Opening Ceremony 2026
The Opening Ceremony for the new session of the Parliament is on 27 June 2026.
What's happening?
Their Majesties The King and Queen will join MSPs at the official opening of the Scottish Parliament, taking place on Saturday 27 June.
The Opening Ceremony will include an address by His Majesty, to formally open the Parliament’s Seventh Session.
The event will also include several performances that celebrate Scotland and our rich culture and heritage. They include a specially commissioned poem for the day delivered by Scotland’s national poet, Makar Pàdraig MacAoidh. The poem, Let This Hall Be Full of Noises, will be read by the Makar in Gaelic with an English translation. The National Theatre of Scotland and the NYCOS BSL Youth Choir will also perform.
Their Majesties will then join a reception to meet with “local heroes” who have been chosen to represent constituencies and regions across the country. These local heroes have been nominated to attend as a special guest of their MSP for making an extraordinary contribution to their community.
The event will be broadcast live on the Scottish Parliament’s website. More details to follow.