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Celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Fringe at the National Museum of Scotland

Friday 4 August, 2017

Three fun-filled Friday nights of Fringe entertainment, daily live music performances, the return of Gilded Balloon at the Museum and this summer’s major exhibition Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites feature in a packed programme of Edinburgh Festival Fringe events at the National Museum of Scotland.

Celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Fringe at the National Museum of Scotland

National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Three fun-filled Friday nights of Fringe entertainment, daily live music performances, the return of Gilded Balloon at the Museum and this summer’s major exhibition Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites feature in a packed programme of Edinburgh Festival Fringe events at the National Museum of Scotland.

Following three years of sell-out success, the hugely popular Museum After Hours: Friday Fringe Takeover returns on Friday 11, 18 and 25 August. Offering a unique taste of the festival, performers will come together to showcase highlights from their acts against the inspiring backdrop of the National Museum of Scotland.

Artists from across the globe have been handpicked to perform at these unmissable events including Tago: Korean Drum II, who combine Martial arts with traditional instruments for an exciting and extreme drumming performance, Djuki Mala a high-energy and exuberant dance group fusing traditional Yolngu and contemporary pop culture, and Circus Abyssinia, a circus group from Ethiopia showcasing the thrills of the circus set to a soundtrack of Ethiopian songs.

With a different line-up each week, this adults-only extravaganza presents the best of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe all under one roof.

In addition to live performances, Fringe-goers can strike a pose at a themed selfie studio, explore a range of hands-on activities around the Museum, and enjoy pop-up bars as well as access to this summer’s five-star exhibition, Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites.

Festival favourite Free Fringe Music, in association with Live Music Now Scotland, returns, providing daytime Fringe entertainment suitable for all the family. From pipes and whistles to fiddles and flutes, some of the best contemporary musical talents from across Scotland will perform live every day at 2pm in the Grand Gallery from 5–27 August.

Gilded Balloon return to the Museum with an inspiring programme featuring the very best in comedy, theatre and children's shows over 27 days including La Vie dans une Marionette, part of the acclaimed New Zealand Season, and featuring physical theatre at its finest and fun for all the family, Frost and Lorca, a unique fusion of art, music and poetry, and Ayesha Hazarika: State of the Nation, a one-hour comedy show from the backbenches of Westminster that lifts the lid on British politics. From science to Shakespeare, puppets to politics, 16 productions covering a diverse range of topics and interests will make up the programme in the Auditorium at the National Museum of Scotland.

Summary of event listings

Museum After Hours: Friday Fringe Takeover

Friday 11, 18 & 25 August 2017

19:30–22:30

Tickets: £18/£16 concessions (includes admission to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites)

Over 18s only

Tickets are on sale now. Tel: 0300 123 6789 or book online at: www.nms.ac.uk/afterhours

Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites

Until 12 November 2017

10:00–17:00

Tickets: £10/£8, Child (12-15) £7. Members and under 12s Free.

For more information and to book tickets visit www.nms.ac.uk/jacobites

Free Fringe Music

5–27 August 2017

14:00–14:40

Free

Discover the full programme www.nms.ac.uk/fringe

Gilded Balloon at the Museum

2–28 August 2017

Various times and prices.

For more information and to book tickets visit www.gildedballoon.co.uk

Further information and images from Jessica Rideout, Press Office, National Museums Scotland on 0131 247 4391 or email j.rideout@nms.ac.uk

Notes to Editors

  1. National Museums Scotland is one of the leading museum groups in the UK and Europe and it looks after collections of national and international importance. The organisation provides loans, partnerships, research and training in Scotland and internationally. Our individual museums are the National Museum of Scotland, the National Museum of Flight, the National Museum of Rural Life and the National War Museum. The National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh houses conservation and research facilities as well as collections not currently on display.
  2. For more information about Free Fringe Music visit www.nms.ac.uk/fringe
  3. For more information about Museum After Hours visit www.nms.ac.uk/afterhours
  4. Explore the real story of Prince Charles Edward Stuart and the rise and fall of the Jacobites at the National Museum of Scotland this summer. Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites, from 23 June–12 November 2017. Visit www.nms.ac.uk/jacobites
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