Edinburgh Festival highlights to include theatre premiere starring Brian Cox
Featuring more than 1,700 artists from 42 countries, including 600 from Scotland, the festival line-up has something for fans of all sectors of the arts.
Highlights include a world premiere of theatre production Make it Happen, based on Scotland's role in the 2008 financial crisis. It stars Brian Cox and Sandy Grierson, and was written by renowned playwright James Graham.
A ballet telling the story of Mary, Queen of Scots will also feature, with choreography by Sophie Laplane which blends classicism with modernity.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, a renowned assortment of singers from around the country, which will perform the festival's opening concert as well as Vaughan Williams's Sea Symphony, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and Mendelssohn's Elijah.
The Big Singalong will take place from the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens, and will be free to attend. It will be led by Stephen Deazley, Edinburgh's Love Music Community Choir director.
Norwegian folk group Barokksolistene will return to the festival to lead The Ceilidh Sessions, an afternoon of music and storytelling inspired by Gaelic ceilidhs.
There are more Polish artists at this year's festival than ever before, including a concert by the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra, and a showcase of artists from the Wroclaw Baroque Ensemble.
Key operatic works include a staged Australian reimagining of Gluck's Orpheus And Eurydice, and the UK premiere of Book Of Mountains And Seas by Chinese composer Huang Ruo.
For the first time, a dementia-friendly concert will feature at the festival.
The performance by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in association with Alzheimer Scotland aims to allow those who have dementia to enjoy a performance in a relaxed and flexible environment.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: 'The Edinburgh International Festival has stood as a global celebration of the performing arts and their power to bridge cultural and national differences since 1947.
'That role is as relevant as ever, so I very much welcome the festival's commitment to affordability and accessibility in this year's programme.
'The international festival is where it all began for Edinburgh's festivals, so whether you are coming from near or far, I encourage everyone to enjoy the best of what Scotland and the world has to offer, across the genres of classical and contemporary music, dance, theatre and visual art.
'The Scottish Government's Expo fund is designed to help showcase Scottish artists and our festivals to the world, and I'm very proud to continue that support with £80,000 for this year's international festival.'
Dana MacLeod, Creative Scotland's executive director of arts, communities and inclusion, said: 'Congratulations to the international festival team for this imaginative programme, which brings important conversations by world-leading artists and extraordinary creative experiences for audiences to the capital city.
'Borne out of a belief in the power of the arts to connect and provide hope in a divided world, the international festival's original ethos remains true today, with international and homegrown talent presenting stimulating work, reflecting and celebrating the world we inhabit.
'A long-time supporter, Creative Scotland is happy to have been able to confirm a funding commitment to the international festival for the next three years.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edinburgh Live
29 minutes ago
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh rail chaos as 'power outage' leads to potential cancellations
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Get the latest Edinburgh Live breaking news on WhatsApp Those travelling from Edinburgh Waverley Station may face potential cancellations and delays due to a power outage. Network Rail have sent inspectors to the travel hub on Thursday August 21 due to an issue with the signalling system caused by the loss of power. This comes as the capital is set for an extremely busy night with AC/DC performing at Murrayfield Stadium and Hibs welcoming Legia Warszawa to Easter Road. As well as this, the city centre will be full of tourists as they take in the Military Tattoo and the Festival Fringe. In a statement on X, Scotrail shared: "NEW: Following an earlier failure of the electrical supply at Edinburgh Waverley, we're experiencing signalling issues. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. "@NetworkRailSCOT is carrying out inspections, but services travelling through this station may be cancelled, delayed or revised." Officials had cautioned travellers to plan ahead of time due to extra pressure on the transport system but the latest news threatens to inflict further chaos on the system. Police Scotland issued a statement: "Edinburgh City Centre is likely to be very busy on Thursday, 21 August, 2025 due to several events taking place. "Alongside the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe Festival, ACDC will perform Murrayfield Stadium and Hibernian FC will play Legia Warszawa. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox "Divisional Commander for Edinburgh, Chief Superintendent David Robertson, said: 'With multiple events on in Edinburgh on Thursday, locals and visitors are advised to leave plenty of time to travel around the city. "'Transport is likely to be busier than normal so please plan your journeys in advance. "'An appropriate policing plan is in place and additional officers will be on patrol in the city."
The Herald Scotland
8 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Edinburgh festival leaders issue freedom of speech warning
They have also highlighted the origins of the city's annual cultural celebration, which was instigated in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, and the importance of 'empathy and dialogue.' Read more: They have spoken out after the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Edinburgh Art Festival, the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the National Library of Scotland all became embroiled in censorship and freedom of expression controversies this month. Benny Higgins, chair of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said it was 'crucial' for freedom of speech to be supported as it lay 'at the heart' of the event and its origins. Benny Higgins is chair of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. Lori Anderson, the new figurehead of Edinburgh's festivals, highlighted how they were 'designed to unite people through culture after the devastation of the Second World War'. Ms Anderson, the director of Festivals Edinburgh, suggested the founding spirit of 1947 'still resonates today' and that audiences in the city refused to be 'silenced or divided'. She added: 'In fractured times, artists must be free to speak'. Kirsty Wark interviewed former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as part of this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival. Picture: Press AssociationFirst Minister John Swinney opened this year's Edinburgh festivals with a keynote speech on culture which warned that freedom of expression was "under greater and greater attack, both at home and around the world". He said at the time: "Let me be absolutely clear – as First Minister I will always protect freedom of speech in our country." Summerhall has become embroiled in a censorship row after Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes was booked into the Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue. Picture: Alamy/PA Fringe venue Summerhall, which is being funded by the Scottish Government for this first time this year, was condemned for apologising for an appearance by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, pro-Palestine protesters disrupted an event with Mr Swinney at The Stand Comedy Club and Jewish performers had to find new venues after their shows were cancelled. The Edinburgh International Festival has faced claims that it tried to stop artists and performers from speaking out about the event's biggest corporate backer, Baillie Gifford. The National Library of Scotland was accused of censorship a collection of gender critical essays by withdrawing the book from its centenary exhibition. (Image: Eoin Carey) The Edinburgh International Book Festival has been accused of excluding gender critical authors from its programme and for allowing former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to launch her memoir at the event. The National of Scotland of Scotland, one of the book festival's venues this month, came under fire for withdrawing a collection of gender critical essays from its centenary exhibition. Organisers of the Edinburgh Art Festival were criticising for allowing culture secretary Angus Robertson to open the event, describing his invitation as a 'vile betrayal' in the wake of controversy over a meeting with Israeli's deputy ambassador to the UK. Ms Anderson, who was speaking at a Federation of Scottish Theatre event, said: 'Over the past few weeks, I've heard many conversations about hope - and whether we can, or should, feel hopeful in a world marked by conflict, climate crisis, economic uncertainty and social division. 'Hope can feel like a luxury in times of crisis. But I believe it is a necessity. And we must choose to be purposefully hopeful - not out of naivety, but out of conviction. 'Hope builds resilience. The Edinburgh festivals themselves were born out of hope - a peace project in 1947, designed to unite people through culture after the devastation of the Second World War. 'That founding spirit still resonates today, reminding us that hope is not passive. It is active. It is deliberate. 'Hope fuels creativity. Artists create, because they have something to say. Every performance, every story, every act of expression is rooted in the belief that change is possible. And hope is a form of resistance. In fractured times, artists must be free to speak. 'Audiences choosing to gather, to listen, to imagine - that is a radical act. It is a refusal to be silenced or divided. It is a commitment to empathy, dialogue and progress.' Mr Higgins, who has been chair of the Fringe Society for the last four years, said: 'Freedom of speech lies at the heart of the Fringe and the origins of the Fringe. 'It's from the embers of the Second World War that this festival was formed. We must support freedom of expression. It's crucial. 'If we don't support freedom of speech within what is legal then we let ourselves down. 'The Fringe is known throughout the world as the biggest performing arts festival. It is part of what Scotland stands for at home and abroad. 'The idea that we have got something that symbolises freedom of speech, inclusion and diversity is just amazing. It's something we have got to protect and cultivate.' One of the biggest controversies at this year's Fringe has been over Summerhall apologising 'unreservedly' for the 'understandable upset' by Ms Forbes appearing at the venue, which secured more than £600,000 in government funding in January. Management emailed all of the venue's Fringe companies to describe her talk, which was part of a series of Unspun Live events organised by The Herald, as an 'oversight' and said they would be developing 'robust, proactive inclusion and wellbeing policies that prevent this from happening again.' Government arts agency Creative Scotland has said it is discussions with Summerhall 'to understand recent events and the steps they are taking to address concerns that have been raised.' Mr Forbes announced £300,000 in new financial support for the Fringe Society earlier this year, the first government funding the arts charity has had since 2018. Mr Higgins, who is also chair of the National Galleries of Scotland and the musical education charity Sistema Scotland, said the Fringe Society had not been in touch with Mr Forbes and did not want to comment directly on Summerhall's apology over her presence in the venue. In its most recent statement, Summerhall Arts, which is responsible for the Fringe programme, insisted it had not imposed a ban on Ms Forbes returning and said its priority was to platform artists. However it added: 'We will not be banning politicians, or anyone else, from participating as audience members or attendees - assuming they adhere to our zero tolerance regarding discrimination.' Mr Higgins said: 'I would rather not get into the individual situation. It is what it is. But freedom of speech is the principle that must be followed. 'I think it would be sad if politicians were not be able to speak at the Fringe. Politics is part of the fabric of our society. 'It's crucial that we have a good relationship with the Scottish and UK governments. We need support from the two governments and many others too. 'I think the reality is the Fringe reflects very well on the city, the country and the rest of the UK. 'This still stands out as the festival which is most likely to be looked at from people on the outside understanding what they might learn from us.' Ms Anderson added: "The Edinburgh festivals - with their bold ideas, brave voices and global reach - are a celebration of possibility. "They are spaces for challenge and debate, for amplifying marginalised perspectives, and for inspiring change. The role of the festivals has never been more vital." The Herald has teamed up with to make the purchase of tickets for the festival so much easier. To buy tickets, please click here.
Scotsman
12 hours ago
- Scotsman
Can you trust a five-star review? I've lost the Fringe knack
Narin Oz lived in a tent. Picture: Steve Ullathorne I've been out and about a bit, seen several shows at the Fringe, as well as Make It Happen at the International Festival. To be honest I am not sure if there are that many to recommend – I must have lost my knack for choosing acts. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... I mean there are some that are getting five-star reviews, which I have booked to see and then come away very underwhelmed. I suppose that is the thing. You need to find a reviewer with whom you share the same sense of humour or appreciation because, as humans, we do find different things funny or interesting. I just need to find that person. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Apart from anything, for most of the time it's not just a fiver for a ticket so no problem if there is an hour of your life that has gone by without a glimmer of a smile. I know that it is expensive to come to Edinburgh and put on a show, and so many go away without a bean to their name. I read about one girl who was staying in a tent (she must be very glad that the weather has been fairly clement apart from the storm on 4 August). And I heard about some sleeping in cars in order to be able to afford a month in Scotland's capital. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Last weekend I had 10 people staying at my gaff as my grown up children return with friends whom they have introduced to the Fringe. Luckily they do seem to spend most of their time away from the kitchen table, packing in as many shows as possible over three or four days. Sometimes I accompany them - sometimes I stay at home and have a cup of tea relishing the peace. That's the thing about living here, there is a stampede of visitors, which is lovely, and so the washing machine is going all the time as clean sheets are constantly required. Anyway, my main recommendations is that if you are going to a show give yourself at least 10 minutes extra time to walk to the venue. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The streets are packed and thank goodness that jay-walking isn't an offence in the UK otherwise I would be in hock for a lot of money. Smile at those handing out flyers as it must be a god-forsaken job, but do take a couple as they are handy as fans.
