Things to do in Aberdeen

Museums

Aberdeen Art Gallery houses a collection of Victorian, Scottish, and British art. It also includes a collection of late art donated by the museum’s first benefactor. New exhibitions of contemporary art are displayed regularly.

Aberdeen Art Gallery

The Aberdeen Maritime Museum in Shiprow includes a model of the Murchison oil production platform and a 19th-century assembly taken from Rattray Head lighthouse.

Marischal Museum holds the collections of the University of Aberdeen. Almost 80,000 items of fine art, Scottish history and archaeology are stored here. Permanent displays feature alongside a regular rotation of temporary exhibitions.

Marischal Museum Aberdeen

More museums in Aberdeen

Map showing museums

Festivals

The Aberdeen Streetudent Show is the longest running in the United Kingdom. It is written, produced, and performed by students and graduates of Aberdeen’s universities. It has occasionally been staged at His Majesty’s Theatre – Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen AB25 1GL. The Streetudent Show traditionally combines comedy and music.

Aberdeen hosts dozens of festivals and outdoor events such as the Aberdeen International Youth Festival, Aberdeen Jazz Festival, Aberdeen Alternative Festival, and the University of Aberdeen’s annual May Fest.

National festivals in Aberdeen included the British Science Festival, hosted by the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University and at other venues across the city. The University of Aberdeen also hosts the Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival, the longest-running folk festival in the United Kingdom.

Music and film

Aberdeen sports a variety of live music venues. Belmont Street is particularly well-known its’ live music and night culture. Popular music venues include the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre and the Aberdeen Music Hall – Union Street, Aberdeen AB10 1QS.

Notable Aberdeen musicians include Annie Lennox, Emeli Sandé, cult band Pallas and composer John McLeod.

Local cinemas include The Belmont Picturehouse – 49 Belmont Street, Aberdeen AB10 1JS, among others.

More music venues and theatres in Aberdeen

Map showing music venues and theatres

Parks and green spaces

Aberdeen is famous for its 45 parks and gardens. The city has won the Royal Horticultural Society ‘Best City’ award ten times. The suburb of Dyce has also won the Small Towns award.

Duthie Park is named after and was given to the city by Miss Elizabeth Crombie Duthie of Ruthrieston in 1881.

Hazlehead Park is located in the city outskirts and is popular with walkers, sports enthusiasts, naturalists and picnickers.

Johnston Gardens – Viewfield Road, Aberdeen AB15 7XE, a small park in the west end of the city, contains many different flowers and plants renowned for their beauty. In 2002, the garden was named the best garden in the British Islands.

Union Terrace Gardens opened in 1879 and is in the centre of Aberdeen, bordered on three sides by Union Street, Union Terrace and Rosemount Viaduct. The park forms a natural amphitheatre located in the Denburn Valley

Victoria Park opened in 1871. The conservatory is used as a seating area and has a fountain presented created by master builders of Aberdeen.

Westburn Park has many large grass pitches widely used for field sports. There is a large tennis centre with indoor and outdoor courts, a children’s cycle track, play area and a grass boules lawn.

More parks in Aberdeen

Map showing parks in Aberdeen