Entertainment in Livingston

Livingston is home to West Lothian’s leading entertainment venue, the Howden Park Centre. It’s a multi-purpose arts centre with a 300-seat auditorium, a gallery space, art studio and a tasty bistro. You’ll find it in Howden, next to the hospital, less than a 10-minute drive from our Livingston (M8, Jct3) hotel. Take a look at what’s on during your stay; the centre curates a fantastic programme of contemporary theatre, comedy, live music and workshops ranging from life drawing to tap dancing. Even if there’s nothing that takes your fancy, if you’re nearby, we recommend calling in for a coffee; the renovated building makes for a stunning venue. So much so that it was named ‘Building of the Year’ by the Edinburgh Architectural Association.

If you’re staying with us at our Bathgate hotel and you want to see a show during your stay, the Regal Community Theatre is an impressive art deco former cinema that’s been transformed into a fantastic community arts centre with a far-reaching programme of film, music, amateur theatre, comedy and children’s events. You’ll find it on North Bridge Street, near some of our favourite places to eat in Livingston. We highly recommend visiting the film club, as it offers the chance to see some golden oldies on the silver screen.

The most popular entertainment option is a trip to the best-named football ground on the planet, the Tony Macaroni Arena, to see a Livingston FC home game. Livingston play in the Scottish Premiership, the highest division of Scottish football, and have even enjoyed a season in Europe’s UEFA Cup.

Pub quiz fans will enjoy the fact that Livingston FC was the first club to win all three divisions of the Scottish Football League (in the space of just six seasons), culminating in them being crowned Scottish Premier League champions in 2001. Take a look to see if there’s a match on during your stay. Ticket prices are reasonable, and the atmosphere’s always good.

The Midnight Breakfast Club is brilliant little live music venue on Gardners Lane, which books gigs every Friday and Saturday. Bands and artists tend to be local, but the sound quality is as good as it gets. It also has a great bar and rivals pretty much anywhere when it comes to the nightlife in Livingston.

Last but by no means least, there’s Purple Orange. First and foremost, it’s a music shop on Union Road in Bathgate. However, in the evenings, it transforms into a fantastic grassroots gig venue. It’s far from a concert hall, so if you’re claustrophobic, we’d recommend heading elsewhere. We’d describe it as intimate. And when the artists can get the crowd going in such a small space, it makes for a properly good evening’s entertainment.