Greyfriars Edinburgh Art Fair 2026 at Greyfriars Kirk
Two free days of contemporary art in a 17th-century Old Town church, with a champagne opening on Friday and the Henry Raeburn Prize on Saturday.
Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh. Photo: Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
On 23 and 24 October, Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh's Old Town becomes a contemporary art fair. The Greyfriars Edinburgh Art Fair (GEAF) brings together painting, sculpture, photography, illustration and mixed-media work by established and emerging artists from Scotland and abroad, and the work on show is for sale. Entry is free on both days.
When to go
Friday 23 October is the opening evening, from 16:00 to 21:00, with a champagne reception from 18:00. Saturday 24 October is a full day, from 10:00 to 18:00. Both days are free. The organisers take registrations for the opening evening through Eventbrite, linked from the fair's website, so it is worth signing up in advance if you want to be there on Friday.
The venue does half the work
Greyfriars Kirk was completed in 1620 and has stood at the heart of the Old Town for four centuries. Few fairs get a setting that behaves like an exhibit in its own right: contemporary work reads differently against old stone and tall church windows than it does in a white-walled hall, and the fair is built around that contrast.
The Henry Raeburn Prize
At 17:30 on Saturday the fair presents the Henry Raeburn Prize, named after one of Scotland's most celebrated portrait painters and a defining figure of the Scottish Enlightenment. A panel of curators reviews the eligible works at the fair and selects four recipients for distinction, originality and artistic quality. An open category also gives artists who are not exhibiting at the fair a way to take part. If you want to see the prize given, be in the Kirk by half past five.
Who is showing
Galleries and individual artists show side by side, from local names to international ones. Among the exhibitors is AMOVE Gallery, which has its own stand at the Kirk. The fair is organised by ICM Gestora Cultural, a cultural management company based in Barcelona.
Practical notes
Greyfriars Kirk is on Greyfriars Place in the Old Town, a few minutes' walk from the Royal Mile and the National Museum of Scotland, which makes the fair easy to combine with a day in the historic centre. Opening times and registration can change, so check the official fair website before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Is entry to the Greyfriars Edinburgh Art Fair free?
Yes. Entry is free on both days, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October 2026.
What are the opening times?
Friday 23 October, 16:00 to 21:00, with a champagne reception from 18:00; Saturday 24 October, 10:00 to 18:00.
When is the Henry Raeburn Prize announced?
At 17:30 on Saturday 24 October, at Greyfriars Kirk.
Where exactly is the fair?
Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place, Edinburgh EH1 2QQ, in the Old Town.
Do I need a ticket?
Entry is free. For the Friday opening evening the organisers use Eventbrite registration, linked from the official fair website.
Official Greyfriars Edinburgh Art Fair website
This is an independent informational guide compiled by the Edinburgh Society for its members; we are not the organiser of this event. All official information lives on the organiser's website. Details are subject to change; always confirm before making plans.
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