Temperatures are starting to get a bit warmer and the sun is
popping out more often… and we all know what this means: summer is coming. Alongside
crowds flocking to beer gardens and lunching in parks, the mildest time of the
year is also synonymous with the ever popular festival season. Whether you’re
more into classical music, jazz and blues, theatre or cinema, there will be an
event for you to get excited about – and especially in Edinburgh. Get your festival
gear on and inspire your creativity with our list of unmissable festivals in Scotland’s
capital:
1. The Fringe
As the largest arts festival in the world, the Fringe is an
extraordinary event that shouldn’t be missed. Taking place every August for
three weeks, it fills the streets of our beautiful city, offering every
pedestrian the chance to attend outstanding, outdoor performances. The one rule
to join the festival is that there is no rule. Actors and comedians are free to
participate whenever and however they want, as there is no selection committee,
nor any themes to follow.
Walk around the cobbled, steep roads of Edinburgh to
discover hundreds of performances. Sometimes dramas, sometimes comedy,
sometimes solo representations, sometimes group shows; each year, the Fringe
gathers an array of exceptional talent, giving life to the medieval quarters of
the city. Little ones and adults can both look forward to exploring Edinburgh
in a truly unique way and enjoying this colourful, festive event that has hit
the streets for 26 years now.
If you’re more into classical music, the Edinburgh International
Festival is for you. Boasting an outstanding line-up of opera and dance shows
each year, the Scottish event organised its first edition in the wake of the
Second World War. Since then, it has welcomed hundreds of highly gifted
orchestras, musicians and dance companies inside the walls of leading venues
such as the Kings Theatre, the Queen’s Hall and the Hub; a converted church on
Castlehill, below Edinburgh Castle.
Visitors can look forward to attending three weeks of
on-stage performances that interpret original creations and classical
compositions. Feel transported by the powerful melodies and inspiring acting
presented on the diverse stages of the festival, and discover a new side to
Scottish cultural heritage.
If you’ve had enough of electro and pop-rock gigs acclaimed
by hundreds of flower-crowned, hipsters, we feel you. We’ve also got exactly
what you need to reconcile your feelings towards music festivals. Enter the inspiring
atmosphere of jazz and blues at this annual festival located in the heart of
Edinburgh. Set up in 1978, the music event aims to unveil a new jazz scene as
well as having famous musicians on stage – including the likes of Buddy Tate and Warren
Vaché, who used to visit and play in the 80’s.
Over nine days, 14 exceptional concerts will be held in
diverse venues across Edinburgh. Warren Haynes’ classic rock guitar and
deep-toned voice, Alvin Youngblood Hart’s heartfelt, enchanting melodies and Curtis
Stigers’ suave saxophone will seduce the audience in a second. Get ready to
enjoy an unforgettable experience with the pure rhythms of jazz and blues…
If you’re interested in cinema, EIFF will be your perfect
festival choice. Undoubtedly the UK’s biggest cinema event, it welcomes the crème de la crème of international
movies each year; promoting them through an outstanding ten-day festival. Since
its first edition, films such as Little
Miss Sunshine, Billy Elliot and
more recently Frances Ha have been showcased
in the Scottish city – and met with admiration from spectators and jurists
alike.
From “American Dreams” to “Black Box”, 14 categories will
include innovative, international films including animation, short and feature-length
movies. Edinburgh International Film Festival aims to nurture new talent and find
the big names of tomorrow. The “world’s longest continually running film
festival”, as it’s commonly called, is the first to open festival season in
Edinburgh and invites an enchanting and artistic atmosphere to the city. If
watching foreign, independent movies is what you crave, register on the website
to get free tickets – and enter the world of this awe-inspiring art.
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