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Hundreds of sports exist, from those between single contestants, through to those with hundreds of simultaneous participants, either in teams or competing as individuals.

Princes Street Gardens Edinburgh

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Edinburgh Weekend Buzz: 6–8 March 2026 – News, Weather & Events

Edinburgh, 6 March 2026 — The capital is gearing up for a vibrant (and activist-filled) weekend as International Women’s Day takes centre stage on Sunday.

Amid spring-like hints in the air, locals are rallying around community causes, charity reopenings, and cultural happenings. Here’s your essential roundup for the next few days.

Key Local Headlines

  • Sighthill Area Tensions — Concerns are growing over a potential gathering in the Calders/Sighthill neighbourhood this evening (Friday), following last Monday’s incident where two people were injured and a 23-year-old man was charged.
  • Police are monitoring closely, with no official protest notified, but a counter-gathering is planned near St Nicholas Parish Church at 6pm.
  • Authorities and community leaders urge calm and have criticised online misinformation that could heighten distress—Edinburgh Napier University even closed its Sighthill campus early as a precaution.
  • Council Debt Write-Off — Edinburgh Council is set to write off nearly £4.7 million in uncollectible debts from the last financial year, including around £1.4m in unpaid parking fines and £200k from Low Emission Zone charges. The move addresses challenges with driver tracing, but it’s prompted local debate over equity.
  • Positive Steps Forward — The iconic Social Bite cafe on Rose Street reopens today after renovations—back in action, supporting the charity’s mission to tackle homelessness through jobs, food, and support. Great to see this long-standing spot thriving again after 14 years.
  • Other Bites — Striking Napier University staff lobbied Parliament this week amid ongoing redundancy talks; roadworks kick off soon on Restalrig Road; and a Leith toy repair spot got retrospective planning approval in Musselburgh.

Weekend Weather Snapshot

Cloudy start today (Friday) with some afternoon brightness possible—highs around 8–10°C. Saturday looks promising: sunnier spells from dawn, milder, with highs of 11–13°C.

Sunday brings more cloud and a chance of evening rain, but still decent for outdoor plans (highs near 13°C, lows dipping to 1–3°C overnight). Layers and a light jacket recommended—classic Edinburgh spring!

International Women’s Day Spotlight (Sunday 8 March)

This year’s theme is all about solidarity and collective power, with heaps of events across the city. Highlights include:

  • The main IWD March — Assemble at the Mercat Cross (High Street) from 1pm, marching to the Scottish Parliament for speeches and performances. Pre-march seminar at Southside Community Centre (11:30am–12:30pm, registration advised). Trans-inclusive and focused on rights.
  • Sunrise sea dip at Portobello Beach (6:45am) — Bracing start organised by locals!
  • Music & workshops — Machine Orchid’s full day at The Bongo Club (workshop 3–5pm, gig 7–10pm with Faith Eliott and others; profits to Scottish Women’s Aid). Jazz showcase at The Jazz Bar, self-defence session at North Merchiston Club, and more.
  • Cultural vibes — Mansfield Traquair Centre open day (1–4pm, free entry to see Phoebe Anna Traquair’s murals), women-only track running at Meadowbank Stadium (Monday extension), and talks/films at venues like National Galleries and Edinburgh Futures Institute.

Other weekend gems: Catch the Big Match charity football at Spartans FC’s Ainslie Park (3:30pm kick-off today, with ex-pros and celebs), Anna Vanosi Quintet for dancing at Heriot’s Rugby Club (tonight), machine knitting socks workshop in Leith (Saturday), and family-friendly picks like free circus skills or kids’ choirs via Gayle’s Guide.

Edinburgh’s community spirit shines this weekend—whether marching for change, supporting local causes, or just enjoying the longer days. Got event tips, photos, or story ideas? Share them to help grow the guide!

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Edinburgh Castle lit up during the Tour de France 2027 countdown launch

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Edinburgh Castle Lights Up as Tour de France 2027 Countdown Begins

Tour de France organisers officially launched the countdown to the 2027 Grand Départ on Thursday evening, with a yellow beam of light illuminating the sky above Edinburgh Castle.

The light display formed part of a coordinated “Tour de Skies” moment across the UK, with similar illuminations taking place in nine other host towns and cities in England and Wales.

The event marked the release of the full route for the 2027 race, which will begin in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh to Host the Opening Stage

The men’s Tour de France will start in Edinburgh on 2 July 2027, with riders heading south through Midlothian, the Scottish Borders, and Dumfries and Galloway before crossing into England and finishing in Carlisle, outside the city’s castle.

The opening stage will include a single categorised climb on the Côte de Melrose in the Eildon Hills, giving Scottish terrain a prominent role on the first day of racing.

After leaving Scotland, the race will continue through Keswick, Liverpool, Welshpool, and conclude the UK leg in Cardiff.

A Rare Double Grand Départ

In a first for the event outside France, both the men’s Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will begin in the UK in 2027.

The women’s race will start in Leeds on 30 July 2027, travelling through Manchester and Sheffield before finishing with a final stage in London on 1 August.

Further details on the London stage are expected to be confirmed at a later date.

What It Means for Edinburgh and Scotland

Race Director Christian Prudhomme described Edinburgh as one of his favourite European cities, highlighting its landscape and atmosphere as key reasons for selecting the capital as a starting point.

Scottish leaders have pointed to the event’s wider impact, including international exposure, economic benefits, and the opportunity to showcase towns and landscapes beyond Edinburgh itself. Communities such as Newtongrange, Galashiels, and Canonbie are set to feature along the route.

Volunteers and Social Impact

Organisers also confirmed that British Cycling will recruit more than 7,000 volunteers to help deliver the Grand Départ across the UK.

Alongside the race, a new social impact programme called Joy will be rolled out, focusing on tackling inactivity, improving mental wellbeing, supporting communities, and encouraging greater participation in cycling, particularly among young people and women.

More information on volunteering and community programmes is expected when the scheme launches later this year.

References

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Promo photo for the Scottish Open snooker tournament at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh

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World Snooker Stars Head to Edinburgh for the 2025 Scottish Open

World-class snooker is returning to the capital this December as Edinburgh prepares to host the BetVictor Scottish Open 2025 at Meadowbank Sports Centre.

From 15–21 December, fans can catch some of the biggest names in the sport competing for ranking points and the £80,000 top prize. The tournament forms part of the World Snooker Tour and will be broadcast live on Eurosport throughout the week.

This is the first time the Scottish Open snooker tournament has been staged at Meadowbank since its £47 million redevelopment in 2022 — giving you the chance to experience top-tier snooker in one of Edinburgh’s newest major venues.

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now through the official World Snooker Tour site. For venue details and travel info, see our full Scottish Open snooker event listing.

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Parkinson’s UK offers new activity grants in Edinburgh and East Lothian

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Parkinson’s UK New Activity Grants in Edinburgh & East Lothian

Parkinson’s UK has launched a new physical activity grants programme for marginalised communities across the UK to help more people living with the condition to get active. 

The pilot grants programme will run from Monday 2 June to Sunday 10 August 2025. It will run in conjunction with the charity’s established physical activity grants programme, which has been delivering funding of up to £3,000 for exercise professionals and local Parkinson’s groups since 2021. 

In that time, more than £700,000 has been delivered and more than 200 physical activity projects have benefitted from the funding.   

The grants for marginalised communities aim to deliver more innovative exercise, wellbeing, and physical activity projects in targeted areas across the UK. They will also offer more opportunities for those in these communities to shape the future delivery and development of the Physical Activity Grants programme. 

Funding of up to £3,000 is available for any of the following social groups affected by Parkinson’s: 

  • Global majority (including all those who are previously categorised as ethnic minorities)
  • People with other disabilities, be it a physical, neurodiverse or hidden disability
  • People from a low socio-economic background
  • People from the LGBTQIA+ community 
  • People from Refugee, Asylum Seeker & Migrant communities
  • Women 

The following community groups and organisations that support the Parkinson’s community are also eligible to apply: 

  • Community-based not for profit organisations (including charities, CICs, and constituted community groups, excluding Parkinson’s UK Local groups/branches) 
  • Community Amateur Sports clubs (CASCs) 
  • Community benefit societies and Co-operatives 
  • Social Enterprises

Funding can be offered for exercise classes, consultation with the Parkinson’s community and towards engagement events. 

Applicants will need to complete a brief project description and discuss their ideas with local Parkinson’s UK staff and area managers. Once they have spoken with a local Parkinson’s UK representative, applicants will be invited to complete an application form.

Selected locations across the UK are now eligible to receive funding if they work with Parkinson’s communities from marginalised groups. 

A full list of these locations can be found by visiting the Parkinson’s UK grants for marginalised communities page. 

Roma Hashim, Physical Activity Grants Manager at Parkinson’s UK, said:  

“We’re really excited about launching the Physical Activity Grants for Marginalised Communities pilot programme this year. The Physical Activity Grants Programme was established to support the Parkinson’s community and the leisure industry to develop and deliver opportunities to be active at a local and regional level. 

“However, we’ve since recognised that there is an increasing number of people from marginalised communities getting a Parkinson’s diagnosis who have limited access to support groups or programmes. 

“Every grant aims to support people with Parkinson’s from marginalised communities to engage in physical activity, to improve their wellbeing. Their insights will also help us understand their needs and shape the future development of exercise and physical activity from Parkinson’s UK.”

For more information about the pilot grants programme for marginalised communities, contact physicalactivity@parkinsons.org.uk or visit www.parkinsons.org.uk/information-and-support/physical-activity-grants-marginalised-communities 

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Marcos Pool Hall Edinburgh

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Marco’s Hits the Bullseye with New Interactive Darts as the Game Soars in Popularity

Plus, Marco’s announces new sponsorship deal with Disability Darts Scotland champion Robert Sutherland Junior

It’s official – the game of darts is soaring in popularity. Dubbed the ‘Luke Littler effect’, a whole new generation has been inspired by the teenage champion to grab the arrows and aim for a bullseye. And now Edinburgh is getting in on the action thanks to a brand new interactive area unveiled this week at Marco’s Pool Hall and Pizza Bar at 79 Grove Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8FG.

Forget images of pensioners and pork scratchings – the game of darts has been brought right up to date for Gen Z bar sports fans thanks to Marco’s new high-tech darts area which features state-of-the-art computer vision technology.

Their dartboard reacts to players’ performances with animations, plus players can check their stats and take group selfies – elevating the game to a whole new level of entertainment. From beginners to pro’s, Marco’s offers a unique social gaming experience for darts players of all skill levels.

And to inspire even more people to try their hand at a game of arrows, Marco’s has just announced they will be sponsoring the Scottish darts protégé, Robert Sutherland Junior. Hailing from West Lothian, Robert is the current Disability Darts Scotland (DDS) champion.

He proudly captained the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) Scotland B Team in Gibraltar in 2023, where his team was placed third in the world. Plus, he clinched the World Disability Darts Association (WDDA) runner-up place at the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) Matchplay Championships 2023. He also captained the DDS Scotland Team at the 2024 European Championships.

Reacting to the news of his sponsorship deal, Robert said; “I’m thrilled to have the support of Marco’s. It comes at an exciting time in my career and I’m fully focused on taking darts as far as possible. I hope I can show other people that darts is a challenging, fun and inclusive sport that anyone can try their hand at.”

Speaking ahead of the unveiling of the new interactive darts area at Marco’s, owner Paul Demarco said; “It’s fantastic to see a younger generation discover darts for the first time and I’m confident that anyone who tries our interactive dartboard will be hooked! The beauty of the game is that anyone can have a go. No doubt Robert Sutherland Junior will inspire many more to take up the sport and we’re proud to support him on his journey to international success.”

The new interactive darts area at Marco’s is the latest addition to the popular Edinburgh entertainment venue which features 18 9ft professional American pool tables, a cocktail and pizza bar, and a private hire karaoke room. A special introductory darts offer is available for a limited time only – £5 per person per hour, with a minimum of four people per booking. To experience the thrill of interactive darts for yourself, book here.

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