A new music map for the capital has been launched with the aim of showcasing all that Edinburgh has to offer, from gig venues, record shops and even a locally curated playlist.
Visitors and residents of Edinburgh will be able to use the map in order to explore the list of around 50 various musical hotspots and places of interest within the city. Venues such as Sneaky Pete’s, the former Veterinary School, Summerhall, Usher Hall and the O2 academy will all feature.
Alongside them will be numerous independent record shops including Thorne Records in Bruntsfield as well as shops such as Underground Solu’shn, Avalanche and Assai records. As will a selection of music bars from across Edinburgh that are known to host traditional live music sessions, such as Whistle Binkies, Bannermans and Sandy Bell’s.
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The map will also feature a link to an Edinburgh inspired playlist that will include music by “a new wave of exciting Edinburgh bands and artists.” Bands and artists such as swim school, Hamish Hawk, Callum Easter can be found alongside more established acts like the Young Fathers and The Proclaimers
The map has been created by Forever Edinburgh in collaboration with local music site Edinburgh Music Lovers. Local band swim school, who recently signed a record deal with LAB Records, launched the map at Sneaky Pete’s this week.
Nick Stewart, owner of the Sneaky Pete’s venue and a leading campaigner for live music in Edinburgh, said: "Edinburgh is a music city with a rich history of great gigs by outstanding touring and local acts. Its nightlife is built around music culture, and it's great to see it recognised in this map of hotspots."
Alice Johnson, singer and guitarist for swim school, added: “Sneaky Pete’s is one of our favourite venues in Edinburgh. We have played the venue multiple times and also been to watch so many of our favourite bands there - whether you are on stage or in the audience, the energy and atmosphere is always amazing. You can tell it's a highly loved venue the moment you step foot in the door so we hope this map helps encourage more musicians and fans to come to Edinburgh.”
The capital will host a number of large scale events this summer with the Connect Music Festival to take place at the Royal Highland Centre along with the Summer Sessions in Princes Street Gardens. The map is part of Forever Edinburgh’s The Story Never Ends campaign which looks to promote stories and an array of experiences within the capital.
Karl Chapman, head of heritage, cultural venues, museums & galleries at Edinburgh City Council, said: “It’s exciting to see the launch of Edinburgh’s music map. I’m sure this will become an invaluable resource for music fans both for those who want to visit the city and also residents.
“Our music scene was hard hit by the pandemic, and it needs support to bounce back even bigger and better. I’m sure the new music map will play a key role in raising awareness of and encouraging visitors and residents to explore our eclectic music scene, along with other Forever Edinburgh initiatives, such as the recently appointed music reviewer.”
The launch of The Edinburgh Music Map, which is available to download from Forever Edinburgh’s website here, with a printed version expected to follow in the near future.
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