Join Together We Rise — a joyful, community-led performance celebrating the power of collaboration at Princes Street Gardens during the Edinburgh International Festival.

Are you passionate about music? Do you love playing an instrument? 
Rise Community Band is looking for members to join our vibrant musical community moment! We are looking for bold, energetic musicians to help create a vibrant street-band sound inspired by collective music-making, improvisation, and celebration.

Whether you are an experienced performer, improviser, community musician, or passionate player who loves collaborative music-making, we’d love to hear from you.

Together We Rise celebrates connection, participation, and the shared energy of live performance — bringing musicians and audiences together in the heart of the city.

Why join?

• Play a variety of music styles in a supportive, fun environment
• Meet fellow music lovers and make new friends
• Perform at Edinburgh International Festival and share your talent with the community
• Receive a £20 stipend for rehearsals and performance

Who can join?

• 18+ musicians
• Able to play without sheet music

Instruments we are looking for:

• Trumpet / Cornet — lead melody lines and soaring improvisations
• Clarinet — fast, high counter-melodies weaving through the ensemble
• Alto & Tenor Saxophone — rich mid-range harmonies and rhythmic punch
• Trombone — sliding “tailgate” brass lines anchoring the harmony
• Sousaphone / Tuba — the heartbeat of the band, carrying the bassline on the move
  Percussion
• Snare Drum — driving syncopated rhythms, rolls, and fills

Rehearsal Schedule

• 8 July - 2 hours' time TBC
• 15 July - 2 hours' time TBC
• 22 July - 2 hours' time TBC
• 29 July - 2 hours' time TBC
• 5 August - 4 hours' time TBC
• 8 August - 4 hours' time TBC

Performance

• 9 August, 2pm – 4pm

Performance Details

We invite you to stroll through Princes Street Gardens in the heart of the city and delight in pop-up performances throughout the afternoon.

Experience vibrant music and dance from across Scotland and the US in this collaborative event inspired by our 2026 Festival theme, All Rise.

We gather together for the culmination — a heart-expanding, jaw-dropping moment of collective expression inspired by the final, soulful movement of Wynton Marsalis’s All Rise.

Interested in Applying?

Fill out the form and we'll be in touch in June. You can listen to a demo of the type of music you would be performing below.

Deadline to apply: 19 June

Places awarded: 26th June