Festival Music 2023: 5 of the best music gigs to see in Edinburgh this August including Jake Bugg

Scotland’s Capital is the place to be for concert-goers this August.

The Edinburgh International Festival may be best known for ballet, classical music, opera and theatre - but in recent years contemporary music has become a growing part of the programme, with performances from everybody from Arab Strap to Princess Nokia.

And, while the Edinburgh Festival Fringe no longer has its 'T on the Fringe' music strand, there are still plenty of bands and singers to look out for.

Here are 5 of the best you can bag yourself a ticket for during August.

Jake Bugg with be playing the Edinburgh Playhouse this August.

Jake Bugg

Indie pop singer-songwriter Jake Bugg burst on to the music scene in 2012 with his eponymous debut album which earned him the Brit Award for Best Breakthrough Artist. Since then he has released another four hit albums, most recently 2021's 'Saturday Night, Sunday Morning'. He's playing the Playhouse on Wednesday, August 23.

Beth Nielsen Chapman

Two-time Grammy nominee Beth Nielsen Chapman will be playing the Queen's Hall on Tuesday, August 8. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter has an impressive musical CV – having released 14 solo albums, written seven number one hits, and penning tracks for the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson and Elton John.

Blue Rose Code

Blue Rose Code, or Ross Wilson as his mum calls him, has had a great 12 months - with highlights including appearing at the Cambridge Folk Festival and touring with The Proclaimers. He'll be at Hope City Church on Friday, August 11, performing his heartfelt songs that seamlessly blend folk, Americana, jazz, soul and pop.

John Cale

A genuine music legend, Velvet Underground founder member has six decades of work to choose from for his gig at the Festival Theatre on Saturday, August 26, as part of the Edinburgh International Festival. The Welsh musician's latest album, 'Mercy', was released to acclaim earlier this year and is his 17th solo record.

Mull Historical Society

Since 2001's 'Loss' Scotland’s Colin MacIntyre has released six albums under the name Mull Historical Society, as well as two under his own name. He'll be playing a career-spanning set at Summerhall on Friday, August 4 featuring fan favourites such as ‘Watching Xanadu’, ‘The Final Arrears’ and ‘I Tried’.