Edinburgh’s Summer Sessions 2026 – one of the showpiece events in Edinburgh’s concert calendar – will kick off this week.
Biffy Clyro, The Cure, Florence + The Machine, Lorde, Deftones, and The Prodigy will all take to the stage at the Royal Highland Centre between 21 and 29 August.
Public transport is highly recommended for attendees, because of the venue’s proximity to Edinburgh Airport and severe congestion expected on major routes like the M8, M90, A8, and the Queensferry Crossing.
Travel arrangements, however, may be more complicated than in previous editions, with the closure of a stretch of Princes Street following the fire still affecting buses and trams within the city.
The Summer Sessions at the Highland Showground were a success lat year, with thousands turning out to watch global megastars take the stage
Visitors and locals can still make use of the trams to get to the Royal Highland Centre, but the truncated service – which is not serving Leith and the east of the city – means they’ll have to make their way to the West End stop before jumping on a tram to Ingliston Park and Ride.
From there it’s a 10–15 minute clearly signposted walk to the venue, or a free shuttle bus will take you right to the gates.
If you are travelling from Edinburgh city centre, however, the bus may be the safest bet. Lothian Buses will run the dedicated Service 98 express route for each Summer Sessions date.
The bus will call at George Street, the West End, Haymarket, Corstorphine Road, and Maybury en route to the Royal Highland Centre.
These buses begin in the mid afternoon (depending on showtimes) and run every 7–10 minutes during peak arrival times. Frequent departures back to the city centre after the show continue into the late evening. Tickets can be purchased on the bus but cash is not accepted.
For those travelling from further afield, dedicated coaches are also a reliable option.
Big Green Coach – the event’s official transport partner – is offering direct return coach travel from major cities for each Summer Sessions date.
The services will travel from Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Perth, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, and Sunderland. Seats must be booked in advance via the Big Green Coach website.
Happy Bus is also running dedicated coaches to and from Summer Sessions events. Again, tickets must be pre-booked via their website.
If you prefer to travel by train from other parts of Scotland, ScotRail runs frequent services to either Edinburgh Waverley or Haymarket. From there you can follow the above steps to make your way to your concert from the city centre.
Alternatively, you can find a train to either Edinburgh Gateway or Edinburgh Park stations, which both have direct interchange platforms to switch to tram.
Scottish Citylink operates frequent regional services to Edinburgh, some of which run along the A8 corridor and stop within a short walk of the Royal Highland Centre.
For those wishing to drive to the event, there are several park and rides, such as the Ingliston Park and Ride, operating around Edinburgh. Parking at the venue costs £15 and must be purchased in advance via Ticketmaster.
Two designated pick-up and drop-off locations – via Lochend Road and Eastfield Road – are in operation outside the venue.
https://www.smmrsessions.com/locations/edinburgh
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