Festival of Politics 2026

Visit our Citizen Ticket page for the full Festival programme.

A PDF version is also available:

Festival of Politics Programme 2026 (6MB, pdf) posted 10 June 2026

Views expressed during the Festival of Politics are not necessarily those of the Scottish Parliament or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.

Join us in the lively FREE Festival Café Bar for a programme of choirs, exhibitions and dance as part of the free entertainment.

Thursday 27th August

Friday 28th August

• All tickets can be booked online via our ticketing partner, Citizen Ticket
• After checkout is complete, you'll receive an email with a link to your 'ticket wallet', as well as a QR code. This is where all your digital tickets are saved. There's no need to access this page unless you need to transfer tickets to somebody else. Simply keep your QR code handy, and ensure our staff can scan it from your mobile phone screen on the day of your visit. You will use this one QR code for all your Festival events
• Concession tickets are available to children aged 5 to 16, Young Scot card holders, people aged 60 and over, students, unemployed people and disabled people
• All tickets can be booked online and will be available to buy up to one hour before each event
• If you are unable to book online please contact Public Information on info@parliament.scot / 0131 348 5000 who will assist you. The advertised price of tickets is the same whether booked online or in person
• A limited number of tickets can be booked in person on the day at the Ticket Desk in the Festival Café Bar. Arrival at least 30 minutes prior to the event starting is advised
• The Festival Café Bar and all exhibitions are free to access and unticketed
• We reserve the right to change or cancel any event
• We cannot offer refunds or exchanges unless an event is cancelled

The crèche will be open on Thursday 27 August between 10am and 6pm for anyone who wishes to book a place.

Please contact 0131 348 6192 or email creche@parliament.scot

One Hundred Voices

As part of the Caring Scotland project, One Hundred Voices is an interactive, audio-guided installation, bringing creative insight into living in the care system created by Nicola McCartney and team of theatre artists. Step into an immersive experience which walks you through an intimate landscape of memory, resilience and imagination, drawn from the lives of one hundred voices from Scotland’s Care Experienced community. Fragments of stories unfold across sound, light, and space, as the audience journeys through a series of spaces.

Mother Glasgow

Mother Glasgow is a series of striking new portraits by artist Gerard M Burns celebrating women who have made Scotland, and Glasgow in particular, their home. Ranging in age, background and profession, these vibrant and personal stories tell how people have brought their experiences and culture to Scotland, helping to shape it socially, culturally and creatively.

Politics in the making  

This drop-in collage workshop, run by the Scottish Political Archive at the University of Stirling and supported by the British Academy, invites you to layer, arrange, and reimagine what politics means to you right now. No artistic experience needed — just curiosity.

We have a range books on sale, covering some of the topics covered by the Festival, including some authored by our panellists. Book signings will take place throughout the Festival.

You can also preorder your books via our online shop, and pick them up when you arrive. More information to follow.

Other activities at the Parliament

Find our more about tours, talks and visits on offer at the Parliament

Planning your visit

For parking information, opening times, and our security measures, see our page on planning your visit

Accessibility

Find out about the Scottish Parliament's accessibility features and services

Thank you to all our Festival partners:

• The Centre for Public Policy, University of Glasgow
• Colleges Scotland
• The David Hume Institute
• Disability Equality Scotland
• Edinburgh International Festival 
• The Foreign Policy Centre
• The Jo Cox Foundation
• The John Smith Centre
• The Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• The Law Society of Scotland
• The National Theatre of Scotland
• The National Robotarium
• The Royal Incorporation of Architects Scotland
• The Royal Society of Arts
• The Royal Society of Edinburgh
• Scottish Federation of Housing Associations
• Scottish Youth Film Foundation 
• Social Enterprise Scotland
• The Scottish Book Trust
• The Scottish Council on Global Affairs
• The Scottish Youth Parliament
• Universities Scotland
• The University of Aberdeen
• The University of Edinburgh 
• The University of Glasgow
• The University of Dundee
• Young Scot 

You can phone Public Information on 0800 092 7500 / 0131 348 5000 or email us on info@parliament.scot or festivalofpolitics@parliament.scot.