POST Exploring Aberdeen Culture

Matthew Richardson has never performed on stage before. In a few months, he’ll play Evan Hansen in Aberdeen’s upcoming production of ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ at the Tivoli. First, though, he’s stepping into a concert about mental health, social isolation and community, staged by the same company that cast him. A TO Z Aberdeen only debuted in January, with a reworked version of ‘Soho Cinders’ at Aberdeen Arts Centre.

For most of the year, festivals in Aberdeen politely take it in turns. In September, that courtesy takes a break. It’s understandable. This is a great time of year to have a festival. Traditionally, people are back from holidays, the weather is still relatively good and the dark nights are a little way off.

Yes, it's early in the year, but there is good reason for dropping a Christmas sparkle into your feed during the summer. We Are Here Scotland first announced its ambition to bring a Christmas Day Dinner to Aberdeen last year, for care-experienced young people aged 18 to 25. Since then, the charity has been working behind the scenes to make it happen, and that work has paid off: a venue is now confirmed for 25 December 2026, backed by charitable and council funding.

Aberdeen Art Gallery is offering up to £2,500 to artists in the AB postcode areas willing to take on a hard question: what does it mean to belong in Scotland right now? That’s the brief behind the latest round of its Micro-Commissions programme, now open for applications. The brief wants artists to dig into heritage, memory and lived experience, and come back with something that complicates the picture rather than settles it.

1 min 💡 What: Envirolution Aberdeen 2026 When: Saturday 5 September 2026 Where: Seaton Park More: NESCAN.org Envirolution started in Manchester back in 2009. It has made an inspirational impact on local communities along the way, empowering people to take environmental action. The free one-day event is making its third visit to Aberdeen this September, featuring live music, up-cycle workshops, storytelling and community climate talks. There are no dull lecture here.

Stage 1 min The cast of Twelve Angry Men, coming to His Majesty's Theatre this September 💡 What: Twelve Angry Men When: Tuesday 15 September - Saturday 19 September 2026 Where: His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen Tickets: Book here A jury has to decide whether a teenager accused of murder lives or dies. These are the stakes as the stage adaptation of Twelve Angry Men opens a UK-wide tour with a run in Aberdeen this September.

💡 What: The Dirty Hearts Club is 20! When: Friday 4 September 2026 Where: Tunnels Tickets: Aberdeen Performing Arts We all have our favourite club night from Back in the Day. The Dirty Hearts Club is one of those classics, running every Thursday Night at Snafu between 2006 and 2011. These things rarely start out as a phenomenon. Nick Mailer and Steven Milne, who organised it together, remember how close it came to folding in its first year.

Local creative charity, Kin, has been building a really interesting design community over the past few months. They’ve held events to bring together and inspire people working and learning in the sector. Their next event, Rotate Fest, is a live design project that will culminate in a DJ night, with the focus on the visuals. Over two days (16–17 September) at The Tunnels, participants, working in teams with creative mentors, will build visual worlds from scratch.

Hrvoje Majer has always seen his art as a process, discovering its meaning along the way. The Zagreb-based painter is making his Aberdeen Art Fair debut later this month. He works in oil, moving between figurative portraits and looser abstraction, exploring questions of identity. His new collection mixes existing work with a new series of Scottish landscapes, painted in response to years of visiting a country he has long admired. Two paintings anchor the show.

It's easy to feel a bit worn out by climate anxiety, especially when big multinational companies aren't doing their bit. But we shouldn't feel paralised by their inaction. There's plenty we can do at home, in the garden, and alongside neighbours looking after our own streets. Together, we can also push councillors, MSPs and MPs to sort the bigger stuff. It starts small. That's where Climate Week North East comes in.