Large Edinburgh University Union building, aka Teviot Row House, but locally just referred to as "Teviot", with rambling stairs and bars/performance spaces burrowed away on different floors.
The venue is regularly used for public gigs, shows, and clubs outside of the University life.
Built in 1889, Teviot is the oldest, purpose-built student union in the world, inspired by 16th century Scottish palaces with its drum towers at the entrance, interior turnpike stairs, and gothic windows. The wooden-panelled Debating Hall, at the top of the building, has a huge and impressive hammerbeam roof.
Teviot re-opened in March 2026, following a two-and-a-half year renovation that saw upgrades to its lighting, energy use, bars, layout, accessibility, and restoration of the stained-glass windows in the Debating Hall.
The interior has been reimagined and modernised while retaining the original character of the building, such as the quiet grandeur of the Debating Hall and the understated but easy atmosphere of the wooden-cladded Library Bar.
Upgrades include a Loft Bar serving the Debating Hall, with easy access to the roof terrace and a new lounge area, which provides a warm, spacious place for students to eat and meet.
The Gallery Studio, a venue for various free events, is now bathed in more natural light after previously blocked windows were uncovered and the cafe and study space returns to the newly named Gallery Cafe & Commons.
Teviot's popular beer garden space, Union Social Garden, is open 7 days a week from 4pm, with cheap drinks, big screen sports on game days, and DJs and live music.
Fringe and Festivals
Many will have first discovered the venue as Teviot Gilded Balloon (venue 14), during the Edinburgh Fringe in August from 2002 to 2023, and following renovation, in 2026.
The building was rebranded the "Teviot Gilded Balloon", the home of the comedy venue Gilded Balloon, whose original Cowgate home was destroyed by fire in 2002.
It is an ideal setting for the Gilded's brand of close-contact stand-up and off-beat cabaret and theatre.
Prior to the Gilded Balloon, Teviot was for many years the venue for the Fringe Club, jazz festival gigs, and has always been a hub at festival time due to its size, with eight performance spaces, eight bars, and a café.
