Hidden Door
Live Music Call for Entries

Music Call for Entries – Hidden Door 2020

Calling all bands, singer-songwriters, electronic music producers, solo musicians, music collectives and composers… whether you are new-wave or nu-jazz, synth-pop or post-rock, Hidden Door is inviting applications from Scotland’s musicians to perform at this year’s 10-day festival, taking place in an as-yet undisclosed location in Edinburgh from 9 – 18 October 2020.

Hidden Door 2020 will see a secret venue in the capital city transformed into a unique pop-up festival site with several live music stages alongside theatre, film and performance spaces, plus a multitude of art exhibitions and installations.

Bands and musicians based in Scotland are invited to apply to be part of the festival’s renowned live music programme, which in the past has featured the likes of Young Fathers, Anna Meredith and Idlewild, and has created opportunities for bands in the very early stages of their development, such as Sacred Paws and Bossy Love. 

Hidden Door is committed to creating opportunities for emerging talent to reach new audiences, and so we are delighted to be putting out an open call for live music so we can find out even more about the innovative music that is being made in Scotland and bring a selection of that to our audience in October, as part of a curated programme featuring some of the best and most hotly-tipped new bands and live music from across the UK.

Further details and application form

Apply by 16 March 2020.

Download the Music Call for Entries Guidance (PDF)

When you’re ready to apply, complete this online form.

More about Hidden Door

Hidden Door is an arts organisation which aims to open up urban spaces as a platform for new and emerging artists, musicians, theatre makers, performers, film makers and poets. Through organising temporary events Hidden Door works to showcase new work and create engaging environments for the public to experience, explore and discover.

Hidden Door has steadily grown in size and reputation since it began in 2014, when it cleared out the abandoned Market Street vaults to run a 9-day arts festival focused on showcasing local creative talent. In 2015 the festival moved to a hidden courtyard behind Kings’ Stables Road, and returned there in 2016, attracting over 12,000 visitors to experience a wealth of art, poetry, theatre, film, dance and music. In 2017 the festival breathed new life into the old Leith Theatre, attracting rave reviews and critical praise for its role in resurrecting “Scotland’s best new live music venue”, winning a Scottish Thistle Award for “Best Cultural Event or Festival”. It returned there in 2018 whilst also opening up the iconic State Cinema around the corner, then following a farewell weekender at Leith Theatre in 2019, organisers are now setting their sights on a mystery new location to bring to life in 2020.

Hidden Door will return in 2020 as a 10-day multi arts festival, taking place 9 – 18 October in an as-yet undisclosed derelict site in Edinburgh.