by Bill Heaney
As Refugee Festival Scotland officially gets underway today, Friday 12 June, the nationwide event run by Scottish Refugee Council is proudly embracing tolerance and solidarity in the face of hate and division.
With growing anti-refugee rhetoric and intimidating scenes of anti-immigrant protests this week, the nine-day event gets underway on a mission to rally against racist rhetoric and reinforce that everyone deserves a place to call home and feel safe in Scotland.
The inspiring programme of art, crafts, music, dance, film, food, language, sport and ideas is a critical opportunity to celebrate the invaluable contributions New Scots make to communities across Scotland and the joy, creativity and vibrancy to be found in diversity.
More than 150 events are set to be staged between now and 21 June, leading up to World Refugee Day on 20 June, while this summer marks 75 years since the UN Refugee Convention.
The festival’s 2026 edition involves artists and performers with links to 78 countries and is largely free to attend, with activities everywhere from Lewis to Lanarkshire, and Dumfries to Dundee.
Scottish Refugee Council Chief Executive, Sabir Zazai said: “Refugee Festival Scotland is an antidote to hate, and that message of hope could not have come at a better time.
“For the next nine days, communities across Scotland will be coming together to celebrate cultural richness, recognise shared humanity, and build understanding.
“This festival and the thousands of people who take part and attend are making a statement: everyone in Scotland deserves to be safe. We will continue to stand for solidarity and are proud to be able to bring people together through art.”
Refugee Festival Scotland Manager, Mónica Laiseca, said: “At the heart of Refugee Festival Scotland is a generosity of spirit, an openness and sense of connection.
“We want everyone to experience those feelings of warmth, welcome and celebration over the coming days. Each artist is bringing their incredible talent, energy and creativity to the fore and demonstrating what an invaluable role refugees and New Scots have to play in Scotland’s cultural life.
“We’re delighted to be able to provide a platform for their creativity and contributions to flourish.”
Olha Maslova, Refugee Festival Scotland Ambassador, said: “I chose to be involved in this year’s Refugee Festival because culture creates connection.
“As someone who arrived from Ukraine, I believe storytelling and music help people feel seen, heard and part of a shared future.
“The festival reminds us that refugees are not only people who have lost something – we are also people who bring stories, strength and creativity.”
Refugee Festival Scotland officially gets underway at the Hidden Gardens at Glasgow’s Tramway, with the launch of a powerful new art installation from artist Grace Browne, entitled All Water Is Connected, which links ancestral Nigerian traditions with ancient Scottish landscapes to explore what it means to belong.
Other highlights include a screening of Everybody to Kenmure Street at Queen’s Park as part of a Southside Open Air Cinema Day, a show-stopping concert from Palestinian singer Nai Barghouti and the RSNO, and a multidisciplinary performance at Edinburgh’s Scottish Storytelling Centre from Maimouna Ly, Listening for Home, which combines voice, sound, field recordings, rhythm and movement.
Elsewhere, the programme sees everything from a Together we Thrive celebration in Stirling showcasing world music, Ukrainian poetry and Yemeni art, to a Women’s World Kitchen event which will see traditional dishes from countries around the world shared through cooking demonstrations, storytelling and shared meals.
- Refugee Festival Scotland is produced by the Scottish Refugee Council and runs until 21 June. Visit refugeefestivalscotland.co.uk.
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