Edinburgh’s International Poetry Festival

Push the Boat Out is a new festival for Scotland where a venn diagram of artforms come together, cross pollinate and collide: poetry, spoken word, live music, hip hop, songwriting, film, sound, gaming, visual art and concrete poetry.

Join us for three epic days this November, throughout Edinburgh’s iconic Summerhall. Watch this space for dates to be announced soon!

Image shows the front of Summerhall Arts Centre, with a bright blue sky behind it, and pink and yellow design swirls overlaid.

About the Festival

In some ways, there’s never been a more interesting time for poetry. From time immemorial we’ve looked to poetry and story to help us interpret and understand the world around us; right now there is an ever increasing richness of artists doing just that in powerful and diverse ways, resonating with wider and wider audiences in the process. Push the Boat Out is proud to bring together artists both established and new in the game, and to create a platform for new connections, experiences and inspiration. We are excited to present poetry as a live artform, and connect people who are moved by words and language in all kinds of glorious forms. This festival creates the space for you to do just that.

Check out our past Festival Programmes, join us at our monthly Rock the Boat Open Mics, explore our engagement work or get in touch to see how you can play a part in our story.

Get in the boat compañeros!

Check out the full Programme

2022 Programme

Thanks to the supporters who have made the 2022 festival possible