Building on the success of the Culture Night at Stirling Castle – a centrepiece of Stirling’s 900th anniversary finale celebrations – the first event will take place on Friday 1 May 2026 and will showcase the best of Stirling’s music, dance, comedy, art, crafts, literature and more.
Visitor attractions, including museums and galleries will be invited to be part of the night-time cultural takeover, as well as venues, bars and community centres, following examples of similar events held in Ireland, Iceland and the Netherlands.
Culture Night Stirling will be for everyone to enjoy and will bring together communities and organisations from a variety of sectors including the arts, heritage, education, hospitality and tourism.
The event is one the key actions to emerge from Stirling’s Cultural Strategy that places culture at the core of the everyday lives of Stirling’s people. The National Wallace Monument and Tolbooth Stirling will both be lit up in purple tonight to mark a one year countdown to this evening.
Something special and unique
Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Gerry McGarvey said: “Culture Night Stirling is an exciting new addition to Scotland’s festival calendar.
“Everyone will able to come along and enjoy Stirling’s rich and thriving cultural offering, with live performances and fun, interactive activities at locations dotted all over the area.
“This event is going to be one of the fantastic legacies of the Stirling 900 celebrations, with the successful Culture Night at the Castle in March showing what is possible.
“We can’t wait to work with all our wonderful communities and cultural partners again to deliver something special and unique that is going to bring people together, attract more visitors into the area and inspire wider participation in cultural activities.
“We want this event to be shaped and guided by the input of local communities so note 1 May 2026 in your diaries and head to www.yourstirling.com/culturenight to sign up for updates as we build up to the event.”
Bring the whole area alive
Kevin Harrison, Director of Artlink Central and Manager of Scene Stirling, a place partnership involving Stirling’s arts, education, heritage and cultural organisations, said: “The Culture at the Castle night formed a focal part of a memorable and majestic finale for Stirling 900 that brought communities and creative people together at a world class venue and made it feel like home.
“The response to this approach was incredible, both from our creative organisations across Stirling and from the diverse audiences who filled the Castle to experience something unique, accessible and never seen before.
“Bringing all that creative momentum together again for 2026 gives us an opportunity to bring the whole area alive with our shared, distinctive and inclusive cultural offer and deliver a Culture Night that energises artists, visitors and residents alike.”
More information on Culture Night Stirling 2026 is available at www.yourstirling.com/culturenight.
