The Edinburgh Playhouse opened on "The Glorious Twelfth" of August 1929 as a cinema seating 3040, designed by architect John Fairweather. The building is one of the finest surviving examples of the "super-cinema" built in an era when creating a feeling of opulence and granduer, as well as maximising seating capacity was top of the list. Closed to cinema in 1973, and narrowly escaping demolition, it has hosted many bands and performers, as well as now being mainly used for touring musicals.
1966 2nd September Chris Barber Band with Kenneth Washington

1976 24th March Diana Ross 1976 1st & 2nd September Queen
1976 16th September Crosby & Nash 1976 17th September Elton John 1976 14th November Santana 1976 17th November The Carpenters 1977 14th January Genesis 1977 25th February Bryan Ferry
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1977 7th May The Clash, support bands The Jam, The Buzzcocks, The Slits, The Prefects, and Subway Sect

1980 20th July The Stranglers

1980 24th August The Ramones

1980 27th September Gary Numan

1980 15th October The Pretenders
1980 25th October UB40

1980 29th October The Jam

1980 10th November Weather Report

1980 13th November Shirley Bassey

1980 26th November Ian Dury & The Blockheads
1980 29th November Yes (Trevor Horn Vocals)

1980 8th December Dire Straits

1981 31st January UFO

1981 19th & 20th February The Who
"For the Playhouse gigs, it was a case of queuing down the steps at the side of the theatre for tickets. The queue stretched down to the bottom of the steps and way up the road to the John Lewis walkway (behind where the multi storey car park is now). We managed to get stalls tickets for both gigs, as we started queuing quite early in the morning of the sale. It was well worth it though because both gigs were fantastic, with some different songs played each night. I recall quite a few mods at these gigs, as the ska/mod scene was blooming that year".
1981 24th February The Stranglers
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1981 27th February Siouxsie & The Banshees, support band The Comsat Angels 1981 5th March Jeff Beck
1981 11th March The Supremes
1981 26th April The Undertones

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1981 17th June Kraftwerk (rescheduled from 9th May)

1981 21st June Robert Palmer 1981 6th July Iggy Pop

1981 13th August Siouxsie & The Banshees, support Linton Kwesi Johnson

1981 26th August Whitesnake, special guest Billy Squire

1981 30th August Ian Dury & The Blockheads 1981 30th September The Grateful Dead

1981 5th October Steve Hackett

1981 13th October Renaissance

1981 17th October Johnny Cash 1981 18th October Greg Lake

1981 19th October Saxon

1981 5th November Cliff Richard

1981 21st November The Human League

1981 22nd November The Stranglers


1981 15th December Japan
1981 19th December Duran Duran 1982 13th January UFO

1982 22nd January Stiff Little Fingers 1982 30th January Sammy Hagar

1982 1st February The Teardrop Explodes

1982 11th February Krokus & Magnum

1982 15th March Iron Maiden

1982 4th April Graham Parker
1982 10th April Blackfoot

1982 14th April The Scorpions (Rescheduled from 11th February)

1982 20th April The Boomtown Rats
1982 26th April The Cure

1982 2nd May Meatloaf
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1982 5th May Foreigner

1982 14th May Jethro Tull
1982 22nd May Todd Rundgren

1982 28th May The Rolling Stones, support from local band TV21, who decided to call it a day backstage after this concert. The Stones were introduced on stage by Billy Connolly

1982 29th May Camel

1982 9th July Toyah


1982 9th September Mike Oldfield

1982 16th September UB40

1982 17th September Elvis Costello 1982 27th September Echo & The Bunnymen

1982 1st October Roxy Music

1982 10th & 11th October AC/DC, support band Y&T


1982 12th October Hall & Oates

1982 18th October Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
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1982 20th October Depeche Mode
1982 21st October Hawkwind

1982 26th October Japan

1982 29th October Stiff Little Fingers
1982 1st November Duran Duran

1982 4th November Elton John
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1982 6th November ABC

1982 7th November Gillan & Spyder

1982 16th November Siouxsie & The Banshees (Robert Smith on guitar)
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1982 17th November Ultravox
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1982 18th November Yazoo

1982 23rd November Budgie, support Bernie Torme

1982 25th November Billy Connolly

1982 1st December Michael Schenker Group

1982 2nd December The Kinks
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1982 4th December Cliff Richard

1982 19th December Simple Minds

1983 16th January Echo & The Bunnymen
1983 11th February The Stranglers

1983 28th February U2

1983 2nd March 10cc

1983 17th March Thin Lizzy

1983 19th March Fun Boy Three
1983 20th March Mari Wilson 1983 31st March The Undertones 1983 7th April Marillion
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1983 8th & 9th April Eric Clapton
1983 22nd April Spandau Ballet

1983 23rd April Steve Hackett

1983 27th April Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark, Support band The Cocteau Twins


1983 13th May Iron Maiden

1983 20th May Kajagoogoo 1983 21st May Robert Palmer

1983 14th September Peter Gabriel

1983 18th September Big Country

1983 19th September Depeche Mode 1983 22nd & 23rd September Rainbow, supported by Lita Ford

1983 14th October Cliff Richard
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1983 28th October Kiss

1983 30th October Michael Schenker Group


1983 20th November Ozzy Osbourne, support Heavy Pettin'

1983 23rd November Robert Plant 1983 28th November Y & T, support band Rock Godess

1983 20th December Whitesnake 1983 31th December Marillion

1984 12th February Saxon

1984 19th February Marillion

1984 23rd February Hawkwind
1984 24th February Simple Minds

1984 3rd March The Clash

1984 8th March Manowar 1984 11th & 12th March The Thompson Twins 1984 31st March Nik Kershaw 1984 2nd April Pallas

1984 26th April The Cure

1984 17th June Siouxsie & The Banshees (This was around the time venues first started to use these hideous electronic tickets, the Playhouse being about the first!).

1984 22nd September Dio

1984 6th October Kiss

1984 8th October Big Country

1984 12th October Echo & The Bunnymen 1984 14th October The Style Council
1984 18th October Depeche Mode

1984 2nd November Motorhead, support band Gas

1984 5th November U2
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1984 24th, 26th, 30th & 31st December Big Country
1985 17th February The Stranglers

1985 28th March Shakin' Stevens



1985 8th June Wishbone Ash 1985 11th June Foreigner 1985 7th September Saxon, Support band The Pretty Maids

1985 15th September Gary Moore

1985 21st September Marillion 1985 22nd September The Cure 1985 24th September The Smiths 1985 5th October Magnum 1985 11th October Siouxsie & The Banshees, support band The Scientists

1985 17th & 18th October The Thompson Twins 1985 31st October Billy Connolly

1985 17th November The Everly Brothers

1985 18th November Hawkwind 1985 21st & 23rd November Cliff Richard


1985 13th December Nik Kershaw 1985 14th December Paul Young 1986 14th January Sting 1986 22nd & 23rd January AC/DC
1986 8th February Motley Crue, support band Cheap Trick

1986 16th February Ozzy Osbourne 1986 23rd March Big Country
1986 10th April Accept, support band Warlock

1986 22nd April Twisted Sister

1986 11th May Public Image Limited


1986 11th September New Order 1986 17th September Motorhead
1986 29th September Five Star 1986 15th October The Damned, support band Blue In Heaven
1986 24th & 25th October The Stranglers


1986 2nd & 3rd November Ultravox
1986 13th November Hawkwind 1986 25th & 26th November Alice Cooper, support band Doctor & The Medics

1986 27th November George Benson 1987 9th February The Psychedelic Furs (Rescheduled from 16/12/86)
1987 18th February Nik Kershaw 1987 6th March Deep Purple
1987 10th March Simply Red
1987 19th March The Thompson Twins 1987 28th & 29th April Duran Duran 1987 16th June Iggy Pop

1987 2nd September Def Leppard 1987 20th September Motorhead

1987 4th October Jethro Tull 1987 7th November Ben Elton 1987 13th November Tom Waits

1987 5th December The Cult


1988 17th January Depeche Mode
1988 27th February Heart 1988 22nd March Ted Nugent, support band Krokus

1988 13th April Hawkwind 1988 28th April Clannad 1988 17th June Judas Priest 1988 26th November Billy Connolly 1988 28th November The Mission, support band The Mighty Lemon Drops
1988 6th December Hawkwind
1989 18th January Eric Clapton
1989 29th January Big Country
1989 20th February Simply Red
1989 16th April Duran Duran
1989 27th May Big Country
1989 1st & 2nd June Elton John, special guest Nik Kershaw 1989 21st September Jethro Tull
1989 16th October Transvision Vamp

1989 21st October Yes 1989 25th October Runrig 1989 28th October All About Eve

1989 17th & 18th November Dave Lee Roth 1989 31st December Big Country
1990 5th March The Stranglers (rescheduled from 27th September 1989)

1990 27th March Fish 1990 9th May Jeff Beck 1990 20th October Hawkwind
1990 1st November Queensryche 1991 11th March Deep Purple
1991 28th March Judas Priest 1991 30th March Megadeth 1991 17th July Kraftwerk

1992 17th March Jethro Tull
1992 1st May Hawkwind &nbs