1 LOVE him or loathe him, there is no ignoring him, the marmite of comedians, Ricky Gervais star of the Office and Afterlife and the anti-hero of the Oscars as well as being a right good guy in animal welfare (he donates millions) hits Glasgow this week with his new stand up show Tonight at the Armadillo. Tonight September 12 at 18:30 Tickets available via www.ticketmaster.co.uk/ricky-gervais-glasgow
2 TODAY at the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow is the Science Festival with loads of free, socially distanced activities suitable for all ages. Exploring themes such as COP26, gardening, sustainability and health and wellbeing. Help save our wildlife with Spot a Bee citizen science, get up close and personal with some marine creatures, Uncover the secrets of rainbow. You can even make your own insect mask or butterfly. Today, 11am-2pm. Free
3 DANCE is back baby and with a bang. Edinburgh Princes St Gardens is the host this weekend to Fly FLY Open Air is back for a fifth year. Two years in the making, this event will present some of the biggest names in underground house music – right in the heart of the city including acts The Saturday line-up this year is impressively strong with a very special back to back from Palms Trax and Job Jobse to close the night, and Sunday will see the two wizards of German techno, FJAAK play under the castle. Tickets available at www.flyflyfly.co.uk
4 NINE To Five by Dolly Parton, the musical written by the worldwide megastar herself, hits the Playhouse in Edinburgh. The show features a tale of three workmates determined to alter their workplace environment. The award-winning score features over 15 hits including Nine To Five and Backwoods Barbie. It’s often said that Dolly could write “the communist manifesto” but Karl Marx could never write 9-5. Info at www.atgtickets.com/shows/9-to-5-the-musical/edinburgh-playhouse/
5 DUNDEE is synonymous with Captain Scott’s RSS Discovery, but that is not the only historic ship in the city. Along at City Quay is HMS Unicorn, a fascinating 46-gun Royal Navy ship which is now the world’s last intact warship from the days of sail. HMS Unicorn is offering a master class on singing and there’s lots of fun to be had. Sea-shanties… maybe you haven’t missed the boat… Friday, September 10. £5. Info at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hms-unicorn-sea-shanty-workshops-tickets
6 IT’S bloody Scotland time again, and this year it's a hybrid event. Scotland’s crime and thriller writing event, with some of the biggest names in gore terror and chills heading to our shores either virtually or in real life. Loads of events including crime writing masterclasses and Jo Nesbo talking about The Jealousy Man – her latest best selling work. To my mind the event of the fest is Ian Rankin and The Dark Remains, the most talked about Scottish crime novel in a decade. An epic, generation-spanning collaboration between two giants of the genre – the man who started it all and the man who took it on. William McIlvanney had the beginnings of a new Laidlaw novel but his death in 2015, left a book undone, a story untold. There were notes; chapters here and sheets of paper there and Ian got to work… for info head to www.bloodyscotland.com
7 LIVE music how I love you. Trnsmt hits Glasgow Green this weekend and the biggest names are there including tonights show stoppers The Chemical Brothers performing their explosive hits (we hope) along side thousands of revellers seeing the rocking beats of music up close and personal again for the first time since the pandemic hit. There will be chill out tents, first aid, cash free bars. Get down on it. www.trnsmtfest.com
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