Five things to do in Scotland this week: from Drag Fest to street theatre

1. Drag Fest, Glasgow

Five and a half hours of outrageous glamour, wit and filth? It won’t be for all readers, but if you’re even a little bit RuPaul’s Drag Race, then this Klub Kids extravaganza is for you. Scotland’s most famous drag queen, Lawrence Chaney, will provide some of the entertainment. Also on the bill are the English queen Baga Chipz; the criminally gorgeous Adore Delano with a full band; the statuesque Welsh act Tayce; the UK season-three winner Krystal Versace; and plenty of other diamonds. You can opt for a pricey VIP upgrade if you want to meet the stars and get some other treats.
Details Thu, Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, glasgowlife.org.uk

2. Blazin’ Fiddles, 25th Anniversary Album Launch Tour

This talented group of contemporary folk musicians got together in the late-1990s for what was supposed to be a one-off tour of the Highlands. It’s a testament to their popularity and chemistry that they are still together two and a half decades later. They have won countless awards, played at the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and kept their energy alive with collaborations and solo work. On this tour they are joined by the guest vocalist Hannah Rarity (look her up if you’ve never heard her singing — her voice is sublime).
Details Tomorrow, Fresh Ayr Folk Fest, Rozelle Estate; Mon, Corran Halls, Oban; Tue, Glenuig Hall, Glenuig; Wed, Birnam Arts, Birnam; Thu, An Lanntair, Stornoway; Fri, Music Hall, Aberdeen; Aug 19, Eden Court, Inverness, blazinfiddles.com

Sister Sledge will be performing at Party at the Palace tomorrow

JOHN WILLIAMS/SHUTTERSTOCK

3. Party at the Palace, Linlithgow

Relive your youth across the loch from the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, where the Happy Mondays, Sister Sledge and M People’s Heather Small will be performing at this cracking wee festival. Today’s headliners are Shed Seven, who were eclipsed by Oasis in the 1990s, but are arguably just as good, and tomorrow’s bill is topped by the synth grandees OMD. You should nip into the comedy tent to see Christopher Macarthur Boyd, Susie McCabe and other top-grad acts. The whole thing is family friendly, and if you pay extra you can use the VIP area with its “posh loos” (everything’s relative).
Details Until tomorrow, tickets available; Bonnytoun Farm, Linlithgow, partyatthepalace.co.uk

Catriona Clark as Cio-Cio San alongside Cameron Mitchell as BF Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly

DES O’ HARE

4. Madama Butterfly, touring

Full-blown operas are expensive. They have to be. But the price (and sometimes the length) can be intimidating. That’s why Opera Bohemia, Scotland’s touring opera company, do such a great job: they manage to stage productions with a reduced orchestra while maintaining much of the work’s spirit and appeal. They are on the road with Puccini’s masterpiece about a young woman’s doomed love for an American serviceman. The soprano Catriona Clark plays Cio-Cio San, with Cameron Mitchell as BF Pinkerton in a 130-minute production that uses a chamber orchestra (and for some performances a piano and violin).
Details Tomorrow, Eden Court, Inverness; Mon, Boat of Garten Community Hall; Wed, MacArts Theatre, Galashiels; Fri, Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock; Aug 19, Caird Hall, Dundee, operabohemia.co.uk

The centre of Glasgow will be full of street performers this weekend

5. Surge Festival, Glasgow

Don’t let anyone tell you Edinburgh has the monopoly on interesting street theatre this month. Have a wander round the centre of Glasgow for the last couple of days of this festival, which showcases an inventive range of performance from circus and physical theatre to street arts and music. Look out for a giant inflatable lobster (Lobster à la Cart by Artizani), a couple of mischievous adult-sized seabirds (the Seagulls), the Dogs of Doom (no, not a heavy metal band, but a pack of dancing wild dogs) and the Good, the Bad and the Poultry (with the live poultry band Hennio Morricone and some other daft cluckers). It’s not all animal-themed, though, and you might be surprised.
Details Today and tomorrow, various venues, Glasgow, surge.scot