Edinburgh Festivals - Not Just the Fringe

Mention the Edinburgh Festival and most of us immediately think of the Fringe. But the city hosts 13 festivals throughout the year, including art, books and jazz and blues. So, if you’re heading to the Scottish capital in the next few days, there’s plenty more on offer than comedy and alternative theatre, as Michelle Brookes explains.

A stunning skyline, streets paved with history and a throng of vibrant cosmopolitan people, it is little wonder Edinburgh has become such a hubbub of art and culture.

The city has  a long association with innovation and creativity, it was the first to be awarded ‘City of Literature’ by UNESCO, has seen writers Robert Louis Steven, Arthur Conan Doyle and Sir Walter Scott all
live and work there and was the location for The 39 steps, Trainspotting and The Da Vinci Code.

Over the last 60 years Edinburgh has developed into a flourishing festival city with no less than 13 taking place throughout the year.

The city’s enthusiasm for festivals dates back to 1947 when Edinburgh International Festival was founded to provide ‘a platform for the flowering of the human spirit.’

Since then more and more have sprung up and nowadays the Edinburgh Festival (the overarching term for  the 12 festivals) attracts roughly the same number of people as the settled population of the city.

And if you fancy a break from the festivals while you’re there Edinburgh is full of history and culture just waiting to be explored with a beautiful castle perched atop an extinct volcano along with galleries, museums, parks and gardens, not to mention lochs, glens and forests just outside the city.


And now a little about the festivals themselves;

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival: 31st July – 9th August
Bars, clubs, parks, churches, concert halls and the streets themselves send jazz and blues resonating through the city. Now in its 31st year, big names have included BB King, Roy Hargrove and Joe Temperley.

Edinburgh International Book Festival:  5th - 31st August
Every year since 1983 a tented village in Charlotte Square’s Georgian Garden has sprung up celebrating the world of books. Last year there were over 700 events attracting 900 authors and 220,000 visitors.
Big names have included Sean Connery, Ian McEwan, Jeremy Paxman, Terry Pratchett and Carol Ann Duffy.

Edinburgh Art Festival: 5th August – 5th September
Established in 2004, the art festival displays modern art to the summer audiences.

Edinburgh Military Tattoo:  7th – 29th August
Nearly 60 years old this 90 minute performance, set against the backdrop of Edinburgh castle, is a mixture of ceremony, music and entertainment.
Last year about 217,000 watched the spectacle on the esplanade at Edinburgh while a further million watch it annually on TV.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival:  7th – 31st August
The fringe began in 1947 when eight theatre groups turned up uninvited to the first Edinburgh International Festival and decided to start their own.
Now the largest arts festival in the world, about 35% of performances are comedy. The rest come from theatre, music, dance and children’s entertainment.

Edinburgh Mela Festival : 7th – 9th August
Founded in 1995 by members of the city’s ethnic minorities community, this is a celebration of cultural diversity through the arts. Theatre, music, film, visual art and physical performance take place alongside a food and craft market.

Edinburgh International Festival: 14th August – 6th September
Started in 1947 when the festival invited some of the world’s best artists and companies to the city’s theatres the festival delivers classical music, theatre, opera and dance from international artists.

Scottish International Storytelling Festival: 23rd October – 1st November
The festival celebrates story-telling with artists and audiences participating and talks, workshops, discussions and family activities.

Edinburgh’s  Hogmanay:  29th December – 1st Jan
A four day celebration of Hogmanay with music, street theatre, dance, fireworks, concerts and other outdoor activities. The New Years Eve street party attracts around 100,000 people. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay was listed in the origina bookl 100 Things to do Before You Die.

The Edinburgh International Science Festival: 3-17 April
The world’s first science festival and Europe’s largest was set up in 1988 to bring science and technology to the masses -  particularly children - featuring talks, workshops, shows and exhibitions.

Imaginate Festival: 10-16 May
Imaginate was launched to provide a program of performances for children from toddlers to teens.
It features shows based on children’s’ literature such as Peter Pan and The Book of Beasts.

Edinburgh International Film Festival: 16-27 June
The pioneer of film festivals for the rest of the world, it sees celebrities, artists and the general public  coming together to witness some of the newest and most innovative cinema.
Big events have included the premiere of ET: Extra Terrestrial and visits from Martin Scorsese, Peter Jackson and Sam Mendes.

Michelle Brookes

More on the Edinburgh Festival can be found at
www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk and further information on the television festival at www.mgeitf.co.uk