Gigs at the RHC

The history of concerts at the Royal Highland Centre dates back decades.  Most notable gigs, in the early 80s and 90s, have included: The Police, Billy Idol, Queen, Iron Maiden, and Spandau Ballet setting a precedent for world-class musical performances. 

Since then, our versatile infrastructure and expansive grounds have made our venue an ideal destination for large-scale music events. With a variety of indoor spaces and outdoor arenas accommodating large-scale audiences, the Royal Highland Centre continues to attract top-tier artists and bands from various genres, ranging from pop and rock to electronic and hip-hop.  

In the past few years, artists such as The Killers, 50 Cent, Fat Boy Slim, James, Little Mix, Madness, and Paolo Nutini have taken to a variety of stages here.  

The strategic location near Edinburgh Airport and the city centre makes our venue accessible to both local and international audiences, contributing to our popularity as a highly sought-after concert venue in Scotland. 

In recent years, our venue has undergone significant upgrades and renovations to enhance the concert-going experience and the venue's capacity to accommodate large crowds. 

In 2023, our venue hosted 110 events with 300,000 visitors! 

Over the summers of 2022 and 2023, Connect Festival transformed our whole site, unveiling numerous stages around the venue from small and intimate to outdoor arenas.  

The Grand Parade saw internationally recognised bands like The Chemical Brothers and Primal Scream take to the stage, and Unknown Pleasures hosted a line-up of fantastic DJs.   

The Guitars and Other Machines stage welcomed eclectic and creative emerging talents such as Billie Marten, Confidence Man and L’Objectif.  

The site also hosted a variety of wellness stations too with saunas, cold water therapy, yoga, massages and tents welcoming motivational speakers and comedians. 

Summer 2024 is set to be another big one for the Royal Highland Centre with Edinburgh Summer Sessions providing a series of concerts in August, Becky Hill and Catfish and the Bottlemen already lined up and plenty more to be announced!  

Our ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation, coupled with the versatility for any size of concert provides us with a stellar plug and play venue ready to make your event possible! 

If you are interested in using our venue to host a small, medium or large-scale concert, please head to our contact us page LINK – we look forward to hearing from you!