Visit the Gathering
Alex Thomson,On this page, you'll find information about coming along to the Gathering 2026.
We hope you'll join us at the Gathering on 10th and 11th February. We'd love to see you there!
Delegate bookings open 9th December for SCVO members and 6th January for non-members. To make the most of the buzz on the day and all our networking opportunities, we hope you'll be able to join us!
Events & training manager, SCVO
Travel and subsistence
This year, we are pleased to be supported by the Corra Foundation to fund travel and subsistence bursaries to support staff, volunteers, and community members from Black and racially minoritised-led organisations. This reflects Corra Foundation's commitment to amplifying voices and enabling participation in spaces that shape Scotland's voluntary sector.
Racial equity and racial justice are fundamental to Corra Foundation’s strategy. Part of Corra’s approach is ensuring that organisations that are led by Black and racially minoritised people are resourced, represented, and meaningfully included. The Corra Foundation does this through their funding programmes, but also through targeted initiatives to ensure equitable access to wider opportunities.
Bursaries are limited to two people per Black and racially minoritised led organisation on a first-come, first-served basis.
SCVO has reserved spaces for Black and racially minoritised led organisations across all sessions and workshops. When bookings open, please tick to confirm if you meet the criteria and our team will follow up with you to let you know if you have successfully secured a space.
About the venue and getting to the Gathering
The Gathering is being held at the EICC in Edinburgh on 10th and 11th February 2026. The address is 150 Morrison Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EE. View location on Google Maps.
We’ve chosen the EICC as our venue because it has good transport links. Please use public transport, walking, cycling or wheeling to get to the venue if you can - use our You.Smart.Thing link to help plan your route to the EICC. If you’re travelling from out with Edinburgh and public transport is not an option for you perhaps consider car sharing with other organisations from your local area.
Visit the EICC website where you can find lots of helpful information including how to get there and on-site facilities, including free WiFi for all visitors, helping you stay connected throughout your visit to the Gathering.
Arrival and attending events
We can't wait to welcome you. When you first arrive, head to our registration desk at the main doors of the EICC to get yourself set up for the day. Registration will be open from 8.15am on Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th February.
Once you've signed in you're welcome to make use of our name badges to share your name, pronouns and organisation with other delegates.
You’ll find signage and maps near the registration desks to help you familiarise yourself with where your sessions will be taking place. You can also view the venue layout maps and take a virtual tour ahead of your visit.
We’re looking forward to welcoming over 3,000 delegates over both days. To avoid queues when attending sessions, we recommend arriving at your event space early.
To prevent congestion around the venue between sessions, we encourage you to use the stairs if you can. This will help keep lifts free for those who need them. The venue also has escalators that switch directions in between sessions to take you quickly to and from your events. We've also staggered the start and end times of some events to ease the flow of people.
Please head to the registration desk at the main doors of the EICC when you arrive where our friendly team will be there to welcome you.
Registration will be open from 8.15am on Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th February.
Once you've signed in you're welcome to make use of our name badges to share your name, pronouns and organisation with other delegates.
You’ll find signage and maps near the registration desks to help you familiarise yourself with where your sessions will be taking place. You can also view the venue layout maps and take a virtual tour ahead of your visit.
We’re looking forward to welcoming over 3,000 delegates over both days. To avoid queues when attending sessions, we recommend arriving at your event space early.
To prevent congestion around the venue between sessions, we encourage you to use the stairs if you can. This will help keep lifts free for those who need them. The venue also has escalators that switch directions in between sessions to take you quickly to and from your events. We've also staggered the start and end times of some events to ease the flow of people.
An accessible and inclusive Gathering
We want the Gathering 2026 to be accessible, inclusive and enjoyable for everyone. We are applying a range of accessibility measures as standard. And we warmly invite you to tell us about your needs so we can address those too wherever possible.
You can tell us about your accessibility needs when you book to attend the Gathering, or at any time by emailing our Gathering team.
Venue accessibility
The EICC is a fully-accessible events venue, designed to be inclusive to all people.
You can find all of the EICC’s accessibility information here, including information about:
- Accessible travel options
- Accessible parking
- Access to lifts
- Toilet facilities
- Autism Friendly Visitors' Guide.
You can also view venue layout maps and take a virtual tour ahead of your visit.
Catering at the venue
Catering is available throughout the venue and will be exclusively vegetarian, with vegan and non-gluten-containing options available. Please note that catering stations will only accept card payments.
You are also welcome to bring your own food. At the Gathering 2026, we've introduced more catering stations and more places to sit while you grab a bite to eat or a drink.
Don't forget to bring along your own reusable cups and water bottles too to help us make it a Greener Gathering!
Staying in Edinburgh
There are lots of accommodation options to choose from in Edinburgh, so we’ve teamed up with Conference Care to help you with your search!
Browse hotels with the best availability and rates for attending the Gathering and find accommodation that suits your needs.
Planning your time at the Gathering
Before the Gathering, head to your My SCVO account to:
- View your bookings, check event timings and event details
- Sign up for more events if you fancy squeezing even more into your day(s)
- Cancel a booking for any sessions you won't be able to attend
When you arrive at the Gathering, please make your way to the main registration desk where you’ll be given a copy of the Gathering guide with everything you need to know, and a name badge.
If you're planning on heading along to our exhibition, the opening times are as follows:
Tuesday 10th February - 9am to 4pm
Wednesday 11th February - 9am to 3pm
Fun activities to get involved with
Enjoy some down time at the Gathering and support your wellbeing at one of our fun and interactive activities. We've got lots to choose from including:
- Health walks with Walking Scotland
- Clothing swap shop with R:evolve Recycle
- A pop-up library with CILIPS
- Vision board creation with Katie Adams Coaching
- Needle-felting card making with Homelands Trust
- The chance to meet medical assistant trained dogs with Yogi & Cindy Bears service dogs
- Guided tours with Invisible Cities
- A Kathak dance performance from Jhankar Beats
- A choir performance from Down's Syndrome Scotland
- Doggy Bingo with Dogs for Good
Get in touch
Got a question about the Gathering? Contact our team, we'd love to hear from you!
