Festivals In Edinburgh
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Fringe started in 1947 as a spontaneous addition on the "Fringe" of the first Edinburgh International Festival and over its long history, it has become the largest arts festival in the world. Each year, it brings you around 16,000 performances of nearly 1350 shows in 200 venues across Scotland’s capital city. For full programme listings, check out the Fringe website at ; www.edfringe.com
For a day by day chronological breakdown of what is happening across every festival, every day, grab a copy of the Edinburgh Festivals Guide Daily, produced by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in association with The Guardian.
The Fringe Office, 180 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1QS
Tel: (+44) 0131 226 5257 -- Fax: (+44) 0131 220 4205
admin@edfringe.com
www.edfringe.com
Edinburgh’s Millennium Hogmanay
has been voted "the best millennium party on earth" by The Times. The biggest Hogmanay party in Scotland is organised for the centre of Edinburgh, around Princes Street, its gardens and with the backdrop of the floodlit Edinburgh Castle. The Hogmanay celebrations are the culmination of a month-long series of events in which around half a million people participate. An ice rink in Princes Street Gardens operates over the whole festive season and a Ferris Wheel is located beside the Scott Monument. The torchlight procession marches from Edinburgh Castle down the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. On Hogmanay itself, rock and pop bands perform on stages in Princes Street Gardens and the huge fireworks display will use not just the backdrop of the castle but other prominent hills in the city. The images are broadcast on TV across Britain - and the world.
Full details of the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay -
The City of Edinburgh Council
City Chambers, High Street,
Edinburgh EH1 1HQ
www.edinburghshogmanay.org
Book Festival
Established in 1983, it is Europe’s biggest and liveliest public book event, now taking place every year. It presents an extensive programme for both adults and children including discussions, readings, lectures, demonstrations and workshops.
Scottish Book Centre, 137 Dundee Street, Edinburgh EH11 1BG
Tel: 0131 228 5444 -- Fax: 0131 228 4333
admin@edbookfest.co.uk
www.edbookfest.co.uk
International Festival
Each year the Edinburgh International Festival stages one of the greatest celebrations of the arts, attracting audiences from around the world to the city’s thrilling atmosphere. The festivities offer a unique opportunity to experience the excitement of live performance by internationally renowned artists as well as the joy of discovering new and unfamiliar works.
The Hub, Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NE
Tel: + 44 (0) 131 473 2000 -- Fax: + 44 (0) 131 473 2002
eif@eif.co.uk
www.eif.co.uk
Edinburgh Mela
Edinburgh Mela is an annual multicultural arts festival that celebrates the diverse cultures in Scotland. Although Edinburgh Mela's roots are in South Asian cultures, this is a festival for everybody. Performance by local, national and international artists; visual arts / installations; fashion show; workshops; employment fair; the bazaar; foods and crafts from around the world. Now in its sixth year, Edinburgh Mela was originally created by a group of people from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The aim is to reflect the wide diversity of what it means to be Scottish. Through promoting cultural activity from around the world, Edinburgh Mela has become the most significant multicultural Festival in Scotland, attracting people from all parts of Scotland and the UK. Each year Edinburgh Mela brings to Edinburgh artists of great renown. In the past, such artists as the late great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pardesi, Papa Wemba, Bappi Lahiri have appeared on the Edinburgh Mela stage. Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning 'gathering' and is used to describe festivals in the Asian sub continent.
Edinburgh Mela, 14 Forth Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3LH
Telephone: 0131 557 1400 -- Fax: 0131 557 1400
e-mail us at: info@edinburgh-mela.co.uk
www.edinburgh-mela.co.uk
Film Festival
Not only will a visit to the Festival mean rubbing shoulders with the world's most famous movie stars but you can take part in the world's largest cultural celebration. Edinburgh is The Festival City with 10 festivals year round, 6 of which are from August to September - with the Edinburgh International Film Festival taking place during the busiest two weeks. The city is alive with theatre, dance, music, literature, opera, comedy and of course film. Restaurants, bars and pubs are buzzing with visitors from near and far.
88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH3 9BZ
Tel: 0131 229 2550 -- Fax: 0131 229 5501
info@edfilmfest.org.uk
www.edfilmfest.org.uk
Jazz & Blues Festival
Longest running jazz festival in the UK. Concert halls, theatres, clubs, pubs, open air events, featuring all styles of jazz from international artistes. Around 50,000 attendees in past years.
29 St. Stephens Street, Edinburgh EH3 5AN
www.jazzmusic.co.uk
Science Festival
Edinburgh International Science Festival is the world’s first and largest public festival devoted to the celebration of science and technology. Every Easter over 150,000 people enjoy shows, workshops, exhibitions, talks, and unusual and extraordinary events around the city.
8 Lochend Road, Edinburgh EH6 8BR -- Tel: 0131 530 2001 --
Fax: 0131 530 2002
esf@scifest.demon.co.uk
www.sciencefestival.co.uk
Military Tattoo
Scotland’s stunning annual outdoor military spectacular set against the magnificent backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. Including Massed Military Bands, display teams, dancers and acts from around the world.
The Tattoo Office, 32 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1QB
Tel: 0131-225 1188 -- Fax: 0131 225 8627
edintattoo@edintattoo.co.uk
www.edintattoo.co.uk
Children´s Festival
Created and produced by imaginate - promoting and developing performing arts for children across Scotland. SICF is Britain’s biggest performing arts festival for children and young people. Theatre shows by the world’s leading theatre companies for children. A spell-binding feast of entertainment, enough to capture the imagination of any 3 to 12 year old.
Contact the Festival
45a George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2HT
Tel: 0131 225 8050 -- Fax: 0131 225 6440
info@imaginate.org.uk
www.imaginate.org.uk
Beltane Fire Festival
Annual fire festival on Calton Hill celebrating the coming of summer.
The Beltane Fire Society is a voluntary organisation, it exists to organise the Beltane Fire Festival which happens each year in Edinburgh on the night of April 30th. It is also an important hub for a large number of groups and individuals, who as well as contributing to the overall Beltane project also work within their local communities and internationally to promote the wealth of arts and culture that Beltane represents. The Beltane Fire Society was formed in 1988 by Angus Farquhar, whose idea was to re-invent the Beltane celebrations in a modern form and re-instate them as an annual event in the cultural life of Edinburgh. Everyone involved has their own interpretation of Beltane. Some see it in a spiritual light, others see it as a coming together of a community, others see it as a transformatory event, others just love the spectacle... most recognise it as a fertility rite. Main motivating forces among members of the Beltane Fire Society include a strong belief in the power, collectively, to bring about change, to show a different way of seeing things ... Enjoying working with chaos and a certain pyromaniacal exhibitionism go quite a long way too!
Contact the Festival
Beltane Fire Society, 19 Leven St., Edinburgh, EH3 9LH
Tel: 0131 228 5353 - email: scribe@beltane.org
www.beltane.org |
