Here's what you can get up to this week...

1 SUMMER is drawing to a close, but there is still time to grab yourself a ticket to the hottest show around, Bard In The Botanics’ A Winter’s Tale. Grab yourself a picnic, a spot on the grass and watch a celebration of the healing powers of time and the potency of forgiveness and, maybe even, a happy ending at long last! Don’t miss a rare chance to enjoy this beautiful story of redemption and renewal. For more info head over to www.bardinthebotanics.co.uk

2 I DON’T Know How But They Found Me are playing an intimate gig at SWG3. The duo hail from Salt Lake City and were once monikered the hottest unsigned band in the world. Self described as indie pop and hipster nonsense – they’re a sort of glam Wham. Head down this Thursday as the boys belt out some razzamatazz presented by DF Concerts. For more info head over to www.ticketweb.uk/event/i-dont-know-how-but-tv-studio-swg3-tickets. Thursday 26, 7pm.

3 LIVE music, oh how we love you and how we have missed you. Fancy cramming yourself into King Tuts and getting down to a host of cool bands this week? Course you do… As part of King Tut's summer nights they are presenting Medicine Cabinet, Humour, Isabella Strange and Stock Manager, this Friday. From 8:30pm and all for under a 10 spot. More details at www.ticketweb.uk/event/medicine-cabinet-humour-isabella-strange-king-tuts-wah-wah-hut-tickets

4 THE Dolly Parton Story is an unmissable bit of fringe kitsch, from the Blue Mountains to the 9-5 grind and on to the Islands In The Stream, this foot stompingly good show takes you through the good and the great of Queen Dolly and her journey. Don’t miss it. Some tickets still available at www.tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/dolly-parton-story a few tickets available this week, at the symposium hall, garden theatre, August 9-28 inclusive.

5 THE Edinburgh International book festival has pulled a blinder in managing to attract some of the biggest authors in the world to the festival at the last minute in a pandemic. Safely ensconced in its new home – the leafy University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh College of Art on Lauriston Place – almost half of the speakers plan to appear in person, while others are joining digitally from their homes around the world. One particularly interesting event is Amartya Sen,Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University. His many books include The Idea of Justice, a critique of existing theories of social justice, he will be discussing welfare economics. This Nobel prize winner is not to be missed. Tomorrow at 4pm in the Bailie Gifford Theatre.

6 Chrissie Hynde, the great Pretender herself hits Auld Reekie, as her and some special guests get chanting some of her greatest hits and also some of her favourite Bob Dylan tunes. Don’t miss it. Oh but if I had the stars from the darkest night, and the diamonds from the deepest ocean, I’d forsake them all to go to this gig. £34 at the Queens Hall. Doors open 6:30, Chrissie hits the stage at 9pm August 22-25th. Tickets available at www.thequeenshall.net/whats-on/chrissie-hynde-co-sing-bob-dylan-and-other-songs

7 FOR the last 18 months everything was quiet and nothing ever happened, nothing happened at all, but now the needle has returned to the start of the song and we will alll sing along like before, as Justin Currie himself says. Del Amitri will rock but in a more gentle sort of a way, some well known stuff, some forgotten gems and tunes from the new album Fatal Mistakes. August 26th-28th inclusive at the Queens Hall. £34 www.thequeenshall.net/whats-on/del-amitri