Chinese Culture Week
Seven programme strands. One celebration of culture. Countless opportunities for connection.
Edinburgh, Scotland — Chinese Culture Week (CCW) returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2026 with its most ambitious programme to date, transforming the festival into a vibrant meeting place for Chinese arts, heritage and contemporary culture.
Running throughout the Fringe across 4 venues, CCW 2026 expands beyond a traditional performance programme to present seven distinct strands of activity, inviting audiences to experience Chinese culture through theatre, exhibitions, heritage crafts, family activities, creative workshops, cultural encounters and public participation.
Built around this year's theme, Echoes of Love, the programme explores how art can reconnect people across cultures, generations and communities at a time when understanding and human connection feel more important than ever.
Rather than simply presenting Chinese culture to international audiences, Chinese Culture Week creates opportunities for dialogue, collaboration and shared experiences—offering artists an equal platform to present their work while encouraging audiences from every background to engage, participate and discover.
Stage | Performance & Theatre
In partnership with C Arts | C Venues, one of the Edinburgh Fringe's most established award-winning venue operators, CCW 2026 will present more than ten productions by artists from China and the global Chinese diaspora.
The programme spans theatre, musical theatre, physical performance, solo work, multimedia productions and cross-cultural collaborations, bringing together stories inspired by Chinese mythology, history and literature alongside contemporary narratives exploring identity, migration, family and belonging.
Each production offers a unique perspective, reflecting the diversity and creativity of Chinese voices on today's international stage.
Heritage Craft Workshops
One of CCW's most popular public engagement programmes returns with a new collection of hands-on workshops celebrating China's rich tradition of craftsmanship.
Visitors will have the opportunity to learn techniques including indigo dyeing, silk flower making, mother-of-pearl inlay, cloisonné and Chinese ink painting under the guidance of experienced practitioners.
More than simply observing tradition, participants are invited to experience it through making, creating and taking home a piece of culture themselves.
Culture Bazaar
The Culture Bazaar is where creativity meets everyday life.
Bringing together cultural organisations, independent artists, designers, heritage crafts, creative brands and publishers from China and beyond, the Bazaar offers an open environment where visitors can browse exhibitions, discover handcrafted products, meet makers and experience culture through conversation as much as commerce.
More than a marketplace, it is designed as a cultural living room where ideas, stories and communities come together.
Family
New for 2026, the Family section introduces a dedicated programme designed to inspire younger audiences and encourage families to experience Chinese culture together.
Presented by IC Award-winning theatre company Roarrr Theatre, the programme includes family performances, creative workshops, puppet parades and interactive activities, creating a welcoming space where learning and play go hand in hand.
Tea House
Inspired by the traditional role of the Chinese teahouse as a place of conversation and community, the CCW Tea House offers visitors a quieter cultural experience within the festival.
Guests are invited to enjoy tea while taking part in informal discussions, artist conversations, intimate performances and cultural salons—creating space for meaningful encounters beyond the stage.
Mahjong School
One of the newest additions to CCW, Mahjong School introduces international audiences to one of China's most iconic social traditions.
Visitors can learn the rules, etiquette and cultural history of mahjong before joining open play sessions and the friendly CCW Mahjong Cup, where participants from different countries come together around the same table.
Because sometimes the simplest way to connect is through a game.
Echoes of Love
The theme for Chinese Culture Week 2026 is Echoes of Love.
In a world increasingly defined by division and uncertainty, this year's programme celebrates love in its broadest sense—not only between families and friends, but also between communities, cultures, generations, humanity and nature.
Across every performance, exhibition, workshop and conversation, CCW asks a simple question:
How can art help us reconnect with one another?
Because while art may not change the world overnight, it has the power to change how we encounter one another within it.
About Chinese Culture Week
Presented by Intercultural Connections Initiative (ICI), Chinese Culture Week is an international cultural platform presented annually during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Since its launch, CCW has grown into one of the UK's leading platforms for showcasing Chinese arts and culture, connecting artists, audiences, cultural organisations and creative industries through performances, exhibitions, workshops and public engagement programmes.
CCW 2025 generated more than 200 million online views across Chinese social media platforms and was recognised with the Scotland China Business Awards – Marketing Campaign of the Year, presented by the China-Britain Business Council.
Today, CCW continues to champion artistic excellence, intercultural dialogue and meaningful international collaboration, creating opportunities for Chinese artists to reach global audiences while welcoming the world to engage with Chinese culture in Edinburgh.
Chinese Culture Week 2026
Theme: Echoes of Love
Venues: C Aurora, The Merchant's Hall, The King's Hall, Edinburgh College of Art
Festival Period: 5–25 August 2026
Opening Ceremony: 9 August 2026 @ The Merchant's Hall @ 8.30pm
Join us this August as Chinese Culture Week returns to Edinburgh—where stories are shared, cultures meet, and new connections begin.