Refugee Festival Scotland today, Thursday 21 May, announces its inspiring 2026 programme, designed to put solidarity centre stage and bring people together in celebration of art, culture and community.
Over ten days, more than 150 events will take place across the country from 12 – 21 June, in the run-up to World Refugee Day on 20 June.
Run by the Scottish Refugee Council, the annual festival showcases the music, dance, food, art, film, language and ideas that enrich diverse communities. This year’s line-up is truly international, featuring artists and performers with links to 78 different countries around the world.
As anti-refugee rhetoric, hostility and division continue to grow across the UK, Refugee Festival Scotland 2026 offers space for connection, solidarity and belonging, while affirming that everyone has the right to be safe and to feel at home in Scotland.
Everything from live music and dance performances, art exhibitions and exclusive screenings of award-winning films to family-friendly craft workshops, football tournaments and community meals, will be staged across Scotland. The majority of the inclusive programme is free to attend.
This year’s programme arrives at a significant moment, as this summer marks 75 years since the UN Refugee Convention.
Scottish Refugee Council Chief Executive, Sabir Zazai, said: “Seventy-five years after the signing of the UN Refugee Convention, standing up for its core principles remains critical. At a time when refugee rights are under threat and public debate has become increasingly toxic, Refugee Festival Scotland is a powerful reminder that solidarity matters. This festival shows the strength found in welcoming newcomers and highlights Scotland’s commitment to being a place of hope and inclusion for all who seek safety here.”
Refugee Festival Scotland Manager, Mónica Laiseca, said: “Refugee Festival Scotland is a festival for everyone. This year’s programme brings together artists, communities and audiences from across the country to share culture and time together in meaningful ways, with each event, artist and participant bringing their own perspective to the programme.
“We’re proud to showcase the creativity, resilience and hope that refugees bring to Scotland, and highlight the richness of culture that flourishes when everyone feels they belong. In a time when calls for unity and compassion are more important than ever, this festival is a reminder of what we can achieve together.”
The festival will open in Glasgow at The Hidden Gardens with All Water is Connected, a striking new commission by Scottish-Ghanaian artist Grace Browne featuring sculptural installations made from earth and water.
There will also be film screenings highlighting working-class migratory experiences and solidarity amongst migrant communities, staged in both the Isle of Skye and Glasgow, while a Southside Open Air Cinema Day at Queen’s Park Arena on Sunday 14 June will transform the venue into a bustling hub of family-friendly film.
Curated by Huss Al-Chokhdar, the event will culminate in a special outdoor screening of the acclaimed documentary Everyone to Kenmure Street, which honours the incredible community protest action that took place just a few streets away.
A World Refugee Day concert at Tramway will feature renowned Palestinian singer Nai Barghouti performing alongside the RSNO for a spine-tingling evening.
Other community events across the country include a Hebridean Refugee Festival, which will see a series of inclusive gatherings, craft sessions, talks and screenings in Stornoway; and When I Grow Up Again – an interactive storytelling performance based on true stories told by Ukrainian refugees, staged in Dundee and shared in both English and Ukrainian.
Refugee Festival Scotland is produced by the Scottish Refugee Council. Full programme details are now online: refugeefestivalscotland.co.uk.