsky

21st August 2025

Conductor Karina Canellakis returns to the Festival and leads the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (SSO) through a monumental programme featuring Messiaen, Stravinsky and Bernstein.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Emily D’Angelo & Sophia Muñoz

22nd August 2025

Join mezzo soprano Emily D'Angelo and pianist Sophia Muñoz for a programme of epic scope that explores humanity's connection to the natural world.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Pictures at an Exhibition

22nd August 2025

Take a whistlestop round-the-world trip with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and William Barton at the Usher Hall on Friday 22nd August!

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Figures in Extinction

22nd August 2025 - 24th August 2025

Dance and theatre legends Crystal Pite and Simon McBurney unite with Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) to confront the climate crisis through spellbinding movement and sound.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Leonidas Kavakos & ApollΩn Ensemble

23rd August 2025

Johann Sebastian Bach’s violin concertos shine in this electrifying performance with soloist and ensemble in synergy.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Come and Sing Elijah

23rd August 2025

Join fellow singers in a full-day workshop, culminating in a performance of highlights from Mendelssohn's epic Elijah.

READ MORE

Edinburgh International Festival: Closing Concert: Mendelssohn’s Elijah

24th August 2025

In this Closing Concert, discover Felix Mendelssohn's triumphant oratorio anew as the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and Royal Scottish National Orchestra breathe life into his most famous work.

READ MORE

Pirates Love Underpants

6th September 2025 - 7th September 2025

Join our swashbuckling party of pirates on their quest to find the fabled Pants of Gold for the Captain's treasure chest at The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh on 6th & 7th September!

READ MORE

George Lewis: The Best Thing You’ll Ever Do

19th September 2025

Activate the parents' whatsapp groups, dump the kids with whoever is willing to have them, and join George Lewis at The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh for a brilliant night out!

READ MORE

Myra Dubois: Cosmic Empath

26th October 2025

After a barnstorming 2024 which saw Myra Dubois sell-out venues across the UK and Ireland, she returns to the stage with her brand-new show Cosmic Empath and brings it to the Lyceum in October!

READ MORE

Cinderella: A Fairytale

28th November 2025 - 3rd January 2026

Coming to the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh Christmas 2025, the story we all love that has captivated audiences around the UK: Cinderella!

READ MORE

Stuart Mitchell: Tips Not Included

31st January 2026

With over 100M views online see Stuart Mitchell, the longest running panellist from BBC Scotland's 'Breaking The News', live at The Royal Lyceum in his first national tour!

READ MORE

Prima Facie

3rd February 2026 - 7th February 2026

Jodie Comer is set to return to her award-winning role in Suzie Miller’s Prima Facie in 2026 and brings it to the The Royal Lyceum Theatre from 3rd to 7th February, the only Scottish dates!

READ MORE

Sponsored Links

Wonder & Co
St Mary's Music School
Napier Uni
Edinburgh Dungeon
Hostelworld
ATG

Similar events you might like...

Scots Music Group Ceilidhs

Scots Music Group Ceilidhs

Selected dates between 28th September 2024 - 31st May 2025

All welcome to the Scots Music Group fabulous monthly fundraising ceilidhs at the St Brides Centre! Come on your own, with friends or in a group.

READ MORE
Burly Ceilidh Club

Burly Ceilidh Club

Selected dates between 10th January 2025 - 8th November 2025

We’re famous for the Ceilidhs in our stunning Auditorium at the Ghillie Dhu, so come along a make it a night to remember!

READ MORE
Edinburgh Ceilidh Club at Assembly Roxy

Edinburgh Ceilidh Club at Assembly Roxy

Selected dates between 17th January 2025 - 4th July 2025

Come and experience Scottish dance the way its meant to be every month at the Edinburgh Ceilidh Club at the Assembly Roxy!

READ MORE
Groove Back & Reggaeton Saturday Dance Classes

Groove Back & Reggaeton Saturday Dance Classes

Selected dates between 15th February 2025 - 31st May 2025

Ready to reignite your passion for dance? The Groove Back and Reggaeton Saturday classes at Blazin Studio are here to help you do just that!

READ MORE
Ceilidh in Charteris Centre

Ceilidh in Charteris Centre

Selected dates between 22nd February 2025 - 31st December 2025

Edinburgh Ceilidhs invites you to their regular ceilidh in the Charteris Centre with caller Ken Gourlay, ceilidh band and piper!

READ MORE
Disco Days Edinburgh

Disco Days Edinburgh

Selected dates between 29th March 2025 - 19th July 2025

Scotland's beloved over 30s afternoon clubbing event Disco Days is back at Club Tropicana Edinburgh in 2025!

READ MORE
5 week April Salsa Beginners Course

5 week April Salsa Beginners Course

28th April 2025 - 26th May 2025

Ready to take your first steps into the exciting world of Salsa Then join OnOne Salsa's for the last Salsa Beginners Course before Summer!

READ MORE
Scottish Ballet: The Crucible

Scottish Ballet: The Crucible

1st May 2025 - 3rd May 2025

Scottish Ballet return to the Festival Theatre in May with Arthur Miller's drama of power and persecution, The Crucible!

READ MORE
Moulin Rouge Themed Dinner

Moulin Rouge Themed Dinner

2nd May 2025

Join Copper Blossom on Friday 2nd May for a night of dazzling glamour and decadent indulgence at our Moulin Rouge Themed Dinner Party!

READ MORE

Find other events in Edinburgh

Sponsored Links

Fayre Play
Kevin Quantum
RSPB
MNB
Escape The Past
Wonder & Co
St Mary's Music School
Napier Uni
Edinburgh Dungeon
Hostelworld
ATG

Popular Events

Welly
Welly will support their new album with a UK tour in 2025. Catch them live at Edinburgh's Cabaret Voltaire on Friday 3rd October!
Nick Heyward
Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, Nick Heyward, returns to Scotland this autumn for an intimate acoustic tour, and plays The Voodoo Rooms on Monday 3rd November!
Disco Days Edinburgh
Scotland's beloved over 30s afternoon clubbing event Disco Days is back at Club Tropicana Edinburgh in 2025!
The Real People
Don't miss The Real People, pioneers of the 90's Brit pop movement, when they play Sneaky Pete's Edinburgh on Saturday 18th October!
Moulin Rouge! The Musical!
Pop the champagne and prepare for the spectacular spectacular as Moulin Rouge! The Musical begins its World Tour at Edinburgh Playhouse from April 2025!

Popular Listings

Corn Exchange Haddington Edinburgh Playhouse Festival Theatre Edinburgh Howden Park Centre Livingston Kings Theatre Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland O2 Academy Edinburgh The Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh Traverse Theatre Usher Hall