Edinburgh Festival

The Usher Hall During the Edinburgh International Festival

Edinburgh is a city of festivals. "The Edinburgh Festival" is the name usually applied to the collection of festivals taking place in the city from the end of July to the end of August each year, a period during which Edinburgh becomes home to the world's biggest arts festival and more than doubles its normal population.

The Fringe Festival High Street During the Fringe Princes Gardens During the Festival Book Festival in Charlotte Square West End Craft, Art and Design Fair An Answer to the Eternal Question?

The first of these to start each year is the Jazz & Blues Festival, which runs from late July to early August. This is traditionally followed by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe ("The Fringe"), the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival which run from early August to the end of the month. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo runs for just over three weeks during August. 2009 dates are set out on the right together with links to individual festival web sites.

What you choose to see during this period is up to you: though you are strongly advised to make sure you book your accommodation as early as possible. Beds in and around Edinburgh can be hard to find in August.

The origins of the Edinburgh Festival date back to 1947 when three of today's festivals opened their doors for the first time. The Edinburgh International Festival was the original core of activities. The EIF aims to promote and encourage arts of the highest possible standard. It usually takes place across the larger venues in the city and includes a wide range of theatre, ballet, opera and classical music. The EIF has grown steadily over the years and 2008 proved to be a bumper year.

Accompanying the EIF when it first opened in 1947 was the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Fringe started life as a more accessible and less highbrow accompaniment to the "main" festival, literally on the fringe of it. In many ways it has grown to become much more significant than the EIF that spawned it.

1950 saw the launch of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in the magnificent setting of the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle, as the Army's contribution to the Edinburgh International Festival. Today the Tattoo retains its Scottish character while including performances from as far afield as Australia, Canada, USA, India and Norway: and audiences drawn even more widely. Tattoo tickets sell out very early, so be sure to book yours well in advance.

Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The Udderbelly

Festival Cavalcade

Today's list of festivals was completed by the more recent launches of the Jazz and Blues Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Visitors to Edinburgh should also remember that there are a number of other festivals in the city at other times of the year. Following immediately on from the main Edinburgh Festival in August is the Edinburgh Mela, Scotland's biggest intercultural festival, held over three days at the end of August.

During the first half of April the city hosts the Edinburgh Science Festival, while the Children's International Theatre Festival takes place from the end of May to the beginning of June and the Edinburgh Film Festival, previously part of the main Edinburgh Festival season, now takes place in June. Perhaps best known of these "non-Festival festivals" is Edinburgh's Hogmanay, the celebration of the Scottish New Year each 31 December.

More information about all of the festivals mentioned here throughout the year can be found at www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk

Edinburgh International Film Festival