Welcome to your latest In Touch newsletter
Summer seems to be over but don’t worry, Aberdeen Inspired is ready to make this an autumn to savour with some fantastic events to make the Granite City sparkle.
First off is the return of Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks from Monday – a Foodie Fortnight that will showcase the finest restaurants, bars and cafes, all at mouthwatering prices.
We have more than 80 venues taking part with a delicious range of cuisines that means you can eat your way around the world without leaving the city.
And adding to the feast of delights will be some iconic Aberdeen restaurants taking part for the first time, including Tarragon by Graham Mitchell, The Chester Hotel and Yorokobi by CJ.
With a line-up like that, it’s little wonder Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks is now the biggest of its kind in Scotland and major boost for the local economy.
But the fun doesn’t stop there. Aberdeen Inspired is supporting Aberdeen Performing Arts as it brings back the Aberdeen Comedy Festival for three weekends of laughter in the city next month.
Expect some of the finest stand-up on the circuit – many coming fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe – to put a smile on everyone’s face for three weekends, running from September 19 to October 4.
With the likes of Craig Hill, Mark Thomas, Susan Calman and Russell Howard, it is a stellar line-up that is bound to pull thousands of comedy fans in to the city centre to enjoy one of these fantastic gigs – along with a couple of drinks and bite to eat.
And once the curtain comes down on the comedy festival, it will be no time at all until the glittering Aberdeen Christmas Village returns, with the unique Curated In The Square festive market at its heart.
The beauty of Curated is its emphasis on local creatives, makers and traders. That means you can find unique gifts to delight your friends and loved ones as Christmas presents - or just to enjoy for yourself.
The call has gone out for traders to take one of the 27 twinkling chalets up that are up for grabs and be part of a much-loved festive tradition for Aberdeen, which also raises funds for the vital work of Charlie House.
Aberdeen Inspired is proud to be part of all three of these events, either staging them or working with valued partners to make them happen.
The one thing they all have in common is the drive to bring people to the city centre, give them events to enjoy and linger for, and to support our local bricks and mortar businesses and levy-payers while they are here.
All of these things are key to Aberdeen Inspired’s goal of creating an attractive and vibrant city centre that is safe, welcoming and connected.
So let’s not miss summer to much, when there is so in Aberdeen much to fall in love with this autumn and winter.
Best wishes,
Adrian Watson,
Chief Executive, Aberdeen Inspired
STORIES
Image credits - Aberdeen Inspired
Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks reveals a delicious line-up for its August return – with iconic city venues making their debut
Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks will burst into life this Monday, with more than 80 eateries joining in – with some of the Granite City’s best-known and most-loved venues taking part for the first time.
Those making their debut in the Foodie Fortnight, staged by Aberdeen Inspired from August 24, to Sunday, September 6, include Tarragon by Graham Mitchell, Tarragon On The Terrace, The Chester Hotel and Yorokobi by CJ.
Other first-time participants in the celebration of the city’s outstanding culinary scene include Casa Del Fuego, Jungle Berry, Pizza Express at Union Square and McDonald’s on Union Street.
They join a host of returning favourites such as Amarone, 8848 Restaurant, 210 Bistro, Gio’s by La Lombarda, Maggie’s Grill, and Mi Amore, and Molly’s Bistro.
They will be offering special dinner and lunch menus ranging from £10 to £35, plus specially curated à la carte and tasting menus – with some special events, such as the return of the popular Secret Suppers.
See who's taking part via Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks page.
Image credits - Aberdeen Inspired
Aberdeen creatives and traders invited to make Christmas magical with a place at the Curated In The Square festive market
Christmas magic is already in the air as local traders and creatives are invited to grab a place at Aberdeen’s glittering festive market, Curated In The Square.
Applications to join this hugely popular Yuletide event – which raises funds for local charity Charlie House - are open now, with many businesses already clamouring to set out their stall at the winter wonderland of wooden chalets around Marischal Square.
Organisers of Curated In The Square are offering 27 chalets to attract the finest mix of food, drink, arts, crafts, clothing, homeware and jewellery from the cream of the north-east traders for six weekends in the run up to Christmas.
Staged by Charlie House in partnership with Aberdeen Inspired, Aberdeen City Council and Codona’s, Curated In The Square will be a central attraction for the Aberdeen Christmas Village on and around Broad Street, which is expected to bring thousands of people into the city centre.
Apply for a Place via Charlie House's website.
Image credits - Robin Mair, Aberdeen Performing Arts
Top comedians to travel to Aberdeen Comedy Festival for three weekends of funny
The Granite City will become comedy central next month, as Aberdeen Performing Arts prepares to present Aberdeen Comedy Festival 2026, supported by Aberdeen Inspired.
Top comedians from the Festival Fringe and the UK comedy circuit will make their way to the north-east for three weekends of funny, from Saturday, September 19, to Sunday, October 4.
Some of the comedians arriving from the Fringe include two of Scotland’s leading stand-ups, Connor Burns and Larry Dean, two-time Spirit of Billy Connolly nominee Kim Blythe, and Fred MacAulay makes a welcome return to the stage with Good Evening.
Read more about Aberdeen Comedy Festival.
Image credits - Aberdeen Inspired
Aberdeen pubs, bars, and clubs urged to sign up for Best Bar None as deadline extended
Pubs, bars, clubs, hotel bars and specialist entertainment venues across Aberdeen now have extra time to apply for Best Bar None accreditation, with the submission deadline extended to Monday, August 31.
Best Bar None works in partnership with the licensed trade to improve public safety, customer care and standards across the nighttime economy, helping to make Aberdeen a safer and more attractive city for residents and visitors.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: “Best Bar None will set the benchmark for the finest customer care and be the gold standard for customer safety in Aberdeen’s hospitality sector. I would urge as many venues as possible to be part of this scheme which will put them and their outstanding staff in the spotlight.”
Apply now through Aberdeen City Council website.
Image credits - Aberdeen Inspired
Granite City looking blooming lovely thanks to colourful hanging baskets
Aberdeen city centre is looking blooming lovely thanks to hanging floral baskets brightening key buildings in a partnership between Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen Inspired.
The floral enhancement project will run for the next three years, with the council providing funding from LEZ fines.
Aberdeen Inspired engaged with city centre businesses to determine where best to add this welcome splash of colour in the summer months.
The beautiful baskets went up in the past few weeks – and Aberdeen Inspired has captured the way they enhance the heart of the Granite City in this series of photographs.
You can view the gallery through Aberdeen Inspired's website.
Image credits - Aberdeen Inspired
Aberdeen Inspired Levy Payer Engagement Survey
Aberdeen Inspired is reviewing how it engages with levy-paying businesses across the Business Improvement District.
All of our levy-payers are valued members and we would appreciate your feedback.
We want to understand:
- The issues and opportunities that matter most to your business.
- How you would prefer to engage with Aberdeen Inspired?
- What makes participation easier or more difficult?
- How frequently meetings and other engagement activities should take place?
Your responses will help shape Aberdeen Inspired future business engagement strategy so please take a few minutes to complete the survey.
Image credits - Nuart Aberdeen, Brian Tallman
Relive the power of Nuart Aberdeen 2026
The legacy of Nuart Aberdeen 2026 lives on in the vibrant artworks created by world class street artists when they visited in April this year for a vibrant festival weekend that transformed the Granite City.
Now the Nuart Festival team have created a series of videos so people can relive their memories of this year’s stunning event as artists involved talk about their work.
You can find these excellent short films at the links below:
Image credits - Aberdeen City Council, Norman Adams
Picture paints 500,000 memories of The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen as stunning new artwork is unveiled
A painting commissioned to commemorate The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025 has been unveiled and will be on display at the Aberdeen Maritime Museum until December 2026.
Port of Aberdeen commissioned local artist Clive Ramage to create the artwork capturing the spectacle of the event, the vibrant atmosphere around the port and Aberdeen’s proud maritime heritage.
Clive said: “I hope the painting will help preserve those memories for years to come and serve as a reminder of the amazing atmosphere that Aberdeen enjoyed during those four unforgettable days last summer.”
Read more about Clive's painting.
Image credits - University of Aberdeen
Opportunity to connect with motivated University of Aberdeen students at a Part-Time Jobs Fair
The University of Aberdeen is offering a chance to connect with their motivated students who are keen to hear about paid work opportunities within your organisation with a Part-Time Jobs Fair on Thursday, October 1, from 11am to 2pm.
You can raise your organisation’s profile on the University of Aberdeen campus with an in-person presence at the fair and extensive advertising in the lead up. This is an opportunity for the university’s students to develop their networking and professionalism skills.
Email employers@abdn.ac.uk for more information and a booking form.
Image credits - Port of Aberdeen
Your guide to cruise ship calls at Port of Aberdeen
To keep our levy payers up to date with the opportunities from cruise ship visitors, here is a list of the scheduled calls at the Port of Aberdeen for the next two weeks:
Friday, August 21: Viking Saturn, arriving 10am, departing 6.30pm, passenger capacity of 928.
Saturday, August 22: AIDAsol, arriving 8.30am, departing 6pm, passenger capacity 2,194.
Friday, August 28: Spirit of Discovery, arriving 10am, departing 7pm, passenger capacity of 999.
Saturday, August 29: Viking Jupiter, arriving 10.30am, departing 8pm, passenger capacity of 928.
Thursday, September 3: Viking Vela, arriving 7.30am, departing 6pm, passenger capacity of 998.
Saturday, September 6: Viking Sky, arriving 4.45am, departing 6pm, passenger capacity of 928.
You can find out more at the Port of Aberdeen website.