Edinburgh Festivals

Credit: Rohit Mattoo

The first of the big 3 to come to town is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which this year runs from 5-29 August. The world’s largest arts festival draws crowds from all over the world and has something for everyone: theatre, comedy, music, dance, musicals and much more. With no artistic selection, anything goes, and even the streets of Edinburgh are transformed with buskers, street theatre and live entertainment filling nearly every cobblestone.

It’s also a great opportunity to spot the next big comedy, theatre or film star – the festival has been the launch pad for the careers of High Grant, Eddie Izzard, Robin Williams, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Billy Connolly and many more.

Next up is the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, from 7-29 August, which is a unique blend of music, ceremony, entertainment and theatre set against the magnificent Edinburgh Castle creating one of the world’s greatest shows. As always, the exciting programme will include the music of the Massed Pipes and Drums and that of the Massed Military bands.

If you still haven’t experienced enough of Edinburgh's amazing festivals, you don’t have long to wait as the Edinburgh International Festival comes to town on 12 August, running until 4 September. For these 3 weeks, the finest in classical music, theatre, opera and dance gather to present one of the most innovative festivals of the performing arts.

Highlights include Godfrey Reggio's Qatsi film trilogy, presented with a live score from the Philip Glass Ensemble, The Peony Pavilion, one of the most famous love stories in Chinese literature, performed by the National Ballet of China and an exhibition by Japanese photographer, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Lightning Fields and Photogenic Drawings.

Visit the individual festival websites – Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Edinburgh International Festival – for tickets and programme information.