More than 100 performers from across north-east Scotland will take part in two fundraising shows this autumn as Aberdeen Arts Centre continues its three-year campaign to secure the venue’s future.
The Big Variety Show will be held on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 October, with a completely different programme on each night. Drama, musical theatre, live music, dance, comedy, magic, gymnastics and acrobatics will be brought together in the centre’s 350-seat auditorium.
Aberdeen Arts Centre has now raised £199,754 towards its wider £660,000 Save Aberdeen Arts Centre target. The campaign was launched in May 2025 after the charity was affected by a combination of rising operating costs and the loss of public funding.
An urgent six-week appeal within the wider campaign, seeking £60,000, was due to close at the end of this week. At the end of its fifth week, that appeal had raised £26,729.87. The centre expects to publish an updated figure early next week.
The organisation said recent support had placed the Arts Centre in a stronger position, although continued fundraising remained necessary to protect its future.
There is no individual fundraising target attached to the October performances. However, the centre estimates that the two shows would generate approximately £12,000 after costs if all 700 available tickets were sold.
The centre said all performers, hosts and production personnel are donating their time, although other production costs and expenses will still be deducted from the ticket income. Tickets went on sale on 15 July and cost £20, or £18 for concessions, before the booking fee.
The Friday programme will feature Aberdeen Magical Society, Aberdeen Songwriter Sessions, Community Integrated Care, Danz Creations, Eclipse Gymnastics, Lamour School of Dance, Leading Lights, Ocean’s 3 and West End Dance Studio.
Saturday’s performers include Aberdeen University Show Choir, the Academy of Expressive Arts, Four Magicians, Gray School of Dance, Leanne MacVeigh Dance Academy, Natalie Tough School of Dance, RC Performing Arts, Studio Theatre Group and TaleGate Theatre Productions.
Both nights will be hosted by Aberdeen comedy and magic double act Smith & Burns, who have appeared in Hollywood, Las Vegas and off-Broadway.
Programmer Philip Napier described the performances as a celebration of the organisations and artists associated with the centre. Many of those appearing use the venue regularly, while others developed their careers on its stages.
“Every act has a deep connection with Aberdeen Arts Centre,” he said. “There’s no better way for an arts organisation to raise funds than by embracing the joy of the arts themselves.”
The fundraiser will also demonstrate the scale of the creative community that depends upon the venue. Aberdeen Arts Centre provides a stage for local theatre companies, dance schools, musicians and emerging professional artists, as well as operating learning and development programmes for children and adults.
The King Street building includes its main auditorium, a café bar and several flexible spaces used for performances, meetings, exhibitions and community activity. It also contains the Children’s Theatre, established in the 1950s and now used for professional artist development.
The centre is operated by Castlegate Arts Limited, a registered charity which has managed the venue for more than 25 years. The wider organisation says Aberdeen Arts Centre has contributed to the north-east’s cultural life for more than six decades.
Fundraising manager Julia Smith said the response from performers and the wider community had been considerable.
“We have been blown away by the level of support from the community throughout the Save Aberdeen Arts Centre campaign,” she said.
The £660,000 campaign is intended to cover the organisation’s core running costs while it prepares for an opportunity to apply for longer-term funding from national bodies including Creative Scotland.
The centre said the money would support staff wages, electricity, maintenance and essential repairs, while allowing it time to develop a more sustainable operating strategy.
The centre said it currently receives £8,000 from Aberdeen City Council’s Common Good Fund, which contributes towards rent.
For an organisation operating a substantial public venue, employing staff and maintaining a large city-centre building, that leaves a considerable proportion of its costs dependent upon ticket income, donations, sponsorship and project fundraising.
The £12,000 potentially generated by the variety shows would make a useful contribution. It also gives audiences a chance to see more than 100 performers drawn from professional, amateur and community organisations that use the centre as a stage and creative development base.
Wheelchair spaces are available within the auditorium, with further access information published on the centre’s website.
Aberdeen Arts Centre’s Big Variety Show
2–3 October 2026 at 7pm
Aberdeen Arts Centre, 33 King Street, Aberdeen
Tickets: £20, or £18 concessions, plus booking fee
