Summerhall

Summerhall is a multi-arts complex and events venue located at 1 Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 1PL, in the Southside/Newington locality of Edinburgh, Scotland. The site has a rich history, with early records indicating its use by a family-run brewery established in the 1710s. The current main building, an 11-bay Edwardian Baroque structure facing The Meadows, was purpose-built for the Royal (Dick) Veterinary College, with construction beginning in 1913 and the college moving in by 1916. This building is designated as a Category B Listed Building. A notable feature still present is the Anatomy Lecture Theatre, which boasts wooden, curved, tiered seating and a vaulted skylight, making it the last surviving example of its kind in UK veterinary colleges. Other historical structures on the site include the "Tech Cube," originally the Hope Park United Presbyterian Church (1867), and the Hope Park Church Galleries, built in 1876. The veterinary college became a full faculty of the University of Edinburgh in 1964, remaining on the site until its relocation in 2010. In November 2011, the McDowell family acquired the former college buildings and transformed them into a dynamic multi-arts and business centre. Summerhall has become a major venue for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe each August, attracting over 1 million visitors annually, and also hosts events for the Edinburgh Science Festival and Edinburgh International Magic Festival. Year-round, it provides space for arts practitioners, with its numerous rooms accommodating art exhibitions, drama and music performances, libraries, small museums, educational and research programmes, artist studios, arts organisation offices, and workshops. The complex features a variety of amenities, including a bar and restaurant called The Royal Dick, a microbrewery (Barney's Beer), and the Summerhall distillery. It offers flexible workspace solutions with coworking desk spaces in Techcube, suitable for start-ups and small businesses. These spaces provide secure office environments, fibreoptic internet, hot-desking, secure bike storage, 24-hour access, and meeting room access. Desk spaces for 1 to 4 people are available for rent on weekly or monthly terms, priced at £348 per month for a 1-person space up to £1,392 per month for a 4-person space. Summerhall also makes various unique spaces available for hire, including the Dissection Room (16.1m x 9.99m, accommodating 165 seated or 450 standing), the Main Hall (14.99m x 8.65m, 150 seated/250 standing), the Library Gallery (12.6m x 7.8m, 100 seated/200 standing), TechCube 0 (14.2m x 6.1m, 90 standing), the Anatomy Lecture Theatre (stage thrust 4.8m x 5.02m, 58 seated), the Red Lecture Theatre (stage 8.6m x 3.3m, 84 seated), and the Deans Office (6.9m x 4.6m, 8 seated). The venue is wheelchair accessible, has restrooms, and offers paid street parking. It operates from 09:00 to 00:00 Monday to Thursday and Sunday, and from 09:00 to 01:00 on Friday and Saturday. It has a high user rating of 4.7 based on 789 reviews. Summerhall Arts, a charity formed by former staff and tenants, signed a 10-year lease on the main building in March 2025, with the prospect of continuing its lease from 2028, ensuring the continuation of its arts programme. This followed an announcement in May 2024 by the owners to place the 130,000 sq ft complex on the open market. AMA Newtown, the prospective buyers of the remainder of the campus, have pledged to prioritize the arts in their mixed-use redevelopment plans. Summerhall Arts has confirmed its plans to return as an Edinburgh Fringe venue in 2025. Additionally, Summerhall offers weeks of both paid and free space (up to 5 days access to the Anatomy Lecture Theatre or Tech Cube 0) for Scotland-based artists in the early stages of creative exploration, operating as a DIY opportunity without tech support or equipment provided.