Edinburgh Connect Festival 2023: Line-up, stage times, weather, tickets, travel, banned items, campsite info

Connect Festival returns to Edinburgh’s Royal Highland Showgrounds this weekend (August 25-27) – here’s everything you need to know

This year’s festival has an all-star line-up that includes, among others, Scottish indie heroes Primal Scream and Franz Ferdinand, dance music sensation Fred Again, London rapper Loyle Carner, and boygenius, the US supergroup fronted by Julien Baker, Lucy Dakus and Phoebe Bridgers.

Originally launched in the mid-2000s, Connect festival returned in 2022. It is back for 2023 and also includes comedy, art and wellbeing.

Here's all you need to know:

Connect Festival returns to Edinburgh’s Royal Highland Showgrounds this weekend (August 25-27).

When is Connect music festival?

The festival will run from Friday, 25 August to Sunday, 27 August in 2023.

Tickets

Tickets are still available via Ticketmaster and Connect festival's website. Single day tickets are still available for throughout the weekend and start at £74.25 each for adults and £16.50 for children.

Those with General Admission or VIP tickets should download the Ticketmaster app, log in to their account and view their ticket on the app ahead of arriving at The Royal Highland Showgrounds. Viewing the ticket on the Ticketmaster app before coming to the festival will make sure fans can still access it, even if they don’t have a signal.

Anyone planning to camp at the festival must have a Three Day Festival ticket in order to access their accommodation – no other ticket holders can access the campsite. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult 25+, with a maximum of 2 under 18s per 1 adult.

Travel

Where possible, Connect is urging people to use public transport to get to and from The Royal Highland Showgrounds. With an array of travel options, it's strongly advised that trains, buses and tram services are used to get to the venue.

From Edinburgh city centre, Lothian Buses have arranged a dedicated Festival Shuttle, calling at George Street, Shandwick Place and Haymarket Station. Edinburgh Trams are also in operation, getting fans to Ingliston Park & Ride then hopping on the free tram shuttle bus to drop you off right at the festival gates.

For those travelling from elsewhere in the central belt, CityLink have put on extra coaches to and from Glasgow, Stirling and Coatbridge across the festival weekend due to high demand selling out the first release. Stagecoach buses are a great option for people travelling from further afield in Scotland.

Car parking is available for £10 per car, per day and must be booked in advance. Blue badge parking is also available in a dedicated accessible parking area, and must be pre-arranged. For more information on the best ways to get to the festival, visit the Connect website.

Families

The family viewing area is located within The Grand Parade, giving families space to spread out, baby changing facilities, and a place to park your buggy, whilst maintaining views of The Grand Parade stage.

The Honeycomb is set within The Meadow and offers kids activities, a playground and space for nap time, and will be open each day of the festival. No pre-booking is required to take part in the kids activities, and they will all be provided free of charge.

Don’t Bring List

Connect has a full section on its website on what you can and cannot bring into the event. Bags and rucksacks are allowed for essential items, but should be smaller than an A3 piece of paper.

Items that fans should not bring include: Food or drink, glass (including perfumes and water bottles), flares or smoke canisters (these are dangerous and now illegal to have at large events), flags, chairs, professional cameras or selfie sticks, and large umbrellas.

Weather

August in Scotland can be temperamental so, although we’re all hoping for glorious sunshine, please be prepared come rain or shine. Whether you’re a camping or day attendee, be prepared with clothing for all weather types, sunscreen and a jacket for the evenings. The early forecast indicates it will be warm enough, with highs of 21C, but showers are predicted throughout the weekend.

Connect app

Plan your weekend with the Connect Festival 2023 app.

The app has now officially launched, giving fans the most up-to-date information on the festival weekend, along with a map to the site and a special feature that allows them to create a personalised schedule for the full weekend. By ‘favouriting’ must-see acts, fans should keep their notifications on and the app will send reminders so they won’t miss a moment.

To download the free app, visit your app store or the Connect website.

Apple download - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/connect-festival-2023/id1636691752

Android download - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.greencopper.connect

When is the campsite open?

The festival campsite will be open from 2pm on Friday (25 August) to 11am on Monday (28 August).

The check in hours are as follows:

Friday - 2pm to 10pm

Saturday - 9am to 10pm

Sunday - 9am to 10pm

Stage times

Stage times will be released later this week – check back here for updates.